Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls Salmon, Tuna & Crab Recipe Morsels In Gravy Review
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Review of Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls
Salmon, Tuna & Crab 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 Salmon, Tuna & Crab 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 Salmon, Tuna & Crab Recipe Morsels In Gravy with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first ingredient is salmon broth. Salmon broth provides both flavor and moisture; however, as with other broths, salmon broth does not provide any notable nutritional contribution.
The second 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 third ingredient is tuna. Tuna is another excellent protein source. As with other raw meats, tuna contains a substantial amount of moisture and therefore the relative meat contribution of tuna is dramatically reduced after cooking.
The fourth ingredient is chicken. Chicken is another outstanding protein source, naturally rich in all of the essential amino acids required by cats.
The fifth 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.
Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Natural Balance Ultra Platefulls Salmon, Tuna & Crab 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 crab. Crab is another excellent protein and omega-3 fatty acid source. As with other raw meats, crab contains a substantial amount of moisture and therefore the relative meat contribution of crab is dramatically reduced after cooking.
Then we have 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.
Moving on, 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 with this review, we have natural flavor. Although natural flavor does not provide any nutritional value, it does improve palatability.
The next ingredient in this review is 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.
Our next ingredient 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.
sunflower oil is the next ingredient in this recipe. 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.
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 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.
Next we have 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.
The next ingredient is potassium chloride. Potassium chloride is a potassium supplement.
Then we have 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 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 Salmon, Tuna & Crab Recipe Morsels In Gravy is 3.0 out of 5.
