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Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Holistic Select

Adult Health Duck Meal Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $3.50/lb

Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 56/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Primary concern: low protein quality. duck meal delivers limited bioavailable amino acids..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF

Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.

MNI

Low protein quality. duck meal delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

PQI

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

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

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 32% ⓘ
Protein
29%
min (as fed)
Fat
13%
min (as fed)
Fiber
6%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

50 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    duck meal

    Duck cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh duck.

  2. 2
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  3. 3
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  4. 4
    lentils

    Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →

  5. 5
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.

  6. 6
    dried plain beet pulp

    Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  7. 7
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

  8. 8
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

  9. 9
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

  10. 10
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  11. 11
    inulin

    Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.

  12. 12
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  13. 13
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  14. 14
    papayas
  15. 15
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  16. 16
    vitamin e supplement

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

  17. 17
    pomegranates
  18. 18
    dried kelp

    Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.

  19. 19
    mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness

    Natural vitamin E used as a preservative. The good kind of antioxidant on a label.

  20. 20
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

  21. 21
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  22. 22
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  23. 23
    zinc sulfate

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

  24. 24
    vitamin a supplement

    Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.

  25. 25
    iron proteinate

    Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

Showing first 25 of 50. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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