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Bil Jac Dog Food Ingredients

According to our research, Bil Jac manufactures 37 dog food recipes using 139 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Bil Jac, we've studied all 139 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Bil Jac ingredients.

Dog Food Recipes37
Unique Ingredients139
Artificial Colors0
Animal By-Products2
Anonymous Meats0
Controversial5
Harmful1

First 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.

For Bil Jac, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.

  1. chicken
  2. chicken by-products
  3. chicken meal
  4. wheat flour
  5. glycerin

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Bil Jac is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken by-products, followed by chicken meal, wheat flour, and glycerin.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Bil Jac does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 37 Bil Jac dog foods contain artificial food dyes.

Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.

In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most dogs consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.

To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.

Animal By-Products

Bil Jac does indeed use animal by-products. More specifically, 2 animal by-product ingredients were found during our analysis of Bil Jac dog food ingredients.

According to AAFCO, by-products are defined as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. In other words, animal by-products are the leftover ingredients that humans typically do not consume (lung, heart, tongue, stomach, intestine, blood, etc).

Many consumers have equated animal by-products with slaughterhouse waste. Animal by-products are still very controversial. Most premium brands have abandoned them in favor of specific named organ ingredients (duck liver, chicken heart, etc).

If you must feed a product with animal by-products, ensure that the specific animal source is specified. In other words, avoid ingredients such as meat by-products or poultry by-products.

chicken by-product meal
10 Recipes

Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:

chicken by-products
13 Recipes

By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of the chicken which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain chicken by-products:

Anonymous Meat Ingredients

Anonymous meats are inexpensive low-quality ingredients that can come from practically any animal. These type of ingredients are often used to produce very inexpensive dog foods.

In general, we prefer ingredients which specify the animal source used to derive the ingredient. For example, ingredients such as duck fat are much better than animal fat or poultry fat.

In our analysis, we've looked through all 139 Bil Jac ingredients. According to our data, Bil Jac does not contain any anonymous animal-based ingredients.

Controversial Ingredients

In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.

Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce dog foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.

In our analysis, we've identified 5 controversial ingredients inside Bil Jac products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

corn meal
13 Recipes

Corn meal is another name for ground corn. Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in dog food.

Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.

In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by dogs to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.

Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in dog food should certainly warrant further questioning.

The following recipes contain corn meal:

pea protein
8 Recipes

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

The following recipes contain pea protein:

caramel
3 Recipes

Caramel is a widely used natural food colorant. The concentrated form of caramel is typically listed as caramel color and has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Since our pets do not care about food color, caramel is an unnecessary addition with possible health risks.

The following recipes contain caramel:

chicken by-product meal
10 Recipes

Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:

chicken by-products
13 Recipes

By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of the chicken which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain chicken by-products:

Potentially Harmful Ingredients

Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.

There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Bil Jac for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.

We have identified 1 harmful ingredient used in certain Bil Jac recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.

BHA
27 Recipes

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is an artificial preservative and possible cancer-causing agent. Studies have show that BHA can be linked to various tumors in laboratory animals.

The following recipes contain BHA:

Bil Jac Dog Food Ingredient Lists

Bil Jac

Sensitive Solutions
Digestive & Immune Support
Bil Jac
Sensitive Solutions Digestive & Immune Support
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Large Breed Adult
Bil Jac
Dry Food Large Breed Adult
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
dried beet pulp
chicken by-product meal

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Reduced Fat Formula
Bil Jac
Dry Food Reduced Fat Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken
dried beet pulp
oatmeal

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Senior Select Formula With Chicken & Oatmeal
Bil Jac
Dry Food Senior Select Formula With Chicken & Oatmeal
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken
oatmeal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Small Breed Adult With Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams
Bil Jac
Dry Food Small Breed Adult With Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Small Breed Senior With Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams
Bil Jac
Dry Food Small Breed Senior With Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken
oatmeal
menhaden meal

Bil Jac

Picky No More
Medium & Large Breed Persnickety Recipe With Chicken Liver
Bil Jac
Picky No More Medium & Large Breed Persnickety Recipe With Chicken Liver
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Picky No More
Small Breed Persnickety Recipe With Chicken Liver
Bil Jac
Picky No More Small Breed Persnickety Recipe With Chicken Liver
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Adult Select Formula
Bil Jac
Dry Food Adult Select Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Large Breed Puppy
Bil Jac
Dry Food Large Breed Puppy
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
dried beet pulp
oatmeal

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Puppy Select Formula
Bil Jac
Dry Food Puppy Select Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Sensitive Solutions
Skin & Stomach Support
Bil Jac
Sensitive Solutions Skin & Stomach Support
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Dry Food
Small Breed Puppy With Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams
Bil Jac
Dry Food Small Breed Puppy With Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-products
corn meal
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp

