fish meal
"Fish meal" is rendered fish with no species named — the fish aisle's "meat meal". How Bowlmark scores unnamed fish, exactly.
Also appears on labels as: fishmeal · dried fish · dehydrated fish
What it is
Fish meal is rendered, dried fish — concentrated protein like any meal, except "fish" names nothing. The species mix can vary by catch and by batch, and the label gives you no way to know what it was.
Why it's in pet food
It is an economical fish protein and a flexible one: suppliers can blend whatever the market lands. That flexibility is the transparency cost the label reader pays — "fish" could be nearly anything with fins.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
Unnamed fish terms take a 10-point deduction on the ingredient-quality pillar — one deduction for the fish class regardless of how many such terms appear, and separate from the 20-point deduction for unnamed mammal and poultry sources. Named fish meals (salmon meal, herring meal) earn bonuses instead: 12 points leading the label, 8 in the second or third slot.
Common questions
Answers come from this entry and the scoring rules above — reviewed before publish, like everything else on this page. For anything about your own pet, your vet knows best.
What is fish meal in pet food?
Rendered, dried fish — concentrated protein like any meal, except "fish" names nothing. The species mix can vary by catch and by batch, and the label gives you no way to know what it was.
Is fish meal bad for dogs and cats?
It is an economical fish protein and a flexible one: suppliers can blend whatever the market lands. That flexibility is the transparency cost the label reader pays — "fish" could be nearly anything with fins. Named fish meals (salmon meal, herring meal) tell you more, and Bowlmark scores them differently for exactly that reason.
How does Bowlmark score unnamed fish meal?
Unnamed fish terms take a 10-point deduction on the ingredient-quality pillar — one deduction for the fish class regardless of how many such terms appear, and separate from the 20-point deduction for unnamed mammal and poultry sources. Named fish meals (salmon meal, herring meal) earn bonuses instead: 12 points leading the label, 8 in the second or third slot.
Foods that list fish meal
Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.
- Diamond Naturals Kitten Chicken & Rice Formula88
- Blue Buffalo BLUE Tastefuls Adult Active Cat Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe87
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe87
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Adult Dog Grain-Free Chicken Recipe87
- Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula87
- Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Venison87
- Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat All Life Stages Dog Salmon & Potato Formula85
- Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Large Breed Salmon & Rice Formula85
Compare foods that list fish meal
Same species, same form, both scored — closest scores first, so the comparison is a real one.
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe vs Blue Buffalo Wilderness Adult Dog Grain-Free Chicken Recipe
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe vs Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe vs Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Venison
- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Adult Dog Grain-Free Chicken Recipe vs Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Fish meal in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/fish-meal
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- Last verified August 21, 2026
No stored score to stamp yet — the engine and config above are the ones a scan runs today.