Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Freshpet Select Meals product range is made up of seven recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Freshpet Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken | 5 | M |
| Freshpet Small Dog Small Bites Chicken | 5 | A |
| Freshpet Large Dog Big Bites Multi-Protein | 5 | M |
| Freshpet Small Dog Small Bites Beef and Egg | 4.5 | A |
| Freshpet Freshly Roasted Meals Tender Chicken | 4 | M |
| Freshpet Freshly Roasted Meals Multi-Protein | 4.5 | A |
| Freshpet Freshly Roasted Meals Grain Free Chicken | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Freshpet Freshly Roasted Meals Grain Free Chicken Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Freshpet Select Roasted Meals Grain Free Chicken Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken liver, eggs, pea protein, carrots, natural flavors, spinach, pea fiber, vinegar, salt, carrageenan, beta-carotene, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium todate). vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin, biotin, calcium pantothenate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid), celery powder, potassium chloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 16% | 10% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 46% | 29% | 18% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 34% | 52% | 13% |
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 liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The third ingredient includes eggs, which are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The fourth ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.
Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient lists carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient is natural flavors. Natural flavors doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this food for flavoring purposes.
We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our dogs.
After natural flavors, we find spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score2 of 91.
The eighth ingredient is pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fibre, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a dog.
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 Freshpet product.
With two notable exceptions…
This recipe 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.
This food also 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.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food looks like an above-average moist product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.7%, a fat level of 28.6% and estimated carbohydrates of about 17.7%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43.7% and a mean fat level of 28.3%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 20% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 66%.
Which means this Freshpet product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical moist dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a moist dog food containing a notable amount of meat.
Freshpet Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Freshpet through November 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food
Freshpet Select Meals lists both grain-free and grain-inclusive moist dog food pouches that use a notable amount of named meats as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Compare Freshpet Select Meals Dog Food
How does Freshpet Select Meals compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?
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A Final Word
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