Rating: 
Fromm Gold Nutritionals dry dog food earns the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
The Fromm Dog Food Gold Nutritionals product line includes five kibbles… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Fromm Gold Nutritionals Adult
- Fromm Gold Nutritionals Puppy
- Fromm Gold Nutritionals Large Breed Adult
- Fromm Gold Nutritionals Large Breed Puppy
- Fromm Gold Nutritionals Reduced Activity Senior
Fromm Gold Nutritionals Adult was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Fromm Gold Nutritionals Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck, chicken meal, chicken, brown rice, pearled barley, oatmeal, menhaden fish meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), lamb, potato, tomato pomace, whole egg, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), cheese, flaxseed, brewers dried yeast, alfalfa meal, carrots, lettuce, celery, lecithin, chicken cartilage, monocalcium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, dl-methionine, chicory root extract, Yucca schidigera extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus 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, sorbic acid, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists duck. Although it is a quality item, raw duck 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 occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat 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 chicken. Like duck, this is another raw poultry item subject to the same moisture loss as a result of cooking.
The fourth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fifth 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 sixth item includes oatmeal… a whole-grain product naturally rich in fiber and B-vitamins. Unlike so many other cereal grains, oatmeal is entirely gluten-free.
The seventh item lists menhaden fish meal… another protein-rich meat concentrate. Menhaden are small ocean fish related to herring. They’re rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.
The eighth item includes 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 ninth ingredient is lamb… yet one more raw meat protein.
The tenth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left 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.
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 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.
And lastly, this dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Fromm Gold Nutritionals Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Although we try not to allow supplementary website information to influence our ratings, we note the company claims its foods are all manufactured using human-grade USDA-inspected meat “ordered as needed depending on what recipe is being made that particular day”.1
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 27%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Fromm Gold Nutritionals is a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a nice wet food to go with this kibble may wish to visit our review of Fromm Gold Nutritionals 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.
Other spellings: Fromms
Notes and Updates
02/28/2010 Original review
10/01/2010 Review updated
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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