Home Whole Earth Farm

Whole Earth Farm Dog Food Reviews

Whole Earth Farm is a brand of dog food within Merrick Pet Care that has been owned by Nestlé Purina since 2015. Merrick Pet Care has been in operation since 1988, and the Whole Earth Farms brand was introduced in 2009.

It is assumed the foods are manufactured at one of the Merrick plants. Merrick has 3 manufacturing facilities including its original plant in Hereford and facilities in Amarillo, Texas and Evanston, Illinois.

IS WHOLE EARTH FARM A GOOD DOG FOOD?

Whole Earth Farm has 3 lines of dog foods. Until recently there was another line and additional foods but they have been considerably reduced. With the removal of some recipes and their ingredients, the scores of the remaining lines have been improved. However all are considered moderate risk dog foods.

There are 2 lines of dry dog foods. The Grain Free line has 3 recipes, and the Healthy Grain line has a single recipe. The line of Grain Free wet dog food has 2 canned foods.

All recipes lose points in ingredient quality for being high in carbohydrates and having an extensive amount of added vitamins and minerals. The company notes that they don’t use wheat, corn or soy however several other starches like potatoes, rice, barley and sorghum contribute to the high carbohydrate levels. They have some whole food ingredients but not enough to provide adequate nutrients to avoid synthetic additives that would improve the quality of these foods. 

All the dry dog foods have added probiotics, although they don’t guarantee the amount of CFU.

On the ingredient safety side, the dry foods lost points for being ultra processed, leading to a loss of nutrients from several stages of heating. Canned foods are highly processed, with high heat also causing nutrient loss.

All the foods contain some ingredients known for high pesticide/herbicide residues, and there are a couple of GMO ingredients as well. 

Whole Earth Farm doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their foods. They are certainly not the only brand omitting this information, but it’s our hope that more brands will pay more attention to these fats since omega-6 fats are inflammatory and AAFCO allows a very high ratio of 30:1.

The average score of each line of Whole Earth Farm is listed below. Click on any line to view the individual foods and scores.

Whole Earth Farm Healthy Grains

4
4 color scale
Average Score
Click here for full review
Whole Earth Farm Beef & Rice Recipe Dog Food
4
4 color scale
Average Score
Click here for full review

With a score of 4/10, Whole Earth Farm Healthy Grain dry dog food is considered a high risk dog food. There is 1 recipe with 25% protein and 38% carbohydrate as calculated. This recipe ranks low in ingredient quality for being high in carbohydrates and having an extensive amount of added vitamins and minerals. It also includes plant protein. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are ultra-processed, which destroys nutrients. The recipe includes ingredients known for high pesticide/herbicide residues, natural flavor that is often made of animal digest, and rice which has the potential for arsenic contamination. Whole Earth Farms doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.

Whole Earth Farm Healthy Grain Dry Food Benefits

Whole Earth Farm Healthy Grain Dry Food Concerns

Whole Earth Farm Grain-Free Dry

3.5
4 color scale
Average Score
Click here for full review
Whole Earth Farm Grain-Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe Recipe Dog Food
3.5
4 color scale
Average Score
Click here for full review

With a score of 3.5/10, Whole Earth Farm Grain Free dry dog food is considered a high risk dog food. There are 3 recipes that average 26% protein and 38% carbohydrate as calculated. These recipes are high in carbohydrates and have an extensive amount of added vitamins and minerals. Recipes also include plant protein. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are ultra-processed, which destroys nutrients. They also include GMO ingredients and ingredients known for high pesticide/herbicide residues, plus natural flavor that is often made from animal digest. Whole Earth Farm doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.

Whole Earth Farm Grain Free Dry Benefits

Whole Earth Farm Grain Free Dry Concerns

Whole Earth Farm Grain Free Canned Food

6
4 color scale
Average Score
Click here for full review
Whole Earth Farms Healthy Grains Hearty Beef & Rice Stew for Dogs
6
4 color scale
Average Score
Click here for full review

With a score of 6/10, Whole Earth Farm Grain Free Canned Dog food is considered a moderate risk dog food. There are 2 recipes that average 36% protein and 23% carbohydrate, as calculated on a dry matter basis.  These recipes have high carbohydrates as well as an extensive amount of added vitamins and minerals. There’s also inflammatory seed oil in one recipe. On the safety side, these foods are highly-processed, which destroys nutrients, and contain ingredients known for high pesticide/herbicide residues. They also include an artificial preservative, and natural flavor that is often made of animal digest or MSG. Whole Earth Farms doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.

Whole Earth Farm Grain Free Canned Dog Benefits

Whole Earth Farm Grain Free Canned Dog Concerns

Whole Earth Farm Dog Food Recalls

The company has had no recalls to date.

This site uses cookies to help make your experience  more awesome.  By continuing you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.