Crude Protein

Crude protein is the percentage of protein in a dog food, measured by total nitrogen content and converted using a standard formula. The 'crude' part is misleading. It is not a measure of protein quality, only quantity. A recipe inflating protein with concentrated plant proteins (pea protein, corn gluten meal) can show the same crude protein percentage as a recipe built on named meat, even though the biological value of the two is very different. Always read what is BEHIND the protein number, not just the number itself. The first five ingredients tell you more than the percentage does.