Halo‘s base brand is Elevate with 14 recipes. It rates as a high risk dog food. This line has an average protein content of 31.5% and high carbohydrates of 31%. 

This is kibble that’s been coated with a freeze dried product after processing. Raw-coated is a marketing term that has no meaning under AAFCO rules. These foods have been ultra processed so they lose points for safety. Extruded foods are heated four separate times during production, which will cause major losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients.  

Additional safety concerns are for the use of ingredients like oats and barley that are known to contain higher pesticide/herbicide residues. These are also found in the top 5 ingredients. Potatoes are a known GMO ingredient that appear in several recipes and also appear in the top 5 ingredients. Natural flavor is also used. This is often animal digest or MSG, which are low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. 

These foods begin to lose points for ingredient quality for having high carbohydrate levels. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates but they’re added to dog foods for energy, texture and taste. Starch is also required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrates can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria. They state that they don’t include potato, wheat, soy, lentils, peas or chickpeas and even offer grain-free options. However, they do include oats, barley, quinoa, sweet potato, pumpkin and tapioca in their recipes so they aren’t starch- or carb-free.

These foods include added vitamins and minerals. Rather than the usual pre-mix from China, these nutrients are sourced from North America, Europe, Brazil and Japan. Still, it’s preferred that vitamins and minerals come from whole food sources that include the full spectrum of cofactors, which makes them safe and bioavailable. While a couple of added vitamins and minerals are acceptable, five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. It’s noted that amino acids have not been added meaning the food is getting a sufficient amount from its ingredients. Probiotics are also added to these recipes.

It’s also worth noting that this line contains sodium selenite as a source of selenium. Dogs need selenium, and it’s usually added in very small amounts. However some research suggests that sodium selenite may be associated with potential toxicity, so selenium yeast is the preferred form of this mineral.

The final quality concern is that sunflower oil is added to some foods for omega-6. This is a seed oil that’s highly processed and can be inflammatory. Seed oils, such as safflower, sunflower or flaxseed oil, are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause systemic and gut inflammation. Studies show that ultra processed foods are linked to a higher rate of all-cause mortality in humans. Conventionally raised animals and poultry are already high in omega-6s making a supplement unnecessary.

It’s good to see that salmon is named as the fish used in these recipes. However, it’s not stated for the Elevate line whether it’s farmed or wild caught. Wild caught fish is more nutritious and has a better fatty acid balance providing healthy omega-3s. That said, Halo does not provide the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. This is important to know since diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease, and AAFCO allows a very high ratio of 30:1.