Natural Balance Original Ultra Chicken & Salmon Meal Formula For Cats Review

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 all life stages. In other words, this formula is AAFCO approved.

Natural Balance Original Ultra Chicken & Salmon Meal Formula For Cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Ingredient Review

We'll begin this review of Natural Balance Original Ultra Chicken & Salmon Meal Formula For Cats with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.

The first ingredient is chicken. Chicken is the most common meat ingredient used in cat food. It provides high-quality protein and fat. However, more than 60% of chicken is water.

The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is produced by cooking chicken using a process called rendering. The rendering process dramatically reduces the natural moisture of chicken and thereby results in a highly condensed protein source.

The third ingredient is lentil. Lentils are rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. Lentils also provide a notable amount of plant based protein.

The fourth ingredient is salmon meal. Salmon meal is produced by cooking salmon using a process called rendering. The rendering process dramatically reduces the natural moisture of salmon and thereby results in a highly condensed protein source.

The fifth ingredient is dried brewers yeast. Dried brewers yeast is a by-product of the brewing industry. Brewers yeast is rich in various minerals and contains a notable amount of protein.

Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Natural Balance Original Ultra Chicken & Salmon Meal Formula 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 chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols). Chicken fat is a relatively good source of linoleic acid, which is an important essential fatty acid.

The next ingredient is pea. Peas are high-protein legumes which supply a healthy dose of dietary fiber and several important vitamins and minerals.

Then we have pea starch. Pea starch is a gluten free carbohydrate derived from peas. Typically, pea starch is used as a binder in kibble.

Moving on, we have sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a common gluten free carbohydrate source in pet food. In addition to its fiber content, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta carotene, an important antioxidant which serves as a precursor to vitamin A.

Moving on with this review, we have potato. Potatoes are commonly used in pet food as a gluten free carbohydrate source which also provides various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

The next ingredient in this review is natural flavor. Natural flavor is used to modify the foods flavor and increase palatability.

Our next ingredient is flaxseed. 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.

pumpkin is the next ingredient in this recipe. Pumpkin is an excellent carbohydrate source, rich in dietary fiber and various minerals. It's also rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant which is a precursor to vitamin A.

Next on the list is spinach. Spinach is an edible flowering plant which supplies a notable amount of dietary fiber and plant based protein. It's also naturally rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, and folate.

The next ingredient in this recipe is carrot. Carrots are naturally rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Carrots are also an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Next we have cranberry. Cranberries are rich in dietary fiber and provide a modest amount of vitamins such as vitamin C and minerals such as manganese.

The next ingredient is apple. Apples are high in dietary fiber and provide a modest amount of vitamins and minerals.

Then we have menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols). Menhaden oil is naturally rich in healthy long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely EPA and DHA. These omega-3 fatty acids provide many positive health benefits including the support of vital organs and cognitive functions.

Moving on, we have dried tomato pomace. Dried tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

Moving on with this review, we have dried egg. Dried eggs consist of shell-free eggs which are easy to digest and contain high quality protein. Egg protein is often given the highest biological value (BV). The BV metric measures the usability of the ingredient's protein.

The next ingredient in this review is potassium chloride, which is a potassium supplement.

Our next ingredient 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.

The remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance Original Ultra 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 Original Ultra Chicken & Salmon Meal Formula For Cats is 5.0 out of 5.