Natural Balance Ultra Premium Cat Food Tuna & Shrimp Formula Review
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Review of Natural Balance Ultra Premium Cat Food
Tuna & Shrimp 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 Ultra Premium Cat Food Tuna & Shrimp 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 Ultra Premium Cat Food Tuna & Shrimp Formula with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first ingredient is tuna. Although tuna is an excellent protein source, raw tuna contains more than 60% moisture. After cooking, the relative meat contribution of tuna 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 second ingredient is water sufficient for processing, which increases the food's moisture content.
The third 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 fourth ingredient is whitefish. Although whitefish is an excellent protein and fat source, raw whitefish contains more than 60% moisture. After cooking, the relative meat contribution of whitefish 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 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 Premium Cat Food Tuna & Shrimp 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 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 next ingredient is shrimp. Although shrimp is an excellent protein and omega-3 fatty acid source, raw shrimp contains more than 60% moisture. After cooking, the relative meat contribution of shrimp 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.
Then we have natural flavor, which enhances the flavor of the food.
Moving on, we have menhaden 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 with this review, we have vitamin E supplement. Vitamin E is an essential vitamin required by cats.
The remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance Ultra Premium Cat Food 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 Cat Food Tuna & Shrimp Formula is 5.0 out of 5.
