Reading labels? Here’s one trick pet food companies hope you don’t notice.

At Dog Krazy, we encourage all pet parents to get familiar with ingredient labels, but even the most label-savvy shopper can get misled. One of the sneakiest tactics used in the pet food industry is something called ingredient splitting, and it’s more common than you think.

What Is Ingredient Splitting?

Ingredient splitting is when a manufacturer breaks up a lower-quality ingredient into smaller sub-ingredients to move them further down the label. Since ingredients are listed by weight before cooking, this reshuffling makes it look like the food contains more meat than it really does.

A Real Example

You might see something like this on a pet food label:

  • Chicken

  • Pea protein

  • Pea starch

  • Pea fiber

  • Brown rice

  • Rice bran

  • Rice flour

That’s three kinds of peas and three kinds of rice. Together, those ingredients likely outweigh the meat. But because they’re separated, meat stays at the top of the list, even if the food is mostly plants and carbs.

Why It Matters

  • It inflates the perceived protein: Pea protein and other plant proteins can artificially boost protein levels, but they lack the amino acid profile of animal proteins. Dogs and cats need complete proteins.

  • It hides the carb content: When carbs are split up, it’s harder to see just how starch-heavy a food is. Many kibble formulas are 40–60% carbohydrates, way more than dogs or cats naturally need.

  • It misleads consumers: Brands use splitting to market their food as "meat first" when in reality, it may be more plant-based than it appears.

Know This:

  • Dogs require 10 essential amino acids from their diet (cats need 11). These are most easily found in animal proteins, not plants.

  • While some grains and legumes have nutritional value, they should not be the bulk of your pet’s food.

  • Ingredient splitting is not illegal, but it is deceptive.

How to Outsmart It

  • Choose foods that list a named meat (like turkey or salmon) and/or meat meal as the first ingredient.

  • Look for brands that don’t hide behind vague terms like “meat by-products” or “animal digest.”

  • Avoid foods with multiple versions of the same ingredient (i.e., multiple peas, corn products, or rice derivatives).

  • Ask questions! If the label is confusing, it’s not you, it’s them.

At Dog Krazy, we’ve done the legwork. We only stock foods we trust, foods that list real meat first, don’t play ingredient games, and actually support your pet’s health from the inside out.

Bring Us Your Bag

Not sure if your dog’s food is being sneaky? Bring it in. We’ll walk through the label with you, explain what’s in it (and what’s not), and help you find a better option if needed.

Because we believe your pet deserves transparency, quality, and nutrition that’s built for them, not for shelf appeal.