You flipped the pouch over in Pets at Home, squinted at the ingredients list, and saw “meat and animal derivatives (including 4% chicken).” Four percent chicken in a chicken-flavoured cat food. That cannot be right. Then you noticed “cereals” listed second, “various sugars” halfway down, and something called “EC permitted additives” at the bottom with no further explanation. You put the pouch back, picked up a premium brand, and found the list only slightly less confusing. Understanding cat food ingredients should not require a food science degree, but the labelling regulations make it harder than it needs to be. Here is how to decode what you are actually feeding your cat.
In This Article
- How UK Pet Food Labelling Works
- The Ingredients List: Order Matters
- Meat Content: What the Percentages Mean
- Common Ingredients Decoded
- Ingredients to Avoid
- Wet Food vs Dry Food Ingredients
- Named Meat vs Meat Derivatives
- Grain-Free: Is It Actually Better
- The Analytical Constituents Panel
- How to Compare Two Cat Foods Fairly
- Frequently Asked Questions
How UK Pet Food Labelling Works
The Regulations
UK pet food labelling is governed by the Animal Feed (England) Regulations and enforced by local trading standards. The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) provides additional voluntary codes. The rules require an ingredients list in descending order by weight, an analytical constituents panel (protein, fat, fibre, ash percentages), and a statement of additives.
What Manufacturers Must Declare
- All ingredients in descending order of weight at the time of manufacture
- Analytical constituents: crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, crude ash
- Additives: vitamins, minerals, preservatives, and colourants
- Feeding guidelines
- Best before date
What They Can Hide
The regulations allow vague category names instead of specific ingredients. “Meat and animal derivatives” can legally mean any combination of animal-sourced materials — chicken, beef, pork, or offal from any species. “Cereals” can mean wheat, rice, corn, or any grain. This deliberate vagueness lets manufacturers change the actual composition batch-to-batch without updating the label, which keeps costs low but transparency even lower.
The Ingredients List: Order Matters
Weight at Manufacture
Ingredients are listed by weight before processing. This is crucial because wet ingredients (fresh meat, water) weigh more than dry ingredients (dried meat meal, cereals). A wet food listing “chicken” first might contain 30% fresh chicken by weight — but fresh chicken is 70% water, so the actual chicken meat content in the finished product is closer to 9%.
The First Three Ingredients
As a quick check, look at the first three ingredients. They make up the majority of the food. For a cat (an obligate carnivore), the first ingredient should be a named meat source — chicken, salmon, turkey, or beef. If the first ingredient is a cereal or “meat and animal derivatives,” the food is likely filler-heavy.
Splitting
Some manufacturers “split” ingredients to push them down the list. Instead of listing “wheat” as the second ingredient (which would look bad), they split it into “wheat flour” and “wheat gluten” — each appears further down the list individually, but combined they might outweigh the meat. Look for multiple variations of the same ingredient — this is a red flag.
Meat Content: What the Percentages Mean
The “4% Chicken” Problem
When a cat food says “with chicken” on the front and lists “meat and animal derivatives (including 4% chicken)” in the ingredients, it means exactly what it says. The food contains 4% chicken. The other 96% is other meats, derivatives, cereals, and additives. The word “with” in pet food labelling only requires 4% of the named ingredient.
Labelling Tiers
- “Chicken flavour” — does not need to contain any chicken at all. The flavour can come from artificial flavouring.
- “With chicken” — must contain at least 4% chicken
- “Rich in chicken” or “chicken dinner” — must contain at least 14% chicken
- “Chicken” as the product name (e.g., “Chicken Cat Food”) — must contain at least 26% chicken
- “All chicken” or “100% chicken” — must be entirely chicken (rare, usually only in freeze-dried treats)
What Good Looks Like
A quality cat food names the specific meat and gives a clear percentage. “65% chicken (including 30% fresh chicken breast, 25% dried chicken, 10% chicken liver)” tells you exactly what is in the food. “Meat and animal derivatives (including 4% chicken)” tells you almost nothing.
Common Ingredients Decoded
Meat and Animal Derivatives
The most controversial term in pet food. It legally covers any part of any warm-blooded animal — muscle meat, organs, blood, bone meal, feathers (hydrolysed), and rendered fat. It is not inherently bad — liver, heart, and other organs are nutritionally excellent for cats. The problem is the lack of specificity. You do not know which animal or which parts are included, and the composition can change between batches.
