Natural Balance Original Ultra Chicken Meal & Salmon Meal Formula Review
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Review of Natural Balance Original Ultra
Chicken Meal & Salmon Meal Formula
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 Meal & Salmon Meal Formula 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 Meal & Salmon Meal Formula with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first 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 second ingredient is brown rice. Brown rice is naturally rich in fiber and various minerals including manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. Relative to other grains, brown rice is easy to digest.
The third 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 fourth ingredient is chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), which is an excellent source of omega-6 fatty acids.
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 Meal & Salmon Meal Formula 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 oat groats. Oat groats are obtained by removing the inedible outer husk of oats. Unlike other ingredients derived from oats, groats are not processed further and therefore contain the whole grain.
Oat groats provide a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, and various minerals. Whats more, non-contaminated oats are gluten free; however, oats are typically processed and grown near ingredients which contain gluten and therefore contamination is not unusual. Always check the packaging to ensure the product is gluten free if your pet has allergies to gluten.
The next ingredient is chicken liver. Organ meats like chicken liver are an excellent source of protein, fat, and essential vitamins and minerals. Although organs may not sound appealing, organs are an important component of a carnivorous animal's diet.
Then we have 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.
Moving on, we have natural flavor. Natural flavoring does not contribute any nutritional value.
Moving on with this review, 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.
The next ingredient in this review is dried vegetable broth. Unlike other broths, dried vegetable broth does not provide any moisture. However, dried vegetable broth serves as a natural flavor enhancer.
Our next ingredient is pea fiber. Pea fiber is a concentrated dietary fiber source. Fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels and promote colon health.
oat fiber is the next ingredient in this recipe. Oat fiber is a concentrated dietary fiber source. Fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels and improve or maintain colon health.
Next on the list is choline chloride. Choline chloride is member of the B-vitamin complex (vitamin B4).
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.
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 Meal & Salmon Meal Formula is 3.0 out of 5.
