Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Freshpet Custom Meals product range consists of five recipes, each receiving the Dog Food Advisor’s rating of 5 stars.
Customized, highly nutritious meals prepared to suit your pet’s specific requirements, gently cooked to retain essential nutrients, made only with real ingredients and 100% free from preservatives.
Pros
- Real meat as the #1 ingredient
- Whole natural ingredients
- Developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists
Cons
- Not low budget
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Freshpet Custom Meals Chicken and Turkey Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Freshpet Custom Meals Chicken and Turkey Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, turkey, eggs, cranberries, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, tapioca starch, natural flavors, dried citrus pulp, salt, milk, minerals (calcium carbonate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), spinach, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 15% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 46% | 18% | 28% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 39% | 38% | 24% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first two ingredients are chicken and turkey. Chicken and turkey are considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
They are both naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The third ingredient is whole eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The fourth ingredient is cranberries, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.
The fifth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The seventh ingredient is green beans, a healthy vegetable notable for its vitamin, mineral and natural fiber content.
The eighth ingredient is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
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 the product.
This recipe has two notable exceptions.
This food contains chelated minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
We also find spinach, which is rich in vitamins A, K, and C, as well as folate, iron, and magnesium. Spinach is a source of fiber. For dogs predisposed to oxalate stones spinach should be avoided, due to its high oxalate content.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Freshpet Custom Meals Chicken and Turkey Recipe looks like an above-average fresh product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44.6%, a fat level of 18.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 28.9%.
As a group, the brand features a protein content of 41.8% and a mean fat level of 26.1%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 24.8% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 63%.
This means this freshpet product line contains near-average protein, above-average carbohydrate, near-average fat, when compared to typical fresh dog food.
Freshpet Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Freshpet through June 2026.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Freshpet Custom Meals Dog Food
This product range certainly deserves the 5 stars it has received in our review. All meat, fruits, and vegetables are reared and grown in the USA and are prepared to FDA and USDA standards.
Freshpet is committed to quality ingredients and rigorous testing, they are proud to be the first pet food company to be Clean Label Project certified. The Clean Label Project is a nonprofit third-party expert that tests for over 100 contaminants including lead, cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, and BPA.
About
Freshpet was founded in 2006 by a group of three former pet food execs with their headquarters in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The company began in Secaucus, New Jersey, and expanded into Pennsylvania, then acquired a second facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, just seven years later. 2014. In 2020, another factory was opened in Texas to meet demand for the products.
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A Final Word
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