Chef Michael’s Dog Food (Dry)

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Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Chef Michael’s dry dog food receives the Advisor’s lowest rating of 1 star.

The Chef Michael’s product line includes two dry dog foods, each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.

  • Chef Michael’s Filet Mignon Flavor
  • Chef Michael’s Rotisserie Chicken Flavor

Chef Michael’s Filet Mignon Flavor was selected to represent both products for this review.

Chef Michael's Filet Mignon Flavor

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 32% | Fat = 18% | Carbs = 42%

Ingredients: Beef, soybean meal, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of vitamin E), brewers rice, soy protein concentrate, corn gluten meal, ground yellow corn, glycerin, poultry by-product meal, ground wheat, animal digest, salt, pearled barley, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, natural filet mignon flavor, dried potatoes, dried green beans, added color (red 40, blue 2, yellow 5, yellow 6 and other color), sulfur, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, potassium chloride, l-lysine monohydrochloride, manganese sulfate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), biotin, sodium selenite

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

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 account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

Which brings us to 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 third ingredient is soybean flour, a high-protein by-product of soybean processing.

Compared to meat, soy proteins have a lower biological value. Yet both of these soy items are capable of raising the protein content of this food.

The fourth 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 fifth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.

This is an inexpensive cereal grain by-product and not considered a quality ingredient.

The sixth item lists soy protein concentrate, what’s left of soybeans after removing the water soluble carbohydrates. This plant-based ingredient contains about 70% protein.

The seventh ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate 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 ingredient is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

After glycerin, we find poultry by-product meal… a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of slaughtered poultry after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, poultry by-products are those unsavory and inedible leftovers deemed “unfit for human consumption”.

This stuff can contain almost anything… feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… you name it.

We consider poultry by-products slightly lower in quality than a single-species ingredient (like chicken by-products).

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.

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 kibble 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 four notable exceptions

First, garlic oil may be a controversial item. We say “may be” here because we are not certain of the oil’s chemical relationship to raw garlic itself. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1

However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).

Next, this Chef Michael’s product also contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Thirdly, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

And lastly, 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.

Chef Michael’s Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Chef Michael’s 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 32%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.

And both products in the line appear to demonstrate the same nutrient percentages.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbohydrates when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Yet when you consider the presence of multiple plant-based protein boosters (like the soy products and corn gluten meal), this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a modest amount of meat.

What’s worse, it’s difficult to ignore the abundance of so many Red Flag ingredients.

Bottom line?

Chef Michael’s is a plant-based dry dog food probably using only a modest amount of chicken or beef as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 1 star.

Not recommended.

Those looking for a wet product from the same company may wish to check out our review of Chef Michael’s 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 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
09/11/2010 Review updated

  1. Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005)
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=512195759 Angel Candlemaking Idowu

    OMG. This Page has saved my dog’s life. I was feeding my 1 year old Yorkie/Bichon Petsmart’s Simply Nourish for the past couple months after receiving him as a gift from a friend who told me he ate Kibbles and Bits until I learne d that,it was rated 1 star. After a while, he stopped eating I started topping it with some wet made by the same company. That worked for a minute then he stopped eating again so I started added some toppings that I knew were a no-no after doing research but I felt like at least he was eating. Long story short, I went to Petsmart  last night to get some Simply Nourish dry before the sale went off because I like to load up and save!

    However, I took a walk around just to see everything in the store and yes I was lured by the packaging (which I knew better because I have been in many Market research groups) then and I tried reading the ingredients but the writing was too small. I was also loving the 8.99 sale price!

    Long story short, my dog had not eaten in 2 days and I was not giving him any wet or treats until he ate all of his dry consistently. Tired of throwing money away. I opened the bag and and heck it looked so good I wanted to eat it! LOL. When I put that out, he ate, and ate, and ate. I was so happy, that before coming to this site I was prepared to go to the the store and get another bag and even a case of there wet (scared to see those reviews!) but something to get on-lne and do some research. Glad you ALL were here for me. This is no better than Kibbles and bits! My dog was not cheap, I’m not cheap and he is a part of my family. I can’t give him something that will make him sick, as I wouldn’t do that tome and my daughter. Chef Michael -please Quit!

  • http://www.facebook.com/traci.riley1 Traci Riley

    You’re feeding your dog poison.  I hope you educate yourself.  Has nothing to do with being a better person. Has to do with health.

  • http://www.facebook.com/traci.riley1 Traci Riley

    I prepare fresh food every evening for my dog. He has dinner with us! LOL.

    During the day I leave about a cup of Avoderm Naturals Lamb & brown rice.  Just to get him well-rounded.

  • LabsRawesome

    It’s a 1* food with like 20 red flag ingredients. That is way overpriced for the lack of quality that you are getting. Chef Michael should be fired!

