However, the concentrated version of this ingredient commonly known as caramel coloring has been more recently considered controversial and found to cause cancer in laboratory animals.1
In any case, even though caramel is considered safe by the FDA, we’re always disappointed to find any added coloring in a pet food.
That’s because coloring is used to make the product more appealing to humans — not your dog. And lastly, this dog food contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Now, let’s get into where it goes wrong. Purina must have a deal with Budweiser because they seem to love using brewers rice in their foods. If they were using whole grain rice that was NOT an alcohol side-product, I’d be raving. However, they insist on going the cheap and non-nutritional way. Then, there are two corn products in a row. Trust me when I say that two corn products in a row or even 2 corn products in the same food is never, ever a good thing.
Dog food experts will tell you that grains are not as easy for dogs to digest as meat proteins. They’ll also tell you that poultry is not as good as a specified kind of poultry such as chicken, turkey, or duck. And they’ll say that by-products from meat are not as good as the actual meat or named organs. These are the dog food “rules” today. In short, dog food that is closer to human food is considered more desirable for your dog and most Purina dog foods are definitely dog food. They are not substitute human foods.
Minus: - Supplements can be sourced from China; risk of poor quality control. - The mineral listings do not read to be chelated or proteinated (for better mineral absorption). - Contains Sodium Selenite – potential risk form of selenium. - Contains copper sulfate, supplement recently linked to liver disease. - This food does not appear to contain probiotics (friendly bacteria that benefits the intestinal system and in turn the immune system of the pet). - Contains animal fat, animal digest and poultry by-product meal; ingredients determined by the FDA to be possibly contain euthanized animals. - Contains grain ingredients prone to deadly molds. - Contains genetically modified (GM) grain ingredients linked to health risks. - Contains Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity); a controversial synthetic Vitamin K. - Contains caramel color; component of this ingredient is linked to cancer.
Some of the other ingredients contained in many Purina One dog food formulas include corn gluten meal, brewers rice, poultry by-products, salt, whole-grain corn, soybean meal and animal digest. Some of these ingredients, such as wheat, are often classified as “fillers”, and may contribute to a higher carbohydrate content than is suitable for a dog’s digestive system.
This particular formula is not grain-free. The ingredients include whole grain corn, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, and soybean meal. All of these grains are essentially filler and are less than ideal for dogs to eat because they don’t provide much nutritional value.
