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Purina One Dog Food Ingredients

According to our research, Purina One manufactures 40 dog food recipes using 131 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Purina One, we've studied all 131 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Purina One ingredients.

Dog Food Recipes40
Unique Ingredients131
Artificial Colors0
Animal By-Products2
Anonymous Meats5
Controversial15
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 Purina One, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.

  1. chicken
  2. rice flour
  3. chicken
  4. liver
  5. pork lung

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Purina One is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is rice flour, followed by chicken, liver, and pork lung.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Purina One does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 40 Purina One 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

Purina One does indeed use animal by-products. More specifically, 2 animal by-product ingredients were found during our analysis of Purina One 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.

meat by-products
1 Recipes

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

This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.

The following recipes contain meat by-products:

chicken by-product meal
11 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:

Anonymous Meat Ingredients

Anonymous meats are animal-based ingredients which do not provide the source animal's name. These ingredients are controversial because they can come from almost any animal.

In addition, anonymous animal-based ingredients are very inexpensive and often the lowest quality meats that are still allowed to be used in pet food.

In general, we do not recommend feeding any products which contain anonymous meats. When in doubt, always contact the brand's customer service desk for further clarification.

Unfortunately, we've identified 5 anonymous meat ingredients used by Purina One.

fish
1 Recipes

Fish is typically an excellent protein and fat source. However, the specific type of fish is not mentioned and therefore we cannot discuss any specific qualities of this ingredient. In general, anonymous ingredients are low quality inclusions when compared to ingredients such as mackerel, cod, salmon, etc.

The following recipes contain fish:

animal liver flavor
2 Recipes
fish meal
1 Recipes

Fish meal is defined by AAFCO as "the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cutting, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil." Since the specific type of fish is not mentioned, we cannot discuss any specific qualities of this ingredient. In general, anonymous ingredients are low quality inclusions when compared to ingredients such as tuna meal, salmon meal, catfish meal, etc.

The following recipes contain fish meal:

poultry broth
2 Recipes

Poultry broth provides both flavor and moisture; however, as with other broths, poultry broth does not provide any notable nutritional contribution. In addition, we typically prefer the specific type of poultry specified (chicken broth, turkey broth, quail broth, etc), which is not done here.

The following recipes contain poultry broth:

meat by-products
1 Recipes

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

This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.

The following recipes contain meat by-products:

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 15 controversial ingredients inside Purina One products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

canola meal
4 Recipes

Canola meal is a high protein by-product of canola oil production. This ingredient is marked controversial because it may be derived from genetically modified rapeseed, which is associated with multiple adverse health affects.

The following recipes contain canola meal:

whole grain wheat
15 Recipes

Whole grain wheat contains the entire grain of wheat (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Wheat is the second most-produced cereal grain in the world (corn is the first). Although wheat is a controversial ingredient, it is not necessarily undesirable because it provides dietary fiber and many other nutrients. However, wheat contains a notable amount of plant based protein, which is inferior to meat based protein and therefore an undesirable substitution.

Wheat is also one of the most common ingredients to cause food allergies or intolerance. However, grains such as wheat are typically low offenders in comparison to certain protein sources (such as beef).

The following recipes contain whole grain wheat:

corn germ meal
7 Recipes

Corn germ meal is a high protein by-product of the oil extraction process from corn (maize). It's considered controversial because plant based protein does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by dogs to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn germ meal protein for meat based protein is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.

The following recipes contain corn germ meal:

soybean flour
13 Recipes
soybean protein concentrate
5 Recipes

Soybean protein concentrate is produced by removing the water soluble carbohydrates from soybeans. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.

The following recipes contain soybean protein concentrate:

corn gluten meal
19 Recipes
wheat gluten
10 Recipes
pea protein
2 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:

whole grain corn
15 Recipes

Whole grain corn is the entire corn kernel (the germ, bran, and endosperm). 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 whole grain corn:

caramel color
23 Recipes

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

The following recipes contain caramel color:

ground yellow corn
3 Recipes

Ground yellow 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 ground yellow corn:

liver
17 Recipes

Liver is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous animal ingredients are typically very low quality and may contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!

The following recipes contain liver:

meat by-products
1 Recipes

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

This ingredient is marked controversial because the meat source is not identified. Anonymous ingredients such as meat by-products are typically very low quality additions. The most unpleasing property of this ingredient is that the animal source can contain any mammal, even dogs & cats.

