Can someone pls explain why Hills science plan seems to be a lower quality food ? To me the ingredients look good ?
Ingredients:
Chicken (minimum Chicken 26 %; minimum Chicken and Turkey combined 34 %): Ground maize, chicken and turkey meal, soybean meal, animal fat, maize gluten meal, digest, vegetable oil, dried whole egg, flaxseed, salt, potassium chloride, vitamins and trace elements. Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, citric acid and rosemary extract
Can someone show me what they consider to be a good quality food and explain the difference in the ingredients.
Not interested in price comparisons.
Many thanks

Why do you think it seems a lower quality food then?

IMO I don't think that Hills is a low quality food. It is about average for a 'premium' dog food that is available in pet shops in the UK, the kind that most people feed. If your looking at the dog food analysis website, the formula is differant to the one reviewed (one star).
I think Hills gets alot of bad press as it bills itself as 'vets choice' food - see here

http://www.ourdogsonline.com/content/sciencedietscam.html

The bottom line is its expensive and bills itself as the best but if you compare it to something newer on the market at a similar price, like taste of the wild-

Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

These are far better products with probiotics and no grains. If you research the web you will find everyone saying that this brand or that food the best, its all down to YOUR dog and its lifestyle, but you as an owner should be aware and informed enough to give it what YOU feel is best.

vitamins and trace elements = vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Confused myself? Could you not add probiotics yourself? although why a healthy animal would need the addition of probiotics is a mystery to me, only in cases of immunocompromised animals would you see any benefit, in fact trying to artificially 'enhance' a healthy gut flora can have exactly the opposite effect to that desired?

Why no grains? How does that differ from potato?

I don't feed Hills by the way! :-)

I think the potato thing is because of how some dogs react to the gluten found in grains

Why do you think it seems a lower quality food then? 
Personally I don't but wondered why others do

Alot of it comes down to personal opinion on what should be fed and what should be avoided.

i have fed my dog and cat on hills, and am more than happy with it. my cat will not eat anything else, i tried him on a few other foods when he turned a year, natures menu etc and he wasnt interested. My pup gets the large breed puppy diet and looks fantastic on it, not just my opinion, have stopped several times by strangers to be told my dog is in lovely condition.
All personal choice, ive seen dogs not do as well on it, but my dog enjoys it, looks great on it and i am able to get it easily so good all rounder.

i feed our dogs on arden grange salmon and rice and it suits them very well,but i have also given them wainwrights salmon and potato and that also seemed to suit them well, so i think its just a matter of choice whats good for your dog and your pocket.

i'm not saying to everyone feed your dog what i feed mine,  everyone has their own opinion if you feed hills and your dog does well, feed them hills

I think it is completely up to you're dogs lifestyle as far as which premium food is better. I feed my Catahoula Wellness CORE because of the higher protein. He looks great and always has energy. We play frisbee and hike alot and I really noticed the increase in his endurance

Well said. RobW.  Its down to your dog and what you think will be best for them unsing your knowledge of ingredients.