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Review of Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs
Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of 4 stars.
The Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs product line includes the 4 canned dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner for Dogs Turkey and Chicken | 3 | M |
| Dinner for Dogs Turkey and Brown Rice | 4 | M |
| Dinner for Dogs Chicken and Brown Rice | 4.5 | M |
| Dinner for Dogs Chicken Recipe | 4 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs Chicken and Brown Rice 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.
Newman's Own Dinner for Dogs Chicken and Brown Rice
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Organic chicken, water sufficient for processing, ocean whitefish, organic brown rice, oat bran, ground flaxseed, carrots, tricalcium phosphate, dried kelp, guar gum, carrageenan, potassium chloride, minerals (iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), salt, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, riboflavin supplement)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 27% | 24% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 51% | 18% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this recipe 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 water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The third item is ocean whitefish, a marine or freshwater species native to Canada and the California coast.
The next ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fifth ingredient lists oat bran, a nutritious by-product obtained from milling whole grain oats. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The sixth 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.
The seventh ingredient includes carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
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 Newman’s product.
With 2 notable exceptions…
First, carrageenan is 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.
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 alone, Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs looks like an above-average canned dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 41%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 24%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 38% and a mean fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 27% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 73%.
Which means this Newman’s product line contains…
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other canned dog foods.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, this looks like a canned formula containing a moderate amount of meat.
However, with 51% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 31% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for every animal.
Our Rating of Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs
Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs is a grain-inclusive canned dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a grain-free wet food from the company may wish to visit our review of Newman’s Own Organics Grain Free canned dog food.
Has Newman’s Own Dog Food Been Recalled?
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Newman’s.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Newman’s Own Reviews
The following Newman’s Own dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
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A Final Word
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