Country Classics Recipe Grain-Free Chicken & Duck Meals Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag
Regal Pet Foods Country Classics Recipe Grain-Free Chicken & Duck Meals Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 53/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.
Graded by The Sniff System
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
Controversial ingredients · 1
- sodium seleniteSynthetic 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 →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.
- 2legumered lentils
Same concern as other lentils. Affordable plant protein, part of the legume stack the FDA examined. See why →
- 3legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
- 4legumegreen peas
Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →
- 5fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.
- 6protein animalduck meal
Duck cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh duck.
- 7tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 8protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
- 9fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
- 10dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
- 13fatmenhaden fish oil
Omega-3 from menhaden, a small oily fish. Same skin and coat support as salmon oil.
- 14lecithin
Natural emulsifier, usually from soy or sunflower. Helps blend fats and water. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 15vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 16dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 17fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 18fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 19dried kelp meal
- 20green mussel
Mussel from New Zealand. Natural source of glucosamine and omega-3s. Common in joint-support formulas.
- 21mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 22supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 23supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 24monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 25supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
Showing first 25 of 54. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.