Purina Beyond Organic Dog Food Review (Dry)

Mike Sagman

By

Mike Sagman
Mike Sagman

Mike Sagman

Founder

Dr Mike Sagman is the creator of the Dog Food Advisor. He founded the website in 2008, after his unquestioning trust in commercial dog food led to the tragic death of his dog Penny.

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Updated: April 16, 2024

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Product May Have Been Discontinued
Unable to Locate Complete Label Info
On Company Website1

Which Purina Beyond Organic Dry Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Purina Beyond Organic Dog Food earns The Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Purina Beyond Organic product line includes the 2 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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Product Rating AAFCO
Purina Beyond Organic Chicken, Egg and Sweet Potato 4 M
Purina Beyond Organic Small Dog Chicken, Egg and Carrot 4 M

Recipe and Label Analysis

Purina Beyond Organic Small Dog Chicken, Egg and Carrot recipe was selected to represent both products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

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


Purina Beyond Organic Small Dog Chicken, Egg and Carrot

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

30.7%

Protein

19.3%

Fat

42%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Organic chicken, organic chicken meal, organic cassava root flour, organic pea starch, organic canola meal, organic dried egg, organic coconut oil, organic carrots, organic pea hulls, organic pea protein, natural flavor, potassium chloride, salt, mono and dicalcium phosphate, dl-methionine, calcium carbonate, l-lysine monohydrochloride, taurine, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), folic acid (vitamin B-9), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin (vitamin B-7)], minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], choline chloride


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 27% 17% NA
Dry Matter Basis 31% 19% 42%
Calorie Weighted Basis 26% 39% 35%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is organic chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken 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 organic chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third ingredient is organic cassava root flour, or tapioca starch. Cassava root flour is a gluten-free, carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

The fourth ingredient is organic pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble. Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fifth ingredient is organic canola meal, a by-product of canola oil production more typically used to make feed for farm animals and to produce biodiesel.

Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

In any case, because canola meal also contains about 37% dry matter protein, this ingredient would be expected to notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The sixth ingredient is organic whole dried egg, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The seventh ingredient is organic coconut oil, a natural oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids.

Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.2

Because of its proven safety3 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.

The eighth ingredient includes organic carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The ninth ingredient lists organic pea hulls, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from peas. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, 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 Purina product.

With 5 notable exceptions

First, we find organic 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.

Next, 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.

In addition, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

Next, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

And lastly, this recipe contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in its nutrient profiles, we question the use of this item in any canine recipe.

Nutrient Analysis

Since this recipe contains a number of organic ingredients, we feel compelled to grant this line a more favorable status as we consider its final rating.

That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards which significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.

With that in mind…

Based on its ingredients alone, Purina Beyond Organic Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 31%, a fat level of 19% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 43% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 62%.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the canola meal and pea protein, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Our Rating of Purina Beyond Organic Dog Food

Purina Beyond Organic is a grain-free dry dog food using a notable amount of organic named meat meal as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

However, those concerned about the presence of menadione in this recipe may wish to ignore our rating and look elsewhere for a different product. Or consider using diet rotation to reduce the risks associated with feeding the same dog food… continuously, for a lifetime.

Has Purina Beyond Dog Food Been Recalled?

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

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

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More Purina Brand Reviews

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



Sources

1: “Last Update” field at the end of this review reflects the last time we attempted to visit this product’s website. The current review itself was last updated 06/25/2021

2: Pan Y et al, Dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing effects in aged dogs, British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 103, Issue 12, June 2010, pp 1746-1754

3: Matulka RA et al, Lack of toxicity by medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in canines during a 90-day feeding study,Food Chem Toxicol, Jan 2009, 47(1) 35-9.

A Final Word

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