The following recipes contain meat by-products:

chicken by-product meal
11 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:

soybean protein isolate
1 Recipes

Soy protein isolate is a highly refined/purified form of soy bean protein. Roughly 90% of soy protein isolate is protein. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.

The following recipes contain soybean protein isolate:

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 Purina One for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.

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

Purina One Dog Food Ingredient Lists

Purina One

True Instinct
High Protein With Real Chicken & Duck For Dogs
Purina One
True Instinct High Protein With Real Chicken & Duck For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
soybean flour
whole grain wheat
beef fat

Purina One

True Instinct
With Real Beef & Bison For Dogs
Purina One
True Instinct With Real Beef & Bison For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
beef
chicken meal
soybean flour
whole grain wheat
beef fat

Purina One

SmartBlend
Chicken & Rice Formula
Purina One
SmartBlend Chicken & Rice Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
corn gluten meal
whole grain corn
chicken by-product meal

Purina One

+Plus
Healthy Weight High-Protein Formula
Purina One
+Plus Healthy Weight High-Protein Formula
First Five Ingredients
turkey
rice flour
soybean meal
corn gluten meal
chicken by-product meal

Purina One

SmartBlend
Small Bites Beef & Rice Formula
Purina One
SmartBlend Small Bites Beef & Rice Formula
First Five Ingredients
beef
rice flour
corn gluten meal
whole grain corn
chicken by-product meal

Purina One

True Instinct
With Real Salmon & Tuna
Purina One
True Instinct With Real Salmon & Tuna
First Five Ingredients
salmon
chicken meal
soybean flour
whole grain wheat
beef fat

Purina One

+Plus
Skin & Coat Formula
Purina One
+Plus Skin & Coat Formula
First Five Ingredients
salmon
rice flour
pearled barley
oatmeal
corn gluten meal

Purina One

+Plus
Small Breed Adult Formula
Purina One
+Plus Small Breed Adult Formula
First Five Ingredients
lamb
chicken meal
rice flour
corn gluten meal
whole grain corn

Purina One

True Instinct
Grain-Free With Real Beef
Purina One
True Instinct Grain-Free With Real Beef
First Five Ingredients
beef
chicken meal
soybean meal
canola meal
cassava root flour

Purina One

SmartBlend True Instinct
Grain-Free With Real Chicken
Purina One
SmartBlend True Instinct Grain-Free With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
cassava root flour
canola meal
pea starch

Purina One

+Plus
Digestive Health Formula For Dogs
Purina One
+Plus Digestive Health Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
whole grain corn
corn gluten meal
whole grain wheat

Purina One

+Plus
Joint Health Formula For Dogs
Purina One
+Plus Joint Health Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
chicken by-product meal
whole grain wheat
soybean meal

Purina One

+Plus
Large Breed Adult Formula
Purina One
+Plus Large Breed Adult Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
chicken by-product meal
corn gluten meal
whole grain wheat

Purina One

True Instinct
High Protein With Real Beef & Salmon For Dogs
Purina One
True Instinct High Protein With Real Beef & Salmon For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
beef
chicken
soybean meal
whole grain wheat
beef fat

Purina One

+Plus
Healthy Puppy Formula
Purina One
+Plus Healthy Puppy Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
corn gluten meal
chicken by-product meal
whole grain corn

Purina One

+Plus
Large Breed Puppy Formula
Purina One
+Plus Large Breed Puppy Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
soybean meal
corn gluten meal
chicken by-product meal

Purina One

+Plus
Vibrant Maturity Adult 7+ Formula
Purina One
+Plus Vibrant Maturity Adult 7+ Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken
rice flour
corn gluten meal
chicken by-product meal
soybean meal

Purina One

SmartBlend
Lamb & Rice Formula
Purina One
SmartBlend Lamb & Rice Formula
First Five Ingredients
lamb
rice flour
whole grain corn
whole grain wheat
chicken by-product meal

Purina One

True Instinct
With A Blend Of Real Turkey & Venison
Purina One
True Instinct With A Blend Of Real Turkey & Venison
First Five Ingredients
turkey
chicken meal
soybean flour
beef fat
whole grain wheat

Purina One

SmartBlend
Beef & Barley Entree (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
SmartBlend Beef & Barley Entree (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
beef broth
chicken broth
beef
liver
wheat gluten

