A short guide to reading the label on a dog treat: the order of the ingredients, the vague terms, the preservatives, and why single-ingredient is the standard for clarity.
Most often, choosing a treat for your dog starts with the label. A few minutes spent reading the ingredient list make the difference between a clean product and one with hidden surprises: vague derivatives, synthetic preservatives, sugars under another name.
The order of the ingredients matters
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, under the European FEDIAF rules. The first ingredient makes up the largest part of the product. If a treat starts with “unspecified meat derivatives” or “cereals”, pure protein isn't the main contribution, even if the product boasts “rich in beef” on the front.
A simple test we use: if the first three ingredients aren't ones a shopper would recognise from a pantry, the product doesn't go into the catalogue.
Vague terms are red flags
Honest labels use concrete terms. “Dehydrated beef, 75%” is a verifiable statement. “Derivatives of animal origin” is an umbrella category that can hide anything: organs, ground bone, or leftovers that don't sell any other way.
The list of terms we avoid:
- “Meat derivatives” or “derivatives of animal origin”: undeclared source
- “Natural flavouring” / “artificial flavouring”: unspecified substances used as enhancers
- “Cereals” with no type given: can mean filler with a high glycaemic index
- “Colourings”: can be E102 (tartrazine), E122 (azorubine), E133 (brilliant blue), additives that EFSA monitors for irritant effects
Single-ingredient is the standard for clarity
A single-ingredient treat declares one ingredient and nothing more. For example: “Red deer antler (Cervus elaphus), 100%”. That's all. No flavourings, no preservatives, no fillers.
The advantage isn't just transparency. It's control too. If your dog has a food sensitivity, single-ingredient lets you remove a protein from the diet completely and pin down the exact source of the problem.
Synthetic preservatives and why they matter
BHA (E320), BHT (E321) and ethoxyquin are synthetic preservatives still used in products for dogs. AAFCO allows them within certain limits, but the European authorities and the FDA have asked for further studies on possible links to liver and kidney changes under cumulative intake.
Natural preservation, through drying, freezing, or the use of tocopherols (vitamin E as an antioxidant), is the alternative we look for. A shorter shelf life is an acceptable cost for a clean label.
Source and traceability
A serious producer tells you where the product comes from: which country, which area, which farm. Traceability isn't a marketing detail. It's a documented requirement in the European supply chain.
When a label says only “Made in EU” with no specific country, you've lost a piece of information. Petique asks producers for the declaration of origin on that particular batch, before the product enters the catalogue.
At Petique, every product goes through this filter before it enters the catalogue. We read the whole label, we check the origin, we turn down what doesn't line up. We say no to 90% of what we assess. The rest reaches you, with a label you can read and understand.
Sources:
FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food
AAFCO Pet Food Labeling Guide
EFSA on feed additives
