Wild Earth Core Formula Dog Food Review

With a score of 2/10, Wild Earth Core Formula dog food is considered a very high risk food. It has 2 vegan recipes with very high carbohydrates of 46% as calculated, which is understandable as starches and grains are needed as protein sources. Protein is extremely low at 23%.

These recipes have an excessive amount of added vitamins and minerals. Five or more added vitamins or minerals usually indicate a lower quality food that’s lacking naturally occurring nutrients from whole food sources. 

This recipe has 2 added amino acids, although as a vegan food made without animal protein, it’s good to see that other essential amino acids are derived from the ingredients rather than synthetic supplements. This recipe uses plant protein as its protein source, however the nutrient profile of an animal protein is considerably different from a plant protein and that’s reflected in the added vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Sodium selenite is included 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.

Seed oils are used including canola oil, which is also a GMO, and safflower oil. Seed oils like these are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause systemic and gut inflammation. These oils are often included in dog food as an alternative to saturated fats or fish oil. 

Regarding ingredient safety, Core Formula dog food is an ultra-processed kibble. Extruded foods are heated several times during production, which causes major losses in active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients.  

This recipe scores lower for having ingredients known for high pesticide or herbicide residues, like barley and sorghum, in the top 5 ingredients. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Potato protein, a known GMO, is used. There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. 

Another safety concern is the use of natural flavor. This is often animal digest or MSG, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. Rice is also a concern because of the potential for arsenic contamination.

It’s worth noting that Wild Earth doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio for this recipe. 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.