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Wholesomes Beef Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Wholesomes

Beef Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $1.18/lb

Wholesomes Beef Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 48/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

Score capped at 64 due to DCM-pulse trigger.

CAP why?

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

PQI

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: 27% ⓘ
Protein
24%
min (as fed)
Fat
14%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

35 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    beef meal

    Beef cooked down to a dry concentrate. More protein per pound than fresh beef.

  2. 2
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

  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
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  5. 5
    chicken fat

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

  6. 6
    pea starch

    Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.

  7. 7
    brewers rice

    Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version.

  8. 8
    beet pulp

    Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble.

  9. 9
    flaxseed

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

  10. 10
    salt

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

  11. 11
    potassium chloride

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

  12. 12
    dl-methionine

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

  13. 13
    choline chloride

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

  14. 14
    vitamin e supplement

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

  15. 15
    niacin supplement

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

  16. 16
    calcium pantothenate

    Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.

  17. 17
    vitamin a supplement

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

  18. 18
    riboflavin supplement

    B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.

  19. 19
    thiamine mononitrate

    B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.

  20. 20
    pyridoxine hydrochloride

    B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.

  21. 21
    biotin

    B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.

  22. 22
    vitamin b12 supplement

    Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.

  23. 23
    vitamin d3 supplement

    The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.

  24. 24
    folic acid

    B vitamin (B9), essential for cell function. Standard in complete dog foods.

  25. 25
    zinc sulfate

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

Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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