Kroket on your phone
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The method
We publish the whole formula here, thresholds and rounding included, so you can check any score in the app. Every step uses the same sample label, and then you can try it with yours.
Step 1 · The label
On a US bag, this table is called the “guaranteed analysis.” European bags call it “analytical constituents.” It lists protein, fat, ash (the minerals), fiber and moisture as percentages.
Allergens and additives show up on the product page, but they don't change the product's score.
Guaranteed analysis
A made-up cat kibble label. It's the example used all the way down this page.
Step 2 · Carbs
Manufacturers aren't required to list carbs, and they rarely do. Take everything that is listed away from 100: nutritionists call what's left NFE, short for nitrogen-free extract.
100 Protein Fat Ash Fiber Moisture Carbs
100 40 20 8 3 10 19%
Rice, potatoes or peas, the math can't tell them apart. The higher the number, the more starch in the bowl. The result is rounded to two decimal places, and it never goes below zero.
Step 3 · The score
Carbs and protein each earn points, from 0 to 100. How much each one counts depends on the food and the pet, and the total is rounded down to a whole number.
(50 − c) × 100/35100 points up to 15% carbs, 0 points from 50%. In between, the points drop steadily.
(p − 20) × 100/200 points up to 20% protein, 100 points from 40%. In between, the points climb steadily.
Cat
Dog
With the sample label, for a cat: 19% carbs earn 88.6 points and 40% protein earns 100. Each counts for half: 0.5 × 88.6 + 0.5 × 100 = 94.3, rounded down to 94.
With that much water, a few percent of carbs is enough to give away added flour. Carbs count for 60% of the score, for cats and dogs alike.
(8 − c) × 100/8100 points at 0% carbs, 0 points from 8%.
(p − 5) × 100/70 points up to 5% protein, 100 points from 12%.
Cats and dogs
Example: a wet food with 81% moisture, 11% protein and 0% carbs gets 100 points for carbs and 85.7 for protein. 0.6 × 100 + 0.4 × 85.7 = 94.3, rounded down to 94.
The score follows three tiers. A treat isn't there to feed your pet, it's there to please them, so the app mostly checks whether it's made of starch.
90 · 50 · 2090 points up to 25% carbs, 50 above 25%, 20 above 40%.
The “decoy” treat
It's a moist, fatty treat that's low in protein: over 50% moisture, over 15% fat and under 10% protein. Its score is capped at 60, then it loses (fat − 10) × 0.5 points.
Example: 5% carbs, 18% fat, 8% protein and 60% moisture. The treat starts at 90 points, drops to 60, then loses 4 points, for a score of 56.
A dietary supplement doesn't get a score. Vitamins, probiotics or malt paste aren't given like a meal, and comparing them to kibble wouldn't make sense. The app recognizes them and shows their page without a score.
The calculator
The carbs and the score change as soon as you edit a number. The math is the same as in the app.
The calculator gives the product's score, the same one the app shows for the same numbers. In the app, the product name also helps tell wet food or a treat from kibble.
Step 4 · The verdict
There are five verdicts, one for each score range. In the app, the word and the color always appear together.
For kibble, the word can come with a caveat. Kibble that scores 60 to 79 with more than 30% carbs shows “Good (high in carbs).”
For wet food, the word depends directly on carbs and protein. It's “Excellent” with 3.5% carbs or less and more than 9% protein, and “Poor” above 6% carbs. Otherwise, it's “Very good” from 60 and “Standard” below that. The color always follows the score.
For your pet Premium
The product's score itself doesn't move. On a cat food page, each of your cats also gets their own score, and the same goes for dogs. It starts from the product's score, then gains or loses points based on your pet's profile, and every point is explained.
Your pet's age comes from their date of birth. They're a kitten or puppy under 12 months, a junior from 12 to 23 months, then an adult, and a senior from 8 years. Who the product is meant for comes from its name (kitten, adult, senior, neutered, light…). If the name doesn't say, age doesn't change the score.
The personalized score is included in Kroket Premium, on iPhone and iPad. The daily portion in grams stays free.
Sample profiles inspired by Newton and Mya.
| Situation | Points |
|---|---|
| Made for their ageThe product targets the age your pet is today. | +8 |
| Food for young pets given to an adultKitten, puppy or junior food, for an adult or senior pet. | −12 |
| Adult food given to a young petAdult or senior food, for a kitten or puppy under 12 months. | −12 |
| Made for neutered petsYour pet is neutered or spayed, and the product says “neutered” or “light.” | +6 |
| Very high in calories for their weight goalYou've set a target weight below their current weight, and the product has at least 390 kcal/100 g (kibble) or 110 kcal/100 g (wet food). | −10 |
| Light food during a dietYour pet needs to lose weight, and the product is “light.” | +8 |
| High in fat for a pet who doesn't get out muchIndoor, neutered pet, and a product with at least 20% fat (kibble) or 7% (wet food). | −6 |
| Protein a little low for a seniorPet aged 8 or older, and kibble with less than 25% protein. | −6 |
| Contains one of their allergensAn ingredient in the list matches an allergy you've entered. | 20 max. |
Points add up, and the score stays between 0 and 100, or 20 at most if there's an allergen. Nothing changes for treats, supplements or a product meant for a different kind of pet. For calories, the app counts 3.5 kcal per gram of protein or carbs, and 8.5 kcal per gram of fat.
Allergens
Enter your pet's allergies in their profile, from 12 allergens: chicken and poultry, beef, pork, lamb, fish, egg, dairy, gluten and wheat, corn, soy, rice and yeast. On iPhone and iPad, the app then looks for them in the ingredient list.
Allergen detected for Newton
An ingredient matches an allergy you've entered. Your pet's score can't go above 20.
No declared allergen detected
None of the allergies you've entered appear in the saved ingredient list. If you're unsure, read the label on the bag again.
Allergies not verifiable
The page doesn't have the ingredient list. The app can't tell you anything for sure, so it asks you to read the label.
Free · iPhone and iPad
The limits
A score out of 100 sums up the numbers on a label. Anything that isn't written there is out of its reach.
You can't read ingredient quality in the numbers. Fresh meat or meal, where it comes from, how it's made: the score looks at amounts, not origins.
Two products with the same numbers aren't always digested the same way. The score can't measure what your pet absorbs.
Vitamins and minerals don't count. Only carbs and protein go into the math, plus fat for treats.
Additives are flagged separately. The app spots 15 of them and sorts them on the product page into three levels: no known concern, controversial, avoid. They don't change the score.
A prescription diet comes before the score. For an illness or a confirmed allergy, your vet is the one who adjusts what your pet eats.
The formula is the same on every phone. The product's score is calculated the same way on iPhone, iPad and Android. This page describes version 1 of the formula.
If your pet is sick, allergic or clearly overweight, ask your vet before changing their food. The score compares labels. It doesn't know your pet.
Scan the barcode: the app does the math and breaks down every point of the score. It's free to download on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Scan this code to download the app