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Iams canned DOG FOOD Review

Average Score

4.1
4 color scale

Food scores are based on ingredient quality and safety. For more information, view our  evaluation criteria.

IAMS ADULT WITH BEEF, RICE, CARROTS AND GREEN BEANS FLAVOR CHUNKS IN GRAVY

With a score of 4.1/10, IAMS Canned dog food is considered a high risk dog food. There are 6 recipes that average 51% protein, and average carbohydrates of 23%, as calculated on a dry matter basis. 

The carbohydrate content is higher than expected for a line of wet dog food. That said, the protein level is what we expect to see for wet dog food. The Beef, Rice, Carrots And Green Beans Recipe is exceptionally high at 59% protein. Still, there are added amino acids in 2 recipes that can reflect lower quality protein.

There is no information on the website about the sourcing or quality of ingredients. But it should be noted that an excessive amount of vitamins and minerals have been added to fulfill the nutrient needs of these recipes. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients.

Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper can also result from added vitamin premixes, so it’s preferable that most or all vitamins and minerals come from real foods. 

Plant protein like wheat gluten is also used, which is a less expensive substitute for quality animal protein. You want to see animal sources because they’re more digestible and contain a wider array of amino acids than plant based protein sources.

Other quality concerns include using unnamed animal protein like fish oil and meat by-products. Unnamed animal ingredients are often less expensive ingredients as any type of fish or animal can be used or they can be made from rendered waste of many proteins. 

On the ingredient safety side, canned dog food is highly processed costing a loss in points across the line. The individual ingredients in canned dog foods are heated during processing, which can cause a significant loss of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species.

These recipes also use ingredients known to contain higher pesticide/herbicide residues like barley and wheat, often in the top 5 ingredients. Crops that are spray-dried with Roundup, leaves them with more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.  

Recipes in this line contain natural flavor, which is added to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. The use of rice in most recipes costs food safety points because of potential arsenic contamination. This is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic which can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues. Finally, added color is used to foods to make them look more appealing to people. They are often used to hide the grey color of rendered ingredients and are linked to health issues. 

These canned foods also include carrageenan, which is a highly processed derivative of seaweed used as a thickener or texturizer. It may be linked to intestinal inflammation and other negative health effects. Several recipes also include sodium nitrite, which is an artificial preservative. 

These actions don’t cost points but should be noted. There is ingredient splitting in these recipes. That’s the practice of splitting ingredients into subcategories to make them appear lower on the list. This can also move more desirable protein ingredients higher. These recipes also include glam ingredients like carrots and beans that are listed after salt, which means they’re included in minimal amounts that don’t provide any nutritional benefit. 

These recipes don’t specify whether the fish oil is from farmed or wild caught fish. Farmed fish is less nutritious than wild caught fish and does not contain the same healthy fatty acid balance. 

Lastly, IAMS doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.

IAMS Canned Dog Food Benefits

IAMS Canned Dog Food Concerns

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