Tender & True Organic Turkey & Liver Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. This product has 1 controversial ingredient, which we will go over below.

Top 5 Ingredients

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

• Organic Turkey
  Organic 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). Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

• Organic Chicken Meal
  Organic chicken meal is generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Meat meals are the result of cooking. Water is removed from meats to create a protein-rich meal powder. Meat meals contain about four times the protein meats do, so generally, they're a good source of nutrients. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

• Organic Tapioca Starch
  Tapioca is a gluten-free starch extracted from the root of the cassava plant. Because it mostly consists of carbohydrates and is low in fiber, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, we do not consider this a high-quality dog food ingredient. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

• Organic Dried Peas
  Organic 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.

• Organic Chickpeas
  Organic chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are a legume that provides nutrients such as protein, fiber, folate, iron and phosphorus. They are generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

‍

‍

‍Controversial Ingredients

1. Organic Liver Digest Meal
2. Live digest is produced by chemically breaking down the organ into a liquid that can be used as an added flavoring. It makes it more likely your dog will like the food. However, this is a controversial ingredient because it's a heavily processed animal ingredient that may contain lower-quality ingredients. Additionally, the species it comes from is unknown here.

‍Country of Origin

This food is made in the USA. that’s good because high quality and food safety standards need to be followed.

Meat & Fat Quality

The meat and fat quality in this dog food is varied, let’s take a closer look. It includes Organic Turkey, Organic Chicken Meal, Organic Chicken Fat, Organic Chicken Liver, and Menhaden Oil. What makes these great is that the meat and fat sources here clearly show which animal they come from. At the same time, and surprisingly, the food then also includes Organic Dried Liver and Organic Liver Digest Meal. It’s good to know that these ingredients are organic, but they do not transparently show which animals they were made of.

Artificial Preservatives

Tender & True Organic Turkey & Liver Recipe contains 0 controversial artificial 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, either. Absolutely excellent!

Artificial Flavors

Last but not least, this product manages to shine by also not using any artificial flavors. No artificial preservatives, colors or flavors is exactly what you want to look for in dog food. Well done!