Rating: 
Beef and More dry dog food receives the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.
The Beef and More product line includes one dry dog food. Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for the dry product on the Beef and More website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
Beef and More Beef Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Beef, ground yellow corn, beef and bone meal, wheat, wheat middlings, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat, flaxseed, yeast culture, fish meal, salt, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, dried whole whey, vitamin E, manganese proteinate, vitamin A supplement, beta carotene, vitamin B12 supplement, copper proteinate, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3, niacin, lecithin, riboflavin supplement, biotin, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, pytidoxine hydrochloride, cobalt proteinate, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, sodium selenate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 13% | 50% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 26% | 29% | 45% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it is a quality item, raw beef contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list… which brings us to corn… the second and (more likely) the dominant ingredient in this dog food.
Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know from the list entry itself, the corn used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
And that can sometimes be problematic.
What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The third item lists beef and bone meal… a dry rendered product from (beef) tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents”.2
Beef and bone meal has a lower biological value than most other meat meals.
Scientists believe this decreased protein quality may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.3
On the brighter side, beef and bone meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh meat.
In any case, beef and bone meal is not considered a better quality dog food ingredient.
The fourth ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another problematic grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).
The fifth ingredient includes wheat middlings… commonly known as “wheat mill run”. Though it may sound wholesome, wheat mill run is actually an inexpensive by-product of cereal grain processing.
In reality, middlings are nothing more than milling dust and floor sweepings.
The sixth ingredient is soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.
Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this item is considered an inferior plant-based protein providing a lower biological value.
The seventh ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The eighth item is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering… the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.
Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere… restaurant grease, slaughterhouse waste, diseased cattle… even euthanized pets.
We do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.
The ninth ingredient is flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
The tenth ingredient is yeast culture. Although yeast culture is high in B-vitamins and protein, it is sometimes used as a probiotic to aid in digestion.
The next item is fish meal… another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the species.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
What’s more, the controversial chemical ethoxyquin is frequently used as a preservative in fish meals.
But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, the chemical does not have to be reported to consumers.
We find no public assurances from the company this product is ethoxyquin-free.
Without knowing more, and based upon this fish meal’s location on the list of ingredients, we would expect to find only a trace of ethoxyquin in this product.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, excluding yeast culture, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, this food does contain chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Beef and More Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Beef and More appears to be a below-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 50%.
Average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Yet when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the soybean and corn gluten meals, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Beef and More Dog Food is a plant-based dry kibble using only a modest amount of beef and bone meal as its primary source of animal protein… thus earning the brand two stars.
Not recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
11/28/2010 Original review
11/28/2010 Last Update
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
- Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor and based upon the official definition for beef published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
- Shirley RB and Parsons CM, , Effect of Ash Content on Protein Quality of Meat and Bone Meal, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Poultry Science, 2001 80: 626-632 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.