Rating: 
Chef Michael’s canned dog food earns the Advisor’s below-average rating of 2 stars.
The Chef Michael’s product line includes eight canned dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth and maintenance.
- Chef Michael’s Filet Mignon Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Herb Chicken Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Pork Tenderloin Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Porterhouse Steak Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Sirloin Steak Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Smoked Turkey Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Beef Tenderloin Flavor
- Chef Michael’s Rotisserie Chicken Flavor
Chef Michael’s Porterhouse Steak Flavor was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Chef Michael's Porterhouse Steak Flavor
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, beef, turkey, liver, meat by-products, wheat gluten, chicken, carrots, potatoes, added color, artificial and natural flavors, natural porterhouse steak flavor, salt, carrageenan, potassium chloride, calcium phosphate, soy flour, locust bean gum, sodium tripolyphosphate, guar gum, zinc sulfate, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, sodium nitrite (to promote color retention), copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, manganese sulfate, vitamin A supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, potassium iodide, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, sodium selenite, biotin
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists water, which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a common finding in most canned dog foods.
The second ingredient is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
The third ingredient is turkey. Beef and turkey are both naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The fourth item is liver. Normally, liver can be considered a quality component. However, in this case, the source of the liver is not identified. For this reason, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The fifth ingredient is meat by-products… slaughterhouse waste. This is what’s left of slaughtered animals after all the prime cuts have been removed.
In a nutshell, meat by-products are the unsavory leftovers of processing considered by many “unfit for human consumption”.
With the exception of hair, horns, teeth and hooves, this stuff can include heads, ovaries or developing fetuses.1
What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. It doesn’t even specify the source animal. So, this meat can come from almost anywhere… even diseased or dying livestock.
Although meat by-products can be high in protein, we do not consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item.
The sixth item lists wheat gluten, the rubbery residue remaining once wheat 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 less nutritious plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The seventh ingredient includes chicken which has nutrient profile similar to turkey.
The eighth ingredient mentions carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The ninth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
We’re always disappointed to find artificial coloring in any dog food.
Coloring is used to make the product more appealing to you… not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color his food is?
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, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Finally, we note the presence of sodium nitrite, a controversial color preservative. Sodium nitrite has been linked to the production of cancer-causing substances (known as nitrosamines) when meats are exposed to high temperatures during cooking.
Chef Michael’s Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Chef Michael’s appears to be a below-average canned dog food.
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 44%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 31%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 47% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Low fat. And near average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical canned dog food.
The protein percentages are impressive. Yet when you consider the unusually low fat content and the protein-boosting effect of the wheat gluten, this looks like the profile of a canned food containing only a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Chef Michael’s is a plant-based canned dog food using a moderate amount of various named meats as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2 stars.
Not recommended.
Those looking for a kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Chef Michael’s dry 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 a specific health benefit 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
04/02/2010 Original review
09/13/2010 Review updated
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.