  • Kelcasey

    I started giving my 2 year old Havanese this dog food because he too doesn’t like dry dog food and a girlfriend of mine told me her dog loved Chef Michael.  Sadly, within 2 months of eating it (he loved it) he started having seizures.  We took him to the vet and all tests came back fine.  They recommended putting him on anti seizure medication and I decided to try and change his food before we explored medication for the rest of his life!  Since I changed to an organic diet my dog hasn’t had anymore seizures.  Interestingly, my girlfriend who told me about the food, informed me that her dog also started having seizures!!!!  Something is seriously wrong with this dog food!  Don’t go near it!!!   

  • Toxed2loss

    Darn autocorrect! That was supposed to be “non-toxic”, Arrrghghghgh!

  • Toxed2loss

    Hi Lisa, I hope the food change alleviates your dogs health problems. I agree with Melissa grain & soy free are a must! I’d also avoid potato, natural flavor and food additives. I’d add that dermatitis is frequently found to be caused by environmental toxis. The frontline itself is a toxic pesticide. It has been linked to itching, flaking, sebatious cysts, oily and bad smelling coat. It’s his body trying to get rid of the toxins. You might want to research some bob-toxic pest control methods. :-)

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Cassidy,

    What you’ve been doing (mixing a wet food with a kibble) is called “topping”. And it’s a great way to improve the quality of an otherwise lifeless kibble.

    Topping is actually the way we feed Bailey.

    There’s really no need for your dogs to have to “suck it up” and tolerate a food they don’t like. Just choose a different wet food and gradually introduce it to their meals.

    The wet food can be a fresh meat, quality canned food or a raw product.

    You can also try diet rotation. To learn more, just visit our FAQ at the top of this page.

    In any case, your dogs will love you for it.

    Bon apetit!

  • cassidy

    I’ve been using this as a condiment, mixing it in with good-quality kibble because my dogs are just crazy about it.  Of course you can tell from looking at it that it’s junk food.  But I didn’t realize how many seriously dubious ingredients it contains  –  thanks for the review.   I think my guys are just going to have to suck it up and eat like grownups.

  • melissa

    Lisa-

    If you dog ‘stinks” only two days after a bathe, I would see the vet sooner than later., Most dogs that “stink”, in my experience, is because they have a skin condition such as yeast overgrowth. Never have I owned a “normal” dog that smells in such a short time(we bathe our short coated dogs every 4-6 weeks, and long coated dogs once a month-and they never stink even at that time interval)

    As for how many times a day your dog poops, well each is an individual(like people) and that will vary by dog-not necessarily by what you are feeding-though sometimes the volume does decrease ; ) I would suggest something corn/wheat/soy free as a start-Bob has listed many suggestions as to places these foods can be found at a reasonable price.

    Many people have had good luck with limited ingredient diets from what I have heard, and guessing you can find a 30lb bag of something like that for a moderate price. You are paying approx $1.56 per lb of this food-I just bought a bag of California Natural(chicken/rice) for $39.99 or $1.33 per lb-

    4Health-Tractor supply(corn/wheat/soy free) is $29.99 for 30lbs or just about $1 a lb.

  • Bob K

    Lisa – You mention you have been looking at other brands. Which Ones? How do they rate on this website? Whats stopping you from changing to a new better food? What brands and formulas are available where you live? Look for 20lb or larger bags as they will save you money.

    Purina now makes a 3 star doog food as does Rachael Ray if you are stuck with the bib box stores. Other stores that have doog food at a reasonable price: Kirklands at Costco, Diamond Natural at Menards, Authority at Petco (3 Star), Tractor Supply (TSC), Farm and Fleet. Remember to transition to a new food slowly.

  • Lisa

    I have been feeding my dog this food for some time but, I have been looking for a better brand. I thought this was a decent choice due to beef or chicken being the first ingredient. My mistake was not reading the whole ingredient list & or not really knowing what all that stuff is. I’m really clueless to knowing what the ingredients mean as far as nutrition. I have a boxer mix & he constantly has dry skin problems. He scratches & chews himself even when he is on Frontline & I know that he is flea & tick free. It’s either dry skin all the time or allergies to what’s in his food. I will check with his vet more on that when I take him in but, for now I need to just find a better quality food & see if that helps. I use olive oil alternating it with fish oil poured on his food. This helps with his dry skin. However, I would love to find a better food that is roughly the same price as Chef Michael’s which for my area is an 11.5 pound bag for $18. If someone can recommend a better quality food for about the same price, I will gladly try it. I’m hoping once I do find a better food for him, that he will only poop once a day instead of two & he will smell better, as I bathe him once a month & two days later, he stinks again. Thanks for any help in this matter.