Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls Mackerel & Sardine Recipe Morsels In Gravy Review
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Review of Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls
Mackerel & Sardine Recipe Morsels In Gravy
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 Ultra Platefulls Mackerel & Sardine Recipe Morsels In Gravy 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 Ultra Platefulls Mackerel & Sardine Recipe Morsels In Gravy with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first 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 second ingredient is mackerel. Although mackerel is an excellent protein and omega-3 fatty acid source, raw mackerel contains more than 60% moisture. After cooking, the relative meat contribution of mackerel 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 third ingredient is sardine. Sardines are an excellent protein and omega-3 fatty acid source. As with other raw meats, sardines contains a substantial amount of moisture and therefore the relative meat contribution of sardines is dramatically reduced after cooking.
The fourth ingredient is chicken liver. Chicken liver is an excellent organ meat which provides high quality protein and fat. In addition, chicken liver provides many essential vitamins and minerals.
The fifth ingredient is chicken, which provides animal-based protein and important omega-6 fatty acids.
Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls Mackerel & Sardine Recipe Morsels In Gravy 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 carrot. Carrots are naturally rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Carrots are also an excellent source of dietary fiber.
The next ingredient is dried egg whites. Dried egg whites consist of shell-free egg whites, 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.
Then we have potato. Potatoes are commonly used in pet food as a gluten free carbohydrate source which also provides various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Moving on, we have natural flavor. Natural flavor is used to modify the foods flavor and increase palatability.
Moving on with this review, we have dried ground pea. Dried ground peas are naturally rich in an important antioxidant called beta carotene which is a precursor to vitamin A. Dried peas also provide dietary fiber and a notable amount of plant based protein.
The next ingredient in this review is potato starch. Potato starch is a gluten-free ingredient extracted from potatoes. Unlike whole potatoes, the starch itself does not provide a notable amount of nutrition.
Our next ingredient is sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is an omega-6 fatty acid source. Unlike other oils (flax, canola, etc), sunflower oil does not provide omega-3 fatty acids; However, the balancing omega-3 fatty acids are most likely supplied by another oil or fat source.
spinach is the next ingredient in this recipe. 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.
Next on the list is ground flaxseed. Ground 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.
The next ingredient in this recipe is guar gum. Guar gum (or guaran) is obtained from guar beans which have been dehusked, milled and screened. It's commonly used in wet food products as a thickening agent and provides a notable amount of dietary fiber.
Next we have sodium phosphate. Sodium phosphate is a generic term used for salts of sodium and phosphate. It is most likely used as a emulsifier, thickening agent, or leavening agent.
The next ingredient is dehydrated alfalfa meal. Dehydrated alfalfa meal is produced from the alfalfa flowering plant. it's rich in plant based protein, dietary fiber, and various vitamins and minerals.
Then we have dried plain beet pulp. Dried plain beet pulp is the by-product which remains once sugar has been extracted from sugar beets. The keyword "plain" in this ingredient emphasizes that the beet pulp has not been sweetened, which is often done for palatability.The primary contribution of dried plain beet pulp is dietary fiber.
We'd also like to note that beet pulp is fairly controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that beet pulp can promote intestinal health and regulate blood sugar. However, opponents claim that beet pulp is an inexpensive filler.
Moving on, we have potassium chloride, which is a potassium supplement.
Moving on with this review, we have 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.
The next ingredient in this review is cranberry. Cranberries are rich in dietary fiber and provide a modest amount of vitamins such as vitamin C and minerals such as manganese.
The remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls 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 Ultra Platefulls Mackerel & Sardine Recipe Morsels In Gravy is 5.0 out of 5.
