Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon & Green Pea Recipe Paté For Cats Review
Orange: controversial ingredients
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Review of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient
Salmon & Green Pea Recipe Paté For Cats
This product is manufactured by Natural Balance Pet Foods. Natural Balance Pet Foods is a subsidiary of Big Heart Pet Brands. In addition to Natural Balance, Big Heart Pet Brands also owns Nature's Recipe, Milk Bone, Meaty Bone, Meow Mix, PupPeroni, Ally Cat, and several other brands.
According to our data, this Natural Balance recipe provides complete & balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult cats. In other words, this formula is AAFCO approved.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon & Green Pea Recipe Paté For Cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for the maintenance of adult cats.
Ingredient Review
We'll begin this review of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon & Green Pea Recipe Paté For Cats with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first ingredient is salmon. Although salmon is an excellent protein and omega-3 fatty acid source, raw salmon contains more than 60% moisture. After cooking, the relative meat contribution of salmon is dramatically reduced. Therefore, it's important to ensure that other meat sources are included within the first few ingredients to ensure the product derives most of its protein from meat.
The second ingredient is fish broth. Fish broth provides both flavor and moisture; however, as with other broths, fish broth does not provide any notable nutritional contribution.
The third ingredient is pea. Peas are starchy members of the legume family. Other than carbohydrates, peas are notably high in plant based protein and various vitamins and minerals.
The fourth ingredient is tapioca starch. Tapioca starch is a gluten-free starch extracted from cassava roots. Starch is a necessary component in producing kibble and tapioca is an excellent choice in this regard.
The fifth ingredient is canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols). Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon & Green Pea Recipe Paté For Cats are not as important as the first five ingredients.
However, collectively they still have a significant impact on the overall quality of the product. Therefore, we'll continue discussing the remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance recipe.
Next we have pea flour. Pea flour is made from roasted peas which have been processed into a powder. It's naturally rich in protein and dietary fiber.
The next ingredient is pea protein. 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.
Then we have natural flavor, which is used to enhance the flavor of the food.
Moving on, we have salmon oil. Salmon oil is an outstanding source of omega-3 fatty acids, an important part of a cat diet.
Moving on with this review, we have dicalcium phosphate. Dicalcium phosphate (misnomer for dibasic calcium phosphate) is commonly used in pet food and treats as a dietary calcium supplement. It can also be found in breakfast cereals, enriched flour, noodle products, pharmaceutical tablets, and toothpastes.
The next ingredient in this review is calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring mineral supplement. Although it's often used as a dietary calcium supplement, it can also be used as a preservative or color retainer.
Our next ingredient is cranberry. Cranberries are rich in dietary fiber and provide a modest amount of vitamins such as vitamin C and minerals such as manganese.
flaxseed is the next ingredient in this recipe. Flaxseeds are an outstanding source of omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. They also provide a notable amount of protein, B vitamins, and various minerals.
Next on the list is taurine, which is an amino acid. As with other amino acids, taurine is required for the proper functioning of the body.
The next ingredient in this recipe is salt. Salt is an important mineral for both humans and cats. Depending on the quantity of salt used (which we cannot determine), salt may or may not be a nutritious addition in the recipe.
Next we have vitamin E supplement. Vitamin E is an essential vitamin required by cats.
The remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance Limited Ingredient recipe are unlikely to affect the overall rating of the product.
Our analysis of the ingredients show that this product derives most of its protein from animal based sources. This is an excellent property because meat based protein contains all of the necessary amino acids required by cats. In our option, this is one of the most important properties to judge when reviewing pet food, therefore we believe this is an exceptional product in this regard.
Final Thoughts
In summary, we recognize that this product does not contain any artificial colors, artificial preservatives, or anonymous meat ingredients.
The official PawDiet rating for Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon & Green Pea Recipe Paté For Cats is 2.5 out of 5.
