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Our Verdict
Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free canned product range is made up of six recipes with ratings varying from 1.5 to 4.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4.5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Freedom Chicken Dinner Puppy | 4.5 | G |
| Blue Freedom Beef | 3.5 | M |
| Blue Freedom Chicken Dinner Adult | 4 | M |
| Blue Freedom Lamb | 1.5 | M |
| Blue Freedom Chicken Dinner for Small Breed | 4 | M |
| BLUE Freedom Chicken Recipe for Senior Dogs | 3.5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Blue Buffalo Freedom Chicken Dinner Adult was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Adult Chicken
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, guar gum, flaxseed, potassium chloride, blueberries, cranberries, salt, carrageenan, cassia gum, fish oil, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), cobalt amino acid chelate, niacin supplement (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), biotin (vitamin B7), vitamin B12 supplement, potassium iodide, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid (vitamin B9), preserved with mixed tocopherols
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 8% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 36% | 27% | 28% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 28% | 51% | 22% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common addition component in many canned products.
The third ingredient is chicken liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The next ingredient includes carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The fifth ingredient lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The sixth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The next ingredient is guar gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
The eighth ingredient is 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.
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 Blue Buffalo product.
With four notable exceptions…
First, this food contains carrageenan, a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.
The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.
Next, we note the use of fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.
In addition, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
And lastly, this food includes 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 alone, Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free canned dog food looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 28%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 38% and a mean fat level of 26%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 28% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 68%.
Which means this Blue Buffalo product line contains…
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a canned food containing at least a moderate amount of meat.
However, with 51% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 28% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for every animal.
Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Blue Buffalo through December 2024.
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall Event Number 2 of March 2017 (March 18, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of March 2017 (March 3, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of February 2017 (February 14, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of May 2016 (May 31, 2016)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Chews Recall of November 2015 (November 25, 2015)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall (October 8, 2010)
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Dog Food
Blue Buffalo Freedom is a grain-free canned dog food using at least a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
Compare Blue Buffalo Freedom Dog Food
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A Final Word
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