Highly Recommended
DogFoodAdvisor is reader supported See how
All reviews are 100% impartial but if you buy using links on this page, we may earn a referral fee.
Review of Nutrience Grain Free Subzero Dry Dog Food
Nutrience Grain Free Subzero Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The Nutrience Grain Free Subzero product line includes the 9 dry 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrience Subzero Prairie Red | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Northern Lakes | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Canadian Pacific | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Healthy Puppy Fraser Valley | 5 | G |
| Nutrience Subzero Small Breed Prairie Red | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Large Breed Prairie Red | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Small Breed Fraser Valley | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Large Breed Fraser Valley | 5 | A |
| Nutrience Subzero Fraser Valley | 5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Nutrience Subzero Fraser Valley 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.
Nutrience Subzero Fraser Valley
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon, chicken liver, chicken heart, turkey liver, turkey heart, herring, cod, cod liver, peas, red lentils, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sweet potatoes, chickpeas, whole eggs, natural chicken flavor, sun-cured alfalfa meal, freeze-dried chicken, freeze-dried pumpkin, freeze-dried chicken liver, freeze-dried green mussels, freeze-dried cod liver, freeze-dried kelp, salmon oil, herring oil, coconut oil, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, spinach, broccoli, apples, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranate, juniper berry extract, ginger, fennel, chamomile, peppermint leaf, licorice root, turmeric, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid], minerals [zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate], sodium selenite, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, l-lysine, dl-methionine, chicory root extract, Yucca schidigera extract, yeast extract, thyme extract, glucosamine hydrochloride, rosemary extract, taurine, chondroitin sulfate, l-carnitine, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 38% | 18% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 42% | 20% | 30% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 35% | 40% | 25% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first two ingredients in this dog food include chicken and turkey. Although they are quality items, raw poultry 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, these items would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The next two ingredients include chicken meal and turkey meal. Poultry meals are considered meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
The fifth ingredient is salmon. Although it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, raw salmon 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 next four items listed are nutrient rich organ meats.
- Chicken liver
- Chicken heart
- Turkey liver
- Turkey heart
Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.
The next three items include herring, cod and cod liver, quality items inclusive of moisture. Fish is naturally high in protein as well as omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.
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 product.
With 10 notable exceptions…
First, we note the inclusion of peas, lentils and chickpeas. These legumes are quality sources of carbohydrates and they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, legumes contain about 25% protein, a factor we’ll consider when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
Next, this recipe contains coconut oil, a natural oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids.
Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.1
Because of its proven safety2 as well as its potential to help in the treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and chronic skin disorders, MCT can be considered a positive addition to this recipe.
In addition, although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.
Next, yeast extract is the common name for a broad group of products made by removing the cell wall from the yeast organism.
A significant number of these ingredients are added as specialized nutritional supplements while others are used as flavor enhancers.
However, the glutamic acid (and its chemical cousin, monosodium glutamate, or MSG) found in a minority of yeast extracts can be controversial.
That’s because even though the Food and Drug Administration designated these food additives to be safe decades ago, the agency continues to receive reports of adverse effects.
So, detractors still object to the use of yeast extract and other glutamic acid derivatives and blame them for everything from Alzheimer’s (in humans) to obesity.
In any case, since the label reveals little about the actual type of yeast extract included in any recipe, it’s impossible for us to judge the quality of this ingredient.
We also note this food contains chicory root. Chicory is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
Next, we find 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.
This recipe 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.
And lastly, this product 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
According to its ingredients alone, Nutrience Subzero Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 42%, a fat level of 20% and estimated carbohydrates of about 30%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42% and a mean fat level of 20%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 30% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.
Which means this Nutrience product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other kibbles.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, lentils, chickpeas and alfalfa meal, this looks like the profile of a dry product containing an abundance of meat.
Our Rating of Nutrience Subzero Dog Food
Nutrience Subzero is a grain-free dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its predominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Has Nutrience Brand Dog Food Been Recalled?
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Nutrience.
No recalls noted
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Get Free Recall Alerts
Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Advisor’s recall notification list.
More Nutrience Brand Reviews
The following Nutrience dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
- Nutrience Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Nutrience Infusion Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Nutrience Original Dog Food Review (Dry)
Compare This Dog Food
How does this brand compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?
Sources
A Final Word
The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.
However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.
For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.
