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Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food Review (Pouch)

Freshpet Select Pouch Dog Food

Rating:

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Data on Company Website1

Review of Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food in Pouches

Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food in pouches receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of 4.5 stars.

The Freshpet Select Meals product line includes the 6 pouched dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

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Product Rating AAFCO
Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Tender Chicken 4 M
Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Grain Free Chicken 4.5 M
Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken 4.5 M
Freshpet Select Multi-Protein Complete Meal 4 A
Freshpet Select Small Dog Bite Size Chicken 4.5 A
Freshpet Select Small Dog Bite Size Beef and Egg 4 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Tender Chicken Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Tender Chicken Recipe

Refrigerated Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 39% | Fat = 31% | Carbs = 23%

Ingredients: Chicken, ground oats, chicken liver, rice bran, eggs, carrots, natural flavors, spinach, salt, vinegar, beta-carotene, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, biotin, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid), celery powder

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.2%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis14%11%NA
Dry Matter Basis39%31%23%
Calorie Weighted Basis29%55%17%
Protein = 29% | Fat = 55% | Carbs = 17%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.2

Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient includes ground oats. Oats are naturally rich in dietary fiber, B-vitamins and low in gluten.

The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is rice bran, a healthy by-product of milling whole grain rice. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, fat as well as vitamins and minerals.

The fifth ingredient includes eggs, which are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The sixth ingredient lists carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

After the natural flavors, we find spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score3 of 91.

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 Freshpet product.

With 1 notable exception

This recipe 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food looks like an above-average moist product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 31% and estimated carbohydrates of about 23%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43% and a mean fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 22% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 64%.

Which means this Freshpet product line contains…

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical moist dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a moist dog food containing a notable amount of meat.

However, with 55% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 29% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for every animal.

Bottom line?

Freshpet Select Meals lists both grain-free and grain-inclusive moist dog food pouches that use a notable amount of named meats as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.

Highly recommended.

Has Freshpet Select Dog Food Been Recalled?

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Freshpet.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Freshpet Brand Reviews

The following Freshpet dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

A Final Word

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References

  1. “Last Update” field at the end of this review reflects the last time we attempted to visit this product’s website. The current review itself was last updated 07/09/2021
  2. Association of American Feed Control Officials
  3. Completeness Score is a measure of a food’s relative nutrient content and is computed by NutritionData.com from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
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