Cereals
Any grain — wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley. Cats have no nutritional requirement for cereals. Small amounts of rice or oats are digestible and provide fibre, but cereals listed as the first or second ingredient indicate a food that is bulked with cheap fillers. Watch for wheat, which is a common allergen in cats.
Vegetable Protein Extracts
Usually soy or corn gluten. These boost the protein percentage on the analytical panel without using meat. A food with 30% crude protein that gets half of that from soy protein extract is less nutritious for a cat than one with 25% protein entirely from meat. Cats struggle to process plant-based proteins as efficiently as animal proteins.
Sugars / Various Sugars
Added sugar has no nutritional value for cats and can contribute to obesity and dental problems. It is added to improve palatability and to caramelise the gravy or jelly for a more appealing colour. Avoid if possible.
Oils and Fats
Necessary and beneficial — cats need fat for energy, coat health, and vitamin absorption. Named sources (chicken fat, salmon oil, sunflower oil) are preferable to generic “oils and fats” because you know what you are feeding.
Minerals and Vitamins
Essential supplements that ensure the food meets minimum nutritional requirements. These are standard and expected — their presence does not indicate a good or bad food. What matters is whether the vitamins and minerals are supplementing a nutritious base or compensating for a poor one.
Taurine
An amino acid that cats cannot produce themselves — it must come from their diet. Taurine deficiency causes blindness and heart failure in cats. All complete cat foods must contain adequate taurine, but it is sometimes listed as a separate additive when the base ingredients do not provide enough naturally. Named meats (especially heart and dark poultry meat) are naturally rich in taurine.
Ingredients to Avoid
Artificial Colours (E-Numbers)
E102 (tartrazine), E110 (sunset yellow), E129 (allura red). These artificial colourings are added entirely for human appeal — cats do not care what colour their food is. Some are associated with hyperactivity and allergic reactions. Premium brands never use artificial colours.
BHA and BHT (Synthetic Preservatives)
Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene are synthetic antioxidants used to prevent fat from going rancid. They are controversial — some studies link them to health risks at high doses. Natural alternatives (tocopherols, rosemary extract) do the same job without the concerns. Most premium brands have moved to natural preservatives.
Propylene Glycol
A humectant used in some semi-moist foods to retain moisture. While classified as safe for dogs, it can cause Heinz body anaemia in cats. It is less common in UK cat food than in American products, but check if you buy imported brands.
High Cereal Content
Cats are obligate carnivores. A cat food where cereals appear in the first three ingredients is nutritionally inappropriate. Some grain is tolerable — a lot of grain is cheap filler that provides calories without the amino acids cats need from meat.
Wet Food vs Dry Food Ingredients
Why Ingredients Look Different
Wet food lists fresh meat first because it is heavy (70-80% water). Dry food lists dried meat meal first because the water has been removed — “dried chicken” is concentrated protein with the water extracted. This makes direct comparison between wet and dry ingredients lists misleading at a glance.
Dry Matter Comparison
To compare fairly, calculate the protein content on a dry matter basis. A wet food with 10% protein and 80% moisture actually contains 50% protein on a dry matter basis (10 ÷ 20 × 100). A dry food with 30% protein and 10% moisture contains 33% protein on a dry matter basis (30 ÷ 90 × 100). The wet food is actually higher in protein relative to its solid content.
Which Is Better for Cats?
Neither is inherently better — both can be nutritionally complete. Wet food provides hydration (important for cats who are naturally poor drinkers) and tends to be higher in meat content. Dry food is more convenient, cheaper per day, and better for dental health (the chewing action reduces tartar). Many vets recommend a combination of both.
Named Meat vs Meat Derivatives
Named Meat Sources
“Chicken,” “salmon,” “turkey,” “beef” — specific animals listed by name. This tells you what your cat is eating and means the manufacturer commits to using that specific protein source consistently. Named meat is the hallmark of transparency in cat food labelling.
Meat Derivatives
“Meat and animal derivatives” — a catch-all term for any animal-sourced material. The actual composition can vary between batches. Your cat might eat chicken-based food one week and pork-based food the next from the same product line, with no change on the label. This inconsistency can be a problem for cats with food sensitivities.
When Derivatives Are Acceptable
Not all derivatives are bad. Organ meats (liver, heart, kidney) are nutritionally superior to pure muscle meat for cats — they are rich in taurine, vitamins A and B12, and iron. The problem is not that derivatives exist, but that the labelling does not tell you which derivatives. A label that says “chicken liver, chicken heart” is excellent. “Meat and animal derivatives” is a mystery.
