Evolve Cat Food Ingredients
According to our research, Evolve manufactures 16 cat food recipes using 118 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Evolve, we've studied all 118 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Evolve ingredients.
| Cat Food Recipes | 16 |
| Unique Ingredients | 118 |
| Artificial Colors | 0 |
| Animal By-Products | 0 |
| Anonymous Meats | 2 |
| Controversial | 4 |
| Harmful | 1 |
First 5 Ingredients
Cat food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.
For Evolve, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 cat food ingredients.
- chicken
- chicken meal
- chicken liver
- chicken liver
- ocean whitefish
As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Evolve is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken meal, followed by chicken liver, chicken liver, and ocean whitefish.
Artificial Food Coloring Dyes
Evolve does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 16 Evolve cat foods contain artificial food dyes.
Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.
In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most cats consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.
To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.
Animal By-Products
According to our records, Evolve does not contain any animal by-products.
Animal by-products are basically the leftover parts of the the carcass after its been processed for meat. AAFCO defines by-products as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals.
Although by-products are still fairly nutritious ingredients, consumers have equated them with slaughterhouse waste. Therefore, most premium brands, including Evolve have decided to remove by-products and instead use named organ meats (beef liver, chicken gizzards).
For further reading on the controversy over animal by-products, click here.
Anonymous Meat Ingredients
Anonymous meats are animal-based ingredients which do not provide the source animal's name. These ingredients are controversial because they can come from almost any animal.
In addition, anonymous animal-based ingredients are very inexpensive and often the lowest quality meats that are still allowed to be used in pet food.
In general, we do not recommend feeding any products which contain anonymous meats. When in doubt, always contact the brand's customer service desk for further clarification.
Unfortunately, we've identified 2 anonymous meat ingredients used by Evolve.
Fish meal is defined by AAFCO as "the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cutting, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil." Since the specific type of fish is not mentioned, we cannot discuss any specific qualities of this ingredient. In general, anonymous ingredients are low quality inclusions when compared to ingredients such as tuna meal, salmon meal, catfish meal, etc.
The following recipes contain fish meal:
Poultry is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein sources (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck).
The following recipes contain poultry:
Cereal Grains
Certain Evolve cat food recipes contain one or more grains. The specific ingredients are listed below.
For cats, we typically recommend choosing a grain-free recipe. Cats are obligate carnivores and therefore grains are not species appropriate.
The kibble production requires a binding agent. Grains are commonly used for this purpose in cat food. When purchasing grain-free cat food, grains are often replaced with another starchy source. This is also not ideal.
To avoid grains and other starchy additions, consider feeding wet or frozen recipes.
The following recipes contain barley grass:
Whole ground barley is a nutritious carbohydrate source. It's a great source of dietary fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.
The following recipes contain whole ground barley:
Ground whole brown rice is naturally rich in fiber and various minerals including manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. Relative to other grains, ground whole brown rice is easy to digest.
The following recipes contain ground whole brown rice:
Brown rice is naturally rich in fiber and various minerals including manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. Relative to other grains, brown rice is easy to digest.
The following recipes contain brown rice:
Oat groats are obtained by removing the inedible outer husk of oats. Unlike other ingredients derived from oats, groats are not processed further and therefore contain the whole grain.
Oat groats provide a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, and various minerals. Whats more, non-contaminated oats are gluten free; however, oats are typically processed and grown near ingredients which contain gluten and therefore contamination is not unusual. Always check the packaging to ensure the product is gluten free if your pet has allergies to gluten.
The following recipes contain oat groats:
Controversial Ingredients
In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.
Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce cat foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.
In our analysis, we've identified 4 controversial ingredients inside Evolve products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.
Canola meal is a high protein by-product of canola oil production. This ingredient is marked controversial because it may be derived from genetically modified rapeseed, which is associated with multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola meal:
Powdered cellulose is produced from minuscule pieces of wood pulp and plant fibers. Other than its fiber content, powdered cellulose lacks any nutritional contribution.
The following recipes contain powdered cellulose:
Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola oil:
Poultry is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous ingredients such as poultry are typically low-quality ingredients in comparison to named protein sources (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck).
The following recipes contain poultry:
Potentially Harmful Ingredients
Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.
There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Evolve for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.
We have identified 1 harmful ingredient used in certain Evolve recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.
Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."
The following recipes contain menadione sodium bisulfite complex:
Evolve Cat Food Ingredient Lists
Evolve
Classic Dry Food
Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Dry Food Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
turkey meal
ground whole brown rice
pea
Evolve
Classic Dry Food
Deboned Salmon, Rice & Sweet Potato Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Dry Food Deboned Salmon, Rice & Sweet Potato Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
salmonchicken meal
oat groats
ground whole brown rice
turkey meal
Evolve
Grain-Free
Deboned Chicken, Pea & Sweet Potato Recipe For Kittens
Evolve
Grain-Free Deboned Chicken, Pea & Sweet Potato Recipe For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
pea
chickpea
fish meal
Evolve
Grain-Free
Deboned Chicken & Chickpea Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Grain-Free Deboned Chicken & Chickpea Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
turkey meal
pea
chickpea
Evolve
Grain-Free
Ocean Whitefish & Egg Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Grain-Free Ocean Whitefish & Egg Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
ocean whitefishchicken meal
pea
pea starch
turkey meal
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals
Chicken Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals Chicken Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenwater sufficient for processing
chicken liver
calcium carbonate
natural flavor
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals
Liver Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals Liver Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
poultrywater sufficient for processing
chicken liver
calcium carbonate
natural flavor
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals
Seafood Medley For Cats
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals Seafood Medley For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenwater sufficient for processing
chicken liver
pollock
cod
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals
With Salmon For Cats
Evolve
Classic Crafted Meals With Salmon For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenwater sufficient for processing
chicken liver
salmon
calcium carbonate
Evolve
Classic Canned
Chicken Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Canned Chicken Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
chicken liver
turkey
ocean whitefish
Evolve
Classic Canned
Turkey Recipe For Kittens
Evolve
Classic Canned Turkey Recipe For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
turkeyturkey broth
turkey liver
chicken
ocean whitefish
Evolve
Classic Canned
Seafood Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Canned Seafood Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
chickenocean whitefish
salmon broth
chicken liver
dried egg product
Evolve
Classic Canned
Turkey Recipe For Cats
Evolve
Classic Canned Turkey Recipe For Cats
First Five Ingredients
turkeyturkey broth
turkey liver
chicken
ocean whitefish
Evolve
Grain-Free
Chicken & Beef Recipe In Gravy
Evolve
Grain-Free Chicken & Beef Recipe In Gravy
First Five Ingredients
beef brothchicken
beef
chicken liver
carrot
Evolve
Grain-Free
Salmon & Sweet Potato Stew In Gravy
Evolve
Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Stew In Gravy
First Five Ingredients
salmon brothsalmon
chicken
chicken liver
dried egg product
Evolve
Grain-Free
Turkey Stew With Vegetables In Gravy
Evolve
Grain-Free Turkey Stew With Vegetables In Gravy
First Five Ingredients
turkey brothturkey
chicken
chicken liver
dried egg product
