whitefish

What it is

Whitefish — one word — is a named catch group covering mild, lean freshwater and ocean species such as lake whitefish. It contributes named animal protein with less fat (and fewer omega-3s) than oily fish like salmon or herring.

Why it's in pet food

It is the gentle fish: mild flavor, lean protein, common in sensitive-stomach and fish-first recipes. "Whitefish" names an accountable catch group, which is more than generic "ocean fish" can say.

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.

Whitefish is on the engine's named-protein list: 15 points on the ingredient-quality pillar when fresh whitefish is the first ingredient (a named meal earns 12 in that slot). The engine reads "whitefish" as one word — it is deliberately distinct from the unnamed "white fish" phrasing some labels use.

Read the full methodology

Foods that list whitefish

Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.

• Copper Hollow Whitefish & Potato Limited Ingredient91
• Purina ONE Plus High Protein Salmon & Ocean Whitefish Formula87
• Purina ONE True Instinct Grain Free With Real Ocean Whitefish87
• Diamond Naturals Whitefish Dinner for Adult Cats & Kittens85
• Fancy Feast Gourmet Naturals Natural Whitefish Recipe85
• Tidecrest Coastal Whitefish Pâté81
• Friskies Gravy Sensations With Ocean Whitefish & Tuna In Gravy80
• Purina Pro Plan Adult Weight Management Ocean Whitefish & Rice Entrée in Sauce80

Sources

• WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — Selecting a pet food

Related ingredients

• anchovy
• anchovy meal
• trout
• tuna
• tuna meal
• whitefish meal

Further reading

• Protein quality vs quantity — why the % is only half the story
• Storing pet food so it stays the food you bought