Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe

The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. This product does have 2 controversial ingredients which we explain further below.

Top 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at dog food label, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.

• Turkey
  Turkey is generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Raw meat contains about 75% water which is cooked off during the making of dog food. This leaves only a fraction of the protein content in the final product's weight. We recommend looking for dog foods that also include meat meals in the first five ingredients (pre-cooked meat powder that contains four times the amount of protein).

• Turkey Broth
  Broth is often used as a healthy natural flavor or instead of water when making dog food. It makes dogs more likely to eat the food and adds moisture but doesn't provide a lot of nutritional value. Turkey Broth is generally a healthy dog food ingredient.

• Potatoes
  Potatoes provide carbohydrates (mostly starch) and are a rich source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a potential link between potatoes and canine heart disease. It is still too early to draw conclusions so we cannot yet say if potatoes are a generally high-quality dog food ingredient or should be avoided.

• Flaxseed
  Flaxseed (also known as linseed), is the seed of the flax plant and contains high levels of protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals. Flax is also very rich in thiamine, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. It's unique in that it is one of the best plant-based sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. We consider it a high-quality dog food ingredient.

• Pea Protein
  Pea protein is an extract of the pea plant. Peas are a good source of carbs, fiber and protein. Peas are starchy but high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. We consider this a healthy dog food ingredient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a potential link between peas and canine heart disease. It is still too early to draw conclusions so we cannot yet say if peas are a generally high-quality dog food ingredient or should be avoided.

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‍Controversial Ingredients

1. Carrageenan
2. Carrageenan is derived from red algae or seaweed and is used as a gelling or thickening ingredient to bind food together. Evidence has been found that it is potentially inflammatory and toxic to the digestive tract, and may be responsible for colitis, IBS, rheumatoid arthritis, and colon cancer.

1. Fish Oil
2. Fish oil in general is very nutritious, supplying healthy Omega fatty acids and other nutrients to your dog. However, this ingredient doesn't show which animal(s) it's actually made from, making it less transparent and potentially low-quality. Because of that, we consider it a controversial ingredient.

‍Country of Origin

Blue Buffalo products are made in the United States.

Meat & Fat Quality

This product uses a clearly names Turkey as a meat source This is a good thing because it tells us exactly which animal the meat comes from. Beyond this meat source there is also Turkey Broth, Fish Oil and Flaxseed which are named sources for fat. It’s a good sign of quality to see most Meat and Fat sources coming from named species and sources.  The exception here is the Fish Oil, which doesn’t clearly show what species it comes from.

Artificial Preservatives

This product does not have any controversial preservatives. It’s good to know that ‍not all artificial preservatives are bad. That’s because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling. However, we consider 11 artificial preservatives controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.

Artificial Colors

No artificial colors are used in this product.

Artificial Flavors

No artificial flavors are used in this product either. Not using artificial preservatives, color or flavors is great sign of quality from Blue Buffalo.