Purina One

SmartBlend True Instinct
With Real Turkey & Game Bird (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
SmartBlend True Instinct With Real Turkey & Game Bird (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
turkey broth
turkey
liver
wheat gluten
meat by-products

Purina One

+Plus
Vibrant Maturity Adult 7+ Turkey & Barley Entree (Classic Ground)
Purina One
+Plus Vibrant Maturity Adult 7+ Turkey & Barley Entree (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
turkey
turkey broth
chicken
liver
pork lung

Purina One

True Instinct
With Real Beef & Wild-Caught Salmon (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
True Instinct With Real Beef & Wild-Caught Salmon (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
beef broth
beef
chicken
wheat gluten
liver

Purina One

SmartBlend True Instinct
Grain-Free Formula With Real Game Bird (Classic Ground)
Purina One
SmartBlend True Instinct Grain-Free Formula With Real Game Bird (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
turkey
turkey broth
chicken
liver
pork lung

Purina One

+Plus
Healthy Weight Lamb & Brown Rice Entree (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
+Plus Healthy Weight Lamb & Brown Rice Entree (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
lamb broth
chicken broth
liver
lamb
wheat gluten

Purina One

SmartBlend
Beef & Brown Rice Entree (Classic Ground)
Purina One
SmartBlend Beef & Brown Rice Entree (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
beef
chicken
beef broth
liver
pork lung

Purina One

SmartBlend
Chicken & Brown Rice Entree (Classic Ground)
Purina One
SmartBlend Chicken & Brown Rice Entree (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
liver
pork lung
brown rice

Purina One

+Plus
Healthy Puppy Lamb & Long Grain Rice Entree (Classic Ground)
Purina One
+Plus Healthy Puppy Lamb & Long Grain Rice Entree (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
lamb broth
chicken broth
lamb
chicken
liver

Purina One

SmartBlend
Chicken & Brown Rice Entree (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
SmartBlend Chicken & Brown Rice Entree (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
poultry broth
chicken
liver
turkey
wheat gluten

Purina One

True Instinct
Grain-Free Formula With Real Beef & Bison (Classic Ground)
Purina One
True Instinct Grain-Free Formula With Real Beef & Bison (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
beef
chicken
beef broth
chicken broth
liver

Purina One

True Instinct
With Real Beef & Bison (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
True Instinct With Real Beef & Bison (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
beef broth
beef
chicken
liver
wheat gluten

Purina One

True Instinct
Grain-Free Formula With Real Beef & Wild-Caught Salmon (Classic Ground)
Purina One
True Instinct Grain-Free Formula With Real Beef & Wild-Caught Salmon (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
beef
beef broth
chicken
liver
pork lung

Purina One

True Instinct
With Real Chicken & Duck (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
True Instinct With Real Chicken & Duck (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
chicken broth
chicken
liver
wheat gluten
soybean flour

Purina One

True Instinct
Grain-Free Formula With Real Turkey & Venison (Classic Ground)
Purina One
True Instinct Grain-Free Formula With Real Turkey & Venison (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
turkey
turkey broth
chicken
pork lung
liver

Purina One

True Instinct
With Real Turkey & Venison (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
Purina One
True Instinct With Real Turkey & Venison (Tender Cuts In Gravy)
First Five Ingredients
poultry broth
turkey
chicken
wheat gluten
liver

Purina One

True Instinct
Grain-Free Formula With Real Chicken & Duck (Classic Ground)
Purina One
True Instinct Grain-Free Formula With Real Chicken & Duck (Classic Ground)
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
pork lung
liver
duck

Purina One

True Instinct Bites
With Venison
Purina One
True Instinct Bites With Venison
First Five Ingredients
venison
corn gluten meal
wheat flour
soybean protein concentrate
soybean meal

Purina One

True Instinct Trios
Chicken, Beef & Lamb Recipe
Purina One
True Instinct Trios Chicken, Beef & Lamb Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
soybean grits
glycerin
water sufficient for processing
soybean protein concentrate

Purina One

True Instinct Trios
Chicken, Turkey & Duck Recipe
Purina One
True Instinct Trios Chicken, Turkey & Duck Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
soybean grits
glycerin
water sufficient for processing
soybean protein concentrate

Purina One

True Instinct Bites
With Farm-Raised Chicken
Purina One
True Instinct Bites With Farm-Raised Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chicken
soybean protein concentrate
soybean meal
corn gluten meal
wheat flour