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Our Verdict
Blue Buffalo Love Made Fresh product range is made up of four recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 4.5 stars.
Love Made Fresh rolls are crafted with natural and wholesome ingredients like chicken or beef, combined with carrots and peas, which are rich in minerals and dietary fibre.
Pros
- Formulated with veterinarians and animal nutritionists
- No poultry by-product meals or artificial flavors or preservatives
- Quality protein as the first ingredient
Cons
- Unsuitable for ambient storage, chilled storage is necessary
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Love Made Fresh Beef Recipe with Carrots & Peas | 4.5 | M |
| Blue Love Made Fresh Chicken Recipe with Carrots & Peas | 4.5 | M |
| Blue Love Made Fresh Small Breed Adult Beef Recipe with Carrots & Peas | 4.5 | M |
| Blue Love Made Fresh Small Breed Adult Chicken Recipe with Carrots & Peas | 4.5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Blue Love Made Fresh Small Breed Adult Chicken Recipe with Carrots & Peas was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Blue Love Made Fresh Small Breed Adult Chicken Recipe with Carrots & Peas
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, egg, brown rice, oat flour, carrots, peas, honey, pea protein, cane molasses, vegetable glycerin, vinegar, flaxseed, natural flavor, celery juice, lemon juice, liquid lactococcus lactis fermentation product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dicalcium phosphate, oat fiber, lactic acid, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, salt, sodium acetate, acetic acid, sodium phosphate, dried chicory root, choline chloride, guar gum, magnesium sulfate, l-threonine, taurine, dl-methionine, l-tryptophan, blueberries, cranberries, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, preserved with mixed tocopherols, vitamin E supplement, l-carnitine, vitamin A supplement, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), biotin (vitamin B7), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid (vitamin B9), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), potassium iodide, sodium selenite, oil of rosemary
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 12% | 8% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 34% | 23% | 35% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 28% | 45% | 28% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is whole eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The third 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 fourth ingredient is oat flour. Since oat flour is nothing more than finely ground oats, it provides about the same gluten-free nutritional content as raw oats.
The fifth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient is peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is honey. Even though honey gets its sweetness naturally from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, it must still be considered a form of sugar.
The eighth 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 ninth ingredient is molasses. Although molasses can be rich in minerals, it’s also a less refined form of sugar with a glycemic index in humans similar to maple syrup.
Like table sugar (and in excessive amounts), molasses has the potential to raise a dog’s blood sugar, and as sweetness is not linked to increased palatability in dog’s, we don’t like to see molasses in dog foods.
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 four notable exceptions.
First, flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also 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.
Next, chicory root. Chicory is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
We also note taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.
Lastly, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Blue Love Made Fresh Small Breed Adult Chicken Recipe with Carrots & Peas looks like an above-average fresh product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 34.6%, a fat level of 23.1% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 33.8%.
As a group, the brand features a protein content of 33.3% and a mean fat level of 21.8%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 36.4% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 65%.
This means this Blue Buffalo Fresh product line contains below-average protein, above-average carbohydrate, and below-average fat, when compared to typical fresh dog food.
Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Blue Buffalo through December 2025.
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall Event Number 2 of March 2017 (March 18, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of March 2017 (March 3, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of February 2017 (February 14, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of May 2016 (May 31, 2016)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Chews Recall of November 2015 (November 25, 2015)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall (October 8, 2010)
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Blue Buffalo Love Made Fresh Rolls Dog Food
Blue Buffalo works with veterinarians and animal nutritionists. These recipes have lower protein levels than the other Fresh range (Tubs), which is why they only earn 4.5 stars in our review; however, they are packed with quality ingredients and certainly worthy of consideration.
About
Blue Buffalo was officially launched in 2003 by Bill Bishop, who became frustrated with the lack of transparency and poor ingredient quality in commercial dog food at the time. His inspiration came after his beloved Airedale Terrier, Blue, was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to create a better recipe for his dog, Bishop developed his own formula, and thus Blue Buffalo was born.
In 2018, the brand was sold to General Mills Corporation for $8 billion.
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A Final Word
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