Some pet food manufacturers use multiple sources of carbohydrates and other non-meat ingredients instead of one single source to bring the meat ingredient to the top of the list.
This works because they make a meat ingredient weigh more than every single non-meat ingredient. However, when combined, all these separately listed ingredients often outweigh the meat ingredient.
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The actual calculation of the score is based on sophisticated and advanced algorithm that takes into account multiple parameters.
To simplify the explanation, the calculation is based on three main criteria:
(1) Amount of protein (more is better)
(2) Amount of carbohydrates (less is better)
(3) Quality and source of ingredients.
Based on that 3 main criteria, 9 score calculation rules are used to compare the different foods.
One major assumption is that the closer an ingredient is to the top of the ingredient list, the greater its relative weight and contribution to the food.
In general, cat food is composed of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fibers, vitamins, and minerals.
Protein is the most important component in a cat’s diet, and cats primarily get their protein from animal meat.
Fat is a primary source of energy and essential fatty acids.
Carbohydrates are controversial in a cat’s diet, as cats are obligate carnivores and typically consume very few carbohydrates.
Fibers play an important role in digestion and food absorption, and vitamins and minerals are essential for different organism functions.
Dry matter values are used to compare the amount of nutrients in different cat foods.
This means that moisture is excluded from the equation to provide a more accurate comparison.
Putting all of these and more into a formula results in a product score.
The maximum score a cat food can receive is 100.
Points are added or removed based on the score calculation rules.