Peak Beef Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food, 88-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
ZIWI Peak Beef Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food is an air-dried food built around beef, beef heart, and beef liver.
This formula features good protein quality from beef, beef heart, and beef liver, providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The inclusion of organ meats like beef heart and liver adds diverse, high-bioavailability protein.
The biggest watch item is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this food is unverified. Also, there's no declared source of omega-3s like fish or algae oil.
Good fit for dogs who thrive on a beef-rich, air-dried diet. Less ideal if you need AAFCO nutritional verification or a declared omega-3 source.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Beef anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus beef tripe at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor). In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. beef delivers solid amino acid coverage. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Reasonable protein quality. beef delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest crude fiber in ZIWI's lineup (3.5% DMB)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in air-dried foods (44.2%)
- Lowest fat quality in ZIWI's lineup (4/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Surf & Turf Air Dried Recipe for Dogs
Scores 16 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Beef & Barley UnKibble
$3.75/lb vs your seed's $26.63/lb (86% less) at a comparable score.
Turkey & Sweet Potato UnKibble
Turkey instead of beef, 10 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2beef tripe
Stomach lining. Strong-smelling but nutrient-dense, with natural digestive enzymes.
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3protein animalbeef heart
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4beef lung
Organ meat. Lean, protein-dense, real-food inclusion. More common in raw and freeze-dried diets.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
Position 5. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 6protein animalbeef kidney
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and trace minerals. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 6. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 7beef bone
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8green mussel
Mussel from New Zealand. Natural source of glucosamine and omega-3s. Common in joint-support formulas.
- 9beef cartilage
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10beef spleen
Position 10. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 11lecithin
Natural emulsifier, usually from soy or sunflower. Helps blend fats and water. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 12supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 13dried apple pomace
- 14fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
Position 14: trace fiber inclusion.
- 15dipotassium phosphate
- 16mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 18mineraliron amino acid complex
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 19mineralcopper amino acid complex
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 20mineralmanganese amino acid complex
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 21mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 22dried organic kelp
- 23mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 24preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 25preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
18 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.