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Beneful vs Purina Pro Plan

Beneful vs. Purina Pro Plan

In this comparison article for Beneful vs Purina Pro Plan, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Beneful and Purina Pro Plan, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Purina Pro Plan vs Beneful comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Beneful Review Page or Purina Pro Plan Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Purina Pro Plan vs. Beneful

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Beneful Dog Food vs. Purina Pro Plan Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodBenefulPurina Pro Plan
Crude Protein29.2%32.1%
Crude Fat14.7%17.9%
Crude Fiber5.2%4.3%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodBenefulPurina Pro Plan
Crude Protein46.2%45.5%
Crude Fat11.4%19.5%
Crude Fiber6.7%7.0%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

If you look at the average percentages of crude protein, you'll notice that Purina Pro Plan typically guarantees 2.83% more protein. This is a fairly small difference between Purina Pro Plan and Beneful, but still worth mentioning. For wet dog foods, Beneful and Purina Pro Plan provide roughly the same amount of protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

According to our data, Purina Pro Plan guarantees 3.20% more fat than Beneful. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Purina Pro Plan wet dog foods also provide more fat than Beneful wet foods.


As you can see, Purina Pro Plan and Beneful guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Purina Pro Plan and Beneful also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Beneful Pet Food Ingredients vs. Purina Pro Plan Pet Food Ingredients

Beneful and Purina Pro Plan both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Liver
Canola Meal
Brewers Rice
Ground Wheat
Wheat Gluten
Soybean Flour
Soybean Hulls
Corn Germ Meal
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Whole Grain Corn
Whole Grain Wheat
Ground Yellow Corn
Powdered Cellulose
Chicken By-Product Meal
Soybean Protein Isolate
Soybean Protein Concentrate
Animal Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Beneful.

Iron Oxide
Hydrogenated Corn Syrup

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Purina Pro Plan.

Poultry
Canola Oil
Corn Grits
Pea Protein
Animal Digest
Caramel Color
Garlic Powder
Vegetable Oil
Poultry Giblets
Chicken By-Products
Poultry By-Products
Poultry By-Product Meal

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Beneful and Purina Pro Plan both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Bha
Bht
Yellow 5
Added Color
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Beneful.

Blue 1
Red 40
Yellow 6

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Purina Pro Plan.

Corn Oil
Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex
Pork Fat (Preserved With Tbhq And Citric Acid)
Animal Fat (Preserved With Tbhq And Citric Acid)

Product Safety: Recall History of Beneful & Purina Pro Plan?

Beneful has been recalled once.

  • March 9, 2016: Incorrect Vitamins and Minerals

Purina Pro Plan has been recalled once.

  • March 9, 2016: Incorrect Vitamins and Minerals

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodBenefulPurina Pro Plan
Per Pound$2.12$3.10
Per Calorie$0.0013$0.0017
Wet Dog FoodBenefulPurina Pro Plan
Per Pound$3.39$3.85
Per Calorie$0.0072$0.0079

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Beneful or Purina Pro Plan, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Beneful or Purina Pro Plan will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Beneful and Purina Pro Plan. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Beneful Pet Foods

You can purchase Beneful pet foods from the following stores:


32 Recipes In-Stock Today

8 Recipes In-Stock Today

18 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Purina Pro Plan Pet Foods

You can purchase Purina Pro Plan pet food products from these retailers:


122 Recipes In-Stock Today

70 Recipes In-Stock Today

122 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductBenefulPurina Pro Plan
Dry Dog Food13 Recipes53 Recipes
Wet Dog Food28 Recipes43 Recipes
Dog Treats3 TreatsNone
Dry Cat FoodNone31 Recipes
Wet Cat FoodNone84 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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