Rating: 
PeopleFud frozen dog food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.
The PeopleFud product line includes three wet frozen dog foods.
Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the PeopleFud website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
- PeopleFud Stu’s Beef Stew
- PeopleFud Gunther’s Gluten-Free Beef Stew
- PeopleFud Maverick’s Grain Free Beef Stew
PeopleFud Gunther’s Gluten-Free Beef Stew frozen wet dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
PeopleFud Gunther's Gluten Free Beef Stew
Frozen Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Beef, beef hearts, beef stock, carrots, vegetable stock, beans, sweet potato, potato, green beans, mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, yellow carrots), buckwheat flour, flax, nutritional yeast, lecithin, bone meal, kelp powder, garlic, sea salt
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 11.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 8% | 4% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 40% | 18% | 35% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 34% | 37% | 30% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is beef heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle… all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.
The third ingredient mentions carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The fourth ingredient is vegetable stock… a flavored solution in which various vegetables have been simmered in water. Stocks are nutritionally empty. Yet because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in canned and wet products.
The fifth item lists beans… legumes naturally high in dietary fiber and other healthy nutrients.
The sixth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.
The seventh ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
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, we note the inclusion of buckwheat. Although this crop plant does include the word “wheat” in its name, buckwheat is not considered a cereal grain.
Next, we also find bone meal. Although it’s considered a quality source of calcium, magnesium and essential trace minerals, even human-grade bone meal supplements can contain higher levels of mercury, lead and other metals.2
Thirdly, 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).
And lastly…
We find no added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list. We would hope these essential nutrients are provided by the food ingredients in the recipe.
PeopleFud Wet Frozen Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, PeopleFud appears to be a quality wet dog food. The brand is unique in that all its ingredients are human-grade and cooked at low temperatures… then frozen.
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 40%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 35%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43% and a mean fat level of 20%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 29% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing a significant amount of meat.
In addition, we note both the Gunther and Maverick products are completely grain free.
Unfortunately, since we find no added vitamins or minerals and no AAFCO statements, we have some reservations as to whether or not these products are nutritionally “complete and balanced”.
Because this product presents the moisture content of a typical wet dog food, we have chosen to label the food to reflect its can-like characteristics.
However, consumers should be aware that (in reality) PeopleFud is actually a fresh frozen dog food sold in resealable bags or tubs.
Bottom line?
PeopleFud frozen dog food is a meat-based wet product using a generous amount of beef or bison as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
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
10/19/2010 Original review
10/19/2010 Last Update
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
- Bone meal, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 2009 ↩
- 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.