Natural Balance Ultra Premium Fat Cats Low Calorie Formula Review
Orange: controversial ingredients
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Review of Natural Balance Ultra Premium
Fat Cats Low Calorie 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 the maintenance of adult cats. In other words, this formula is AAFCO approved.
Natural Balance Ultra Premium Fat Cats Low Calorie Formula 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 Premium Fat Cats Low Calorie 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 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 third 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.
The fourth ingredient is garbanzo bean. Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) are an excellent carbohydrate source, naturally rich in dietary fiber and protein.
The fifth 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.
Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Natural Balance Ultra Premium Fat Cats Low Calorie 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 dried beet pulp. Dried beet pulp is the by-product which remains once sugar has been extracted from sugar beets. The primary contribution of 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.
Then we have pea fiber. Pea fiber is a concentrated dietary fiber source. Fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels and promote colon health.
Moving on, we have 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.
The remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance Ultra Premium 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 Premium Fat Cats Low Calorie Formula is 4.5 out of 5.
