Purina Beyond Grain Free Canned DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 6.4/10, Purina Beyond Grain Free Wet is considered a moderate risk dog food based on our criteria. There are 4 recipes that average 36% protein and 23% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. 

It’s good to see this level of protein, however the carbohydrates are much higher than we expect to see in a wet dog food. This recipe doesn’t use corn, wheat, or soy but the high carbohydrate level is from starches like peas, sweet potatoes and potato starch. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of lower food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrates can increase insulin levels, increase the risk of obesity and cause unwanted changes to the gut microbiome. 

There are added vitamins and minerals to meet nutrient requirements in these recipes. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. They are listed as undefined which is concerning because it’s assumed they are a standard premix, and it’s difficult to know the sources. 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. 

One recipe contains fish broth which is an unnamed animal protein. Unnamed animal proteins are a sign of low quality and can be made from any type of fish. Unnamed animal ingredients are often a less expensive, low quality ingredient that can be made from rendered waste of many proteins.

On the ingredient safety side, these foods are highly processed, using heat that destroys nutrients. Canned foods are heated before and during canning, which will cause significant losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species.

One recipe has 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.  

Carrageenan 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.  

The concerns below don’t cost points but should be noted.

One product label contains unsubstantiated marketing terms such as pasture-fed that suggests ingredients are better quality. This is purely a marketing term that has no legal meaning under pet food regulatory standards.

These recipes don’t specify whether the fish broth 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. 

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