Bil Jac

Grain Free Dry Food
Adult Formula
Bil Jac
Grain Free Dry Food Adult Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
pea starch
pea flour
dried beet pulp
dried brewers yeast

Bil Jac

Super Premium
Frozen Dog Food
Bil Jac
Super Premium Frozen Dog Food
First Five Ingredients
chicken
wheat flour
beef tripe
chicken meal
beef liver

Bil Jac

Chunky Stew
With Chicken & Vegetables
Bil Jac
Chunky Stew With Chicken & Vegetables
First Five Ingredients
chicken broth
chicken
egg product
sweet potato
green pea

Bil Jac

Harvest Feast
With Turkey & Sweet Potatoes In Gravy
Bil Jac
Harvest Feast With Turkey & Sweet Potatoes In Gravy
First Five Ingredients
turkey broth
turkey
chicken
egg product
sweet potato

Bil Jac

Hearty Stew
With Beef & Barley
Bil Jac
Hearty Stew With Beef & Barley
First Five Ingredients
beef broth
beef
chicken
egg product
carrot

Bil Jac

Country Stew
With Lamb & Beef
Bil Jac
Country Stew With Lamb & Beef
First Five Ingredients
lamb broth
lamb
beef
chicken
egg product

Bil Jac

Pate Platters
With Beef & Sweet Potatoes
Bil Jac
Pate Platters With Beef & Sweet Potatoes
First Five Ingredients
chicken broth
beef
chicken
tapioca starch
sweet potato

Bil Jac

Pate Platters
With Chicken & Vegetables
Bil Jac
Pate Platters With Chicken & Vegetables
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
carrot
tapioca starch
pea

Bil Jac

Pate Platters
With Chicken & Cheese
Bil Jac
Pate Platters With Chicken & Cheese
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
tapioca starch
cheese
pea protein

Bil Jac

Pate Platters
With Duck & Pumpkin
Bil Jac
Pate Platters With Duck & Pumpkin
First Five Ingredients
duck
chicken
chicken broth
tapioca starch
pumpkin

Bil Jac

BreakThru Biotics
Digestive Health & Immune Function Formula
Bil Jac
BreakThru Biotics Digestive Health & Immune Function Formula
First Five Ingredients
water
liquid lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
liquid bacillus subtilis fermentation product
liquid lactobacillus fermentum fermentation product
liquid bifidobacterium longum fermentation product

Bil Jac

America's VetDogs
Peanut Butter Flavor
Bil Jac
America's VetDogs Peanut Butter Flavor
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken liver
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Slim-Jacs
Low-Fat Treats Made With Fresh Chicken Liver
Bil Jac
Slim-Jacs Low-Fat Treats Made With Fresh Chicken Liver
First Five Ingredients
chicken liver
wheat flour
glycerin
chicken meal
phosphoric acid

Bil Jac

America's VetDogs
Skin & Coat Formula
Bil Jac
America's VetDogs Skin & Coat Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin
phosphoric acid

Bil Jac

Breakfast Jacs
With Egg & Cheese
Bil Jac
Breakfast Jacs With Egg & Cheese
First Five Ingredients
chicken
wheat flour
chicken meal
glycerin
egg

Bil Jac

Dessert Jacs
Pumpkin Flavored Treats
Bil Jac
Dessert Jacs Pumpkin Flavored Treats
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken liver
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Gooberlicious
Peanut Butter Flavor
Bil Jac
Gooberlicious Peanut Butter Flavor
First Five Ingredients
chicken liver
chicken
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Grain Free Treats
Chicken & Sweet Potato Formula
Bil Jac
Grain Free Treats Chicken & Sweet Potato Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken liver
chicken
chicken meal
pea flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Little Gooberlicious
Peanut Butter Flavor
Bil Jac
Little Gooberlicious Peanut Butter Flavor
First Five Ingredients
chicken liver
chicken
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Little-Jacs
Made With Fresh Chicken Liver
Bil Jac
Little-Jacs Made With Fresh Chicken Liver
First Five Ingredients
chicken liver
chicken
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Original Recipe Treats
Made With Fresh Chicken Liver
Bil Jac
Original Recipe Treats Made With Fresh Chicken Liver
First Five Ingredients
chicken liver
chicken
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

PB-Nanas
Peanut Butter & Banana Flavor
Bil Jac
PB-Nanas Peanut Butter & Banana Flavor
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken liver
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Yapple-Nanas
Apple & Banana Flavor
Bil Jac
Yapple-Nanas Apple & Banana Flavor
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken liver
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin

Bil Jac

Cool Jac's
Made With Real Yogurt
Bil Jac
Cool Jac's Made With Real Yogurt
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
wheat flour
glycerin
yogurt