Rating: 
Evolution Diet Dry Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.
The Evolution Diet product line includes just one dry dog food… Evolution Diet Gourmet Pasta. This vegan product has been designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Evolution Diet Gourmet Pasta
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Whole oat groats, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, soybean oil, carrots, dried tomato pomace, dried potato product, dried molasses, deflourinated phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, salt, nutritional yeast, arginine, dl-methionine, kelp meal, taurine, garlic, enzyme bromelain from pineapple stem and fruit, enzyme papain from papaya, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, lysine, choline chloride, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D2 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, ascorbic acid, calcium pantothenate, manganous oxide, vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamin mononitrate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, folic acid, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), inositol, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, zinc methionine complex, copper lysine complex, manganese, methionine complex, l-carnitine, arachidonic acid, rosemary extract, cobalt glucoheptonate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is oat groats… a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. So long as they are adequately cooked, groats are notably high in nutritional value.
The second 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 some of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
The third item mentions 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 fourth item is soybean oil… red flagged here only due to its suspected (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.
The fifth ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient lists tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
The seventh ingredient is dried potato product… a leftover of the potato processing industry containing about 71% carbohydrates.1
Potato product is equal to corn in energy value yet contains 50% more protein.2
Dried molasses is another inexpensive feed ingredient frequently promoted as a plant fertilizer.
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 can be a controversial item. 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.3
Most of the literature we surveyed offered no conclusive evidence against the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).
Next, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
Thirdly, this food also 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.
And lastly, this Evolution Diet product contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Evolution Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Evolution Diet Gourmet Pasta… the name totally stumps us. After all, there’s no mention of pasta (or the wheat from which pasta is usually made) anywhere on the ingredients list.
Now, this is the point in our review where we normally try to figure out how much meat is present in the dog food.
But Evolution Diet is a vegan product. It’s totally meatless.
Please be aware we do recognize the need for some dog owners to provide (for whatever reason) a completely meat-free diet.
However, we also respect a dog’s natural carnivorous bias. For this reason, the highest rating awarded any vegetarian dog food found on this website can never exceed two stars.
That said, we still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 31%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.
Above-average protein. Average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
This is clearly the profile of a kibble containing absolutely no meat.
What’s more, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include menadione in its recipes.
Bottom line?
Evolution Diet Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using a notable amount of gluten and soybean meals as its main source of protein… thus earning the brand two stars.
Not recommended.
Those looking for a similar wet food from this same company may wish to visit our review of Evolution Diet 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
04/23/2010 Original review
11/22/2010 Review updated
- Premier AG Resources ↩
- Dried Potato Product ↩
- 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) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.