Authority Dog Food Review (Dry)

Mike Sagman  Karan French

By

Mike Sagman
Mike Sagman

Mike Sagman

Founder

Dr Mike Sagman is the creator of the Dog Food Advisor. He founded the website in 2008, after his unquestioning trust in commercial dog food led to the tragic death of his dog Penny.

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&
Karan French
Karan French

Karan French

Senior Researcher

Karan is a senior researcher at the Dog Food Advisor, working closely with our in-house pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, to give pet parents all the information they need to find the best food for their dog.

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Updated: July 10, 2024

Verified by Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Pet Nutritionist

Laura studied BSc (Hons) Animal Science with an accreditation in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, before working for eight years in the pet food and nutrition industry.

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Laura Ward

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Our Verdict

Rating:
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Authority dry product range is made up of 20 recipes with ratings varying from 3.5 to 4.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4 stars.

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.

Product line Rating AAFCO
Authority Sensitive Stomach and Skin All Life Stages Salmon and Rice 3.5 A
Authority Everyday Health Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice 3.5 M
Authority Sensitive Stomach and Skin Adult Lamb and Rice 3.5 A
Authority Everyday Health All Life Stages Chicken and Rice 4 A
Authority Everyday Health Adult Beef and Rice 3.5 M
Authority Everyday Health Large Breed Senior 7+ Chicken and Rice 3.5 M
Authority Everyday Health Adult Chicken and Rice 4.5 M
Authority Everyday Health Large Breed Adult Lamb and Rice 4 M
Authority Sensitive Stomach and Skin Large Breed Adult Salmon and Rice 4 M
Authority Everyday Health Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice and Garden Vegetables 3.5 M
Authority Everyday Health Small Breed Adult Chicken and Rice 4 M
Authority Everyday Health Adult Lamb and Rice 3.5 M
Authority Everyday Health Senior 7+ Chicken and Rice 4 M
Authority Everyday Health Small Breed Adult Chicken and Rice 4 M
Authority Everyday Health Small Breed Senior 7+ Chicken and Rice 4.5 M
Authority Everyday Health Large Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice 4 G
Authority Everyday Health Puppy Chicken and Rice 4.5 G
Authority Everyday Health Small Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice 4.5 G
Authority Everyday Health Puppy Dry Dog Food - Chicken 4.5 G
Authority Everyday Health High Performance All Life Stage Chicken and Rice 4.5 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Authority Everyday Health High Performance All Life Stage Chicken and Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Authority Everyday Health High Performance All Life Stage Chicken and Rice

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

33.3%

Protein

22.2%

Fat

36.5%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Deboned chicken, chicken meal (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), pea protein, ground brown rice, whole ground corn, natural flavor, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed meal, dried plain beet pulp, dicalcium phosphate, fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), (source of EPA and DHA), potassium chloride, salt, minerals (sodium chloride, zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite), sodium hexametaphosphate, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium iodate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), taurine, choline chloride, inulin, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), citric acid (a preservastive), l-carnitine, rosemary extract


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 30% 20% NA
Dry Matter Basis 33% 22% 37%
Calorie Weighted Basis 27% 44% 30%

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% 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 account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label – a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fifth ingredient is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient is natural flavors, this doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this dog food for flavoring purposes.

We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our dogs.

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. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The eighth ingredient is flaxseed meal, one of the best plant-based sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax meal is particularly rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

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 Authority product.

With five notable exceptions

First, this recipe includes fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high-quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.

Next, we find beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

In addition, we note the inclusion of sodium hexametaphosphate, a man-made industrial polymer with no known nutritive value.

HMP is used in making soap, detergents, water treatment, metal finishing and most likely here to decrease tartar build-up on the teeth.

Although some might disagree, we’re of the opinion that food is not the place for tartar control chemicals or any other non-nutritive substances.

Next, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Authority looks like an above-average dry dog food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 51%.

Which means this Authority product line contains…

Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

Authority Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Authority through October 2024.

No recalls noted.

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

Our Rating of Authority Dog Food

Authority is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

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A Final Word

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