Know what is actually in your pet’s food.

ChowScan scans dog and cat food labels and returns a 0 to 100 health score in seconds. The score is built from a 234-entry ingredient dictionary that flags questionable preservatives, dyes, and unnamed meat sources alongside beneficial whole-food ingredients.

Ingredients are listed by weight, so the first few make up most of the bag. Look for a named protein first (chicken, salmon, lamb), be wary of unnamed terms like meat meal or animal fat, and check the end of the list for artificial preservatives and dyes. ChowScan does this read for you and grades each top ingredient.

Common ones worth scrutiny: artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin), artificial dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2), unnamed sources (meat meal, animal fat, by-product meal), added sugar, and corn syrup. None are a verdict on their own, which is why ChowScan scores the whole label rather than a single line.

BHA and BHT are synthetic preservatives. BHA is classified by the IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans, and both are restricted in some food uses elsewhere, so many owners prefer foods preserved with mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) instead. ChowScan flags them and links to the source so you can decide.

Meal is a rendered, concentrated protein. A named meal (chicken meal) identifies the animal; generic terms (meat meal, poultry by-product meal) do not, which makes quality and consistency harder to judge. ChowScan rates named sources more favorably than unnamed ones.

Artificial colors add nothing nutritional for a dog or cat, they exist so the food looks appealing to the person buying it. ChowScan flags Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2 and similar dyes so you can choose uncolored food if you prefer.

Not automatically. Grain-free is helpful for a diagnosed grain allergy, but grains like brown rice and oats are fine for most dogs, and the FDA has investigated a possible link between some grain-free diets and heart disease. ChowScan scores the actual ingredients rather than the marketing on the front of the bag.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials sets the model ingredient definitions and nutritional profiles used across the US pet food industry. ChowScan uses AAFCO ingredient definitions as one of its rating sources.

It is a structured ingredient analysis, not a substitute for veterinary guidance. It applies the same rubric to every product and cites a public source for each flag. Treat it as a starting point for label scrutiny, not a medical recommendation.

Free is unlimited scans, the 0 to 100 score with citations, ingredient browsing, and a basic pet (name and species). Pro adds personalized scoring against your pet's allergies and conditions, a daily portion calculator, cost tracking, recall push alerts, healthier-alternative suggestions, vet-share PDFs, full pet profile, weight and body-condition logging, search by typing, favorites, full scan history, AAFCO compliance check, and compare mode.

Pro is $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year. You can cancel anytime in your App Store or Play Store subscription settings.

Public sources including Open Pet Food Facts (ODbL-licensed), manufacturer label data, and pet food recall feeds from regulators. ChowScan does not take payment from pet food brands to influence ratings.

ChowScan reads barcodes and uses on-device OCR for ingredient panels. If a label is hard to read or the product is unknown, you can search by brand and product name, or photograph the label so the next person who scans it gets a result too.

Yes. Both species are covered for kibble, wet food, freeze-dried, raw, treats, and toppers. The engine applies species-specific rules, so taurine is beneficial for cats and neutral for dogs, for example.

No. ChowScan helps you compare labels and spot ingredients worth asking about. Diagnosis, allergy management, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, and weight plans belong with your veterinarian.

Recall data is pulled from public regulatory feeds. Pro users can add products to a watchlist and get a push notification if a watched product is recalled.

iOS and Android.