Grain-Free: Is It Actually Better
The Marketing Story
Grain-free cat food has been marketed as closer to a cat’s natural diet. The reasoning is that wild cats do not eat wheat or corn, so domestic cats should not either. This is partially true — cats have no nutritional need for grains.
The Reality
Grain-free does not mean carbohydrate-free. Most grain-free foods replace grains with potato, sweet potato, peas, or lentils — which are still carbohydrate sources. The protein and carbohydrate balance may not be much different from a grain-inclusive food.
When Grain-Free Makes Sense
If your cat has a diagnosed grain allergy or intolerance (confirmed by a vet, not guessed at), grain-free is necessary. For the majority of cats, grain-inclusive food with modest amounts of rice or oats is perfectly healthy and often cheaper. The grain-free premium (typically 30-50% more expensive) is not justified for most cats.
The FDA Concern
In the US, the FDA investigated a potential link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. No conclusive link was established, and the investigation focused on dogs rather than cats, but it highlighted that grain-free is not automatically healthier. The PFMA’s position provides balanced UK-specific guidance.
The Analytical Constituents Panel
What the Numbers Mean
Every cat food must display four figures:
- Crude protein — the total protein content. Higher is generally better for cats (aim for 30%+ in dry food, 8%+ in wet food). “Crude” means it measures all nitrogen-containing compounds, not just digestible protein.
- Crude fat — fat content. Cats need moderate fat (10-20% in dry food). Too little means insufficient energy and poor coat condition. Too much contributes to obesity.
- Crude fibre — indigestible plant material. Should be low (under 5%). High fibre means high filler content.
- Crude ash — mineral content (bone, shell, mineral supplements). Should be under 10%. Very high ash can indicate a lot of bone meal rather than quality meat.
What the Panel Does Not Tell You
The analytical panel does not reveal the quality or digestibility of the protein. Plant protein from soy counts the same as animal protein from chicken in the crude protein figure, but cats digest and use animal protein far more efficiently. A food with 35% crude protein from named meats is nutritionally superior to one with 35% protein partially from vegetable protein extracts.
How to Compare Two Cat Foods Fairly
Step 1: Check the First Three Ingredients
Named meat first? Good. Named meat with a percentage? Better. “Meat and animal derivatives” or cereals first? Worse.
Step 2: Look at the Meat Percentage
Total named meat content of 60%+ is excellent. 40-60% is good. Below 40% means significant filler. Below 20% is a meat-flavoured cereal product.
Step 3: Compare Protein on Dry Matter
Calculate the dry matter protein for both foods (especially when comparing wet vs dry). The food with higher dry matter protein from named meat sources is nutritionally superior.
Step 4: Check for Red Flags
Artificial colours, undefined “meat and animal derivatives” without percentages, cereals in the top three, added sugars, multiple variations of the same grain (ingredient splitting).
Step 5: Price Per Day, Not Per Pouch
Premium cat food costs more per pouch but feeding guidelines are often for smaller portions because the food is more calorie-dense and nutritious. Calculate the daily cost, not the unit cost. A £1 pouch fed twice daily costs £2/day. A £1.50 pouch fed once daily costs £1.50/day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should the first ingredient in cat food be? A named meat source — chicken, salmon, turkey, or beef. Cats are obligate carnivores and need animal protein as the foundation of their diet. If the first ingredient is “cereals” or “meat and animal derivatives” without further detail, the food is likely filler-heavy.
What does “meat and animal derivatives” mean in cat food? It is a legal catch-all term covering any part of any warm-blooded animal — muscle meat, organs, bone meal, blood, or rendered fat. The actual composition can vary between batches. While not inherently bad (organs are nutritious), the lack of specificity means you do not know exactly what your cat is eating.
Is grain-free cat food better? Not necessarily. Cats do not need grains, but grain-free foods substitute with other carbohydrates (potato, peas, lentils). For cats with diagnosed grain allergies, grain-free is important. For most cats, modest amounts of rice or oats in an otherwise meat-rich food are perfectly healthy.
How much protein should cat food have? Aim for at least 30% crude protein in dry food and 8% in wet food. Higher is generally better for cats, provided the protein comes from named animal sources rather than plant-based protein extracts like soy.
Are expensive cat foods always better? Not always, but there is a strong correlation between price and ingredient quality. Premium brands typically use higher meat percentages, named ingredients, and fewer fillers. The cheapest supermarket cat foods rely on derivatives, cereals, and vague labelling. Mid-range brands with transparent labelling often offer the best value. See our best cat food UK guide for specific brand recommendations.