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Review of American Journey Landmark Dog Food

American Journey Landmark Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The American Journey Landmark product line includes the 3 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

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Recipe and Label Analysis

American Journey Landmark Plateau Blend was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this recipe is beef. Although it’s a quality item, raw beef contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is pork, another quality addition inclusive of moisture.

The third item is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.

The fourth ingredient is pork meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

The next two ingredients include lentils and peas. Lentils and peas are quality sources of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, both items contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The seventh ingredient is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

The eighth ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The ninth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this American Journey product.

With 5 notable exceptions…

First, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

We also note that this recipe includes beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

Next, this recipe contains fructooligosaccharide, an alternative sweetener² probably used here as a prebiotic. Prebiotics function to support the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

In addition, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients, American Journey Landmark looks like an above-average dry dog food.

However, we also need to evaluate Landmark’s Guaranteed Analysis data in order to estimate the product’s meat content.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 31%.

As a group, the 3 recipes feature an average protein content of 44% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 38%.

Which means Landmark appears to contain above-average protein, near-average fat and below-average carbs when compared to a typical kibble.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the lentils, peas and flaxseed, this still looks like the profile of a dry recipe containing a significant amount of meat.

Our Rating of American Journey Landmark Dog Food

American Journey Landmark is a grain-free dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Has American Journey Landmark Dog Food Been Recalled?

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to American Journey.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More American Journey Reviews

The following American Journey dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

• American Journey Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)
• American Journey Grain-Free Dog Food Review (Canned)
• American Journey Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Dry)
• American Journey Protein & Grains Dry Dog Food Review