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Brandon Farms Dog Food (Canned)

Rating:

PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

Brandon Farms Naturals canned formula receives the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.

Currently, the Brandon Farms Naturals product line includes four canned dog foods… all designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth and maintenance.

  • Brandon Farms Naturals 95% Beef
  • Brandon Farms Naturals 95% Chicken
  • Brandon Farms Naturals 95% Turkey and Bacon
  • Brandon Farms Naturals 95% Beef, Chicken and Liver

Brandon Farms Naturals 95% Beef was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Brandon Farms Naturals 95% Beef Dinner

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 46% | Fat = 36% | Carbs = 10%

Ingredients: Beef, beef broth, beef liver, tricalcium phosphate, guar gum, cassia gum, carrageenan, minerals (iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), potassium chloride, inulin, vitamins (vitamin E, A, B12, D3 supplements, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, riboflavin supplement), choline chloride, flaxseed oil, salt, taurine

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis10%8%NA
Dry Matter Basis46%36%10%
Calorie Weighted Basis32%61%7%
Protein = 32% | Fat = 61% | Carbs = 7%

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

Like most meats, beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient includes beef broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.

The third ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, beef liver is a beneficial component.

The fourth item is tricalcium phosphate… a beneficial source of calcium and phosphorous. Plus (in canned products) this additive also acts as an emulsifier… an agent designed to disperse a food’s fats more uniformly in water.

The next three items are all thickening agents

  • Guar gum
  • Cassia gum
  • Carrageenan

We note this dog food contains chelated mineralsminerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Brandon Farms Naturals… the Bottom Line

The ingredients used here to make this Brandon Farms Naturals canned product are minimal in number… but all of notable quality.

Yet quality alone cannot tell us how much meat might be present. For that, we must consult the label’s nutrient percentages.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 46%, a fat level of 36% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 10%.

All four products in the canned line reveal the same high protein level of 46%… with fat registering an above-average 36% for the group.

High protein. High fat. And low carbohydrates (when compared to a typical canned product).

This is the profile of a canned dog food containing an abundance of meat.

Bottom line?

Brandon Farms Naturals is a meat-based canned dog food using a generous amount of beef or poultry as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand a well-deserved five stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

A Final Word

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Notes and Updates

05/03/2010 Original review
12/01/2010 Product Discontinued

  1. American Association of Feed Control Officials
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