Zeal Gently Air-Dried With Freeze-Dried DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 7.8/10, Zeal Gently Air-Dried With Freeze-Dried dog foods are considered a low risk food. There are 5 recipes that average 38% protein and 12% carbohydrate as calculated. This is an air-dried food so one ingredient safety point is lost for moderate processing that involves a low level of heat, retaining more of the natural nutrients than highly processed foods. 

The Turkey With Salmon recipe is a bit higher in carbohydrate but a point is lost, even though there are no grains or starchy ingredients. It’s worth noting that the protein ranges from 34% to 45% which is quite favorable for these recipes. 

These recipes lose further ingredient quality points for added vitamins and minerals. When vitamins come from whole food sources, they include the full spectrum of cofactors, which makes them safe and bioavailable. While a couple of added vitamins are acceptable, five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes added to balance the food. It’s good to see that there are no added amino acids so they are provided by the ingredients.

Points are also lost because of concerns involving processing, high herbicide/pesticide residues and GMOs. Sunflower lecithin is used in one recipe, and is highly processed like a seed oil, which can be inflammatory. On the ingredient safety side, lecithin is used in another recipe. It’s usually obtained from soy, a known GMO, and is also highly processed. Both types of lecithin are likely spray-dried with glyphosate, an herbicide that poses a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. One recipe also includes peas, another crop known for high pesticide/herbicide residues.

One recipe includes coconut oil, which is rich in saturated fats and lauric acid. Some studies show it can increase gut inflammation and permeability. It doesn’t cost points but it’s something to be aware of.

It’s not mentioned whether the salmon is wild caught or farmed. Wild caught fish is preferred as it’s more nutritious and has a better fatty acid balance. 

Lastly, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids isn’t disclosed. This is a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory level of 30:1.