Rating: 
Fromm Dog Food Family Classics earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Fromm Family Classics product line includes just two kibbles… one for adults and one for seniors (less active pets).1
- Fromm Family Classics Mature Adult
- Fromm Family Classics Adult
Fromm Family Classics Adult Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Fromm Family Classics Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, ground pearled barley, oatmeal, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), fish meal, whole egg, beet pulp, cheese, flaxseed, brewers dried yeast, lecithin, monocalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, dl-methionine, chicory root extract, yucca schidigera extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcous faecium, vitamin A, D3, E, B12 supplements, choline chloride, niacin, pantothenic acid, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, zinc sulfate, iron carbonate, manganous oxide, copper oxide, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first item in this dog food lists chicken. Raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
To reflect its lighter weight, the chicken listed here should probably occupy a much lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken meal… the true first ingredient in this dog food.
Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient includes brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fourth ingredient lists barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.
The fifth item includes oatmeal… a whole-grain product naturally rich in fiber and B-vitamins. Unlike so many other cereal grains, oatmeal is mostly gluten-free.
The sixth item is white rice… a less nutritious form of brown rice in which the grain’s healthier outer layer has been removed.
The seventh 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 list goes on to include a number of interesting ingredients.
But to be realistic, items located this far down the list (other than vitamin and nutritional additives) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall quality of this product.
The manufacturer appears to have added back some of the “good” bacteria lost during the cooking process. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
Also, 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 average to lower quality dog foods.
Fromm Family Classics… the Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Fromm Family Classics looks good.
But to get a better idea of just how much of this food comes from meat protein, we need to study the product’s protein, fat and carbohydrate numbers.
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 26%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 50%.
Modest protein. Moderate fat. And average “carbs” (when compared to a typical dry dog food).
Decent numbers… but surely not exceptional.
And the senior product looks even less impressive.
To reduce calories by 17%, Fromm has chosen to cut the Mature Adult product’s meat content… evidenced by a drop in protein to about 23%.
Bottom line?
Fromm Family Classics Dog Food is primarily a grain-based kibble using only a modest amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… earning the brand an acceptable three-star rating.
Recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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