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Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Duck Recipe Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 24
Cesar

Classic Loaf in Sauce Duck Recipe Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 24

Evidence Fair
wet $4.18/lb

Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Duck Recipe Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 24 earns a Sniff Score of 23/100 (F) with Fair evidence. 3 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 49 due to sodium nitrite.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. duck delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

Score capped at 49 due to sodium nitrite.

CAP why?

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

Contains sodium nitrite. Documented canine death (Worth 2005); IARC 2A nitrosamine pathway. Unnecessary in dog food (no botulism niche)..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • carrageenan
    Seaweed-derived thickener; some studies link it to gastrointestinal inflammation. Most common in wet foods but appears in some kibble gravies.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 47% ⓘ
Protein
8.5%
min (as fed)
Fat
4%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1%
max (as fed)
Moisture
82%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 47%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

29 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    duck

    Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.

  2. 2
    chicken liver

    Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.

  3. 3
    beef lung

    Organ meat. Lean, protein-dense, real-food inclusion. More common in raw and freeze-dried diets.

  4. 4
    chicken broth

    Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.

  5. 5
    water

    Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.

  6. 6
    pork by-products

    Generic pork organs and tissue without species-specific traceability. Named by-products are more transparent.

  7. 7
    chicken heart

    Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.

  8. 8
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  9. 9
    sodium tripolyphosphate

    Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.

  10. 10
    carrageenan Flagged

    Seaweed-derived thickener. Some lab studies suggest gut inflammation, but the evidence in pets is mixed.

  11. 11
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  12. 12
    xanthan gum

    Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag.

  13. 13
    magnesium proteinate

    Magnesium bound to protein for better absorption. The premium chelated form.

  14. 14
    dried yam

    Yam with the moisture removed. Complex carb, fiber, similar role to sweet potato.

  15. 15
    added color

    Generic coloring. Doesn't say if natural or artificial. Dogs are color-blind, so any added color is for the human shopper.

  16. 16
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  17. 17
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  18. 18
    erythorbic acid
  19. 19
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  20. 20
    guar gum

    Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet.

  21. 21
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  22. 22
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  23. 23
    monocalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.

  24. 24
    sodium nitrite

    Preservative and color fixative. Forms nitrosamines under certain conditions. Mostly found in moist or jerky-style products.

  25. 25
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

Showing first 25 of 29. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.