Ingredient database › Whitefish
Is Whitefish good or bad in dog food?
Whitefish is a protein source and rates as Great in our analysis.
Great Bottom line: Whitefish is a great ingredient — exactly what you want to see, ideally near the top of the list.
Named fish protein.
This is exactly the kind of ingredient you want to see — ideally near the top of the list, where it makes up a larger share of the recipe.
Built on AAFCO & FDA pet-food criteria · Last updated June 2026 · How we rate
What is Whitefish?
Whitefish is a protein source used in dog food. On a label it may also appear as: whitefish, ocean fish, menhaden fish meal, herring meal.
What to look for on the label
Ingredients are listed by weight, so the ones near the top make up most of the recipe. Whitefish near the top is a good sign. The fastest way to judge a whole product is to paste its full ingredient list into our free dog food checker, which grades it A–F and flags every ingredient like this one.
How Whitefish affects the WoofScore
Our grade rewards named whole proteins, vegetables, fruit and beneficial supplements, and penalises vague by-products, cheap fillers, artificial colours and controversial preservatives. Whitefish contributes as a great-tier item; read the full scoring methodology to see exactly how the grade is calculated.