Rating: 
Blue Seal Classics formula dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
The Blue Seal Dog Food Classics product line lists two kibbles… one designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one for adult maintenance.
- Blue Seal Krunchies Dog Food
- Blue Seal Natural 26 Active Dog Food
Blue Seal Natural 26 Active Dog Food was selected to represent both products for this review.
Blue Seal Natural 26 Active Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Pork meal, ground corn, ground wheat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat (mixed tocopherols preservative), beet pulp, natural flavor, yeast culture, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, taurine, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin d3 supplement, niacin supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, selenium yeast, sodium selenite, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is pork meal. Pork meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh pork.
The next two ingredients are corn and wheat. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn and wheat aren’t necessarily bad ingredients.
However, although there’s no way to know from the list entry itself, the corn and wheat 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 and wheat are commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For this reason, we rarely consider these two grains to be preferred components in any dog food.
The fourth item 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 low 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 fifth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
The sixth ingredient lists beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
After the natural flavor, we find yeast culture . Although yeast culture is high in B-vitamins and protein, it may also be used as a probiotic to aid in digestion.
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 the yeast culture, we find no mention of any probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, this dog food contains 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.
Blue Seal Classic Formula Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Blue Seal Classic Formula dog food 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 30%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
Together, the pair features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 12%. These figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 53% for the overall product line.
Near-average protein. Low fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a moderate amount of meat.
What’s worse, the low-protein Krunchies product uses an especially low quality poultry by-product meal as its main source of meat.
Bottom line?
Blue Seal Classic is a a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of pork or poultry by-product meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended.
Those looking for a wet food made by the same company may wish to visit our review of Blue Seal Dinner Classics canned dog food.
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
04/15/2010 Original review
11/15/2010 Review updated
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.