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Health Extension Cat Food Ingredients

According to our research, Health Extension manufactures 17 cat food recipes using 141 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Health Extension, we've studied all 141 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Health Extension ingredients.

Cat Food Recipes17
Unique Ingredients141
Artificial Colors0
Animal By-Products0
Anonymous Meats0
Controversial2
Harmful1

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 Health Extension, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 cat food ingredients.

  1. chicken
  2. chicken broth
  3. tuna
  4. tapioca starch
  5. pea protein

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Health Extension is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken broth, followed by tuna, tapioca starch, and pea protein.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Health Extension does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 17 Health Extension 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, Health Extension 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 Health Extension 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 inexpensive low-quality ingredients that can come from practically any animal. These type of ingredients are often used to produce very inexpensive cat foods.

In general, we prefer ingredients which specify the animal source used to derive the ingredient. For example, ingredients such as duck fat are much better than animal fat or poultry fat.

In our analysis, we've looked through all 141 Health Extension ingredients. According to our data, Health Extension does not contain any anonymous animal-based ingredients.

Cereal Grains

Certain Health Extension 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.

brown rice
1 Recipes

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:

malted barley
1 Recipes

The following recipes contain malted barley:

oatmeal
1 Recipes

Oatmeal is simply coarsely ground oats and therefore contains the entire oat grain. As with regular oats, oatmeal is rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, and various minerals.

The following recipes contain oatmeal:

ground brown rice
1 Recipes

Ground brown rice is naturally rich in fiber and various minerals including manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. Relative to other grains, ground brown rice is easy to digest.

The following recipes contain ground brown rice:

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 2 controversial ingredients inside Health Extension products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

pea protein
5 Recipes

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

The following recipes contain pea protein:

tomato pomace
1 Recipes

Tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

The following recipes contain tomato pomace:

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 Health Extension for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.

We have identified 1 harmful ingredient used in certain Health Extension recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.

menadione sodium bisulfite complex
9 Recipes

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:

Health Extension Cat Food Ingredient Lists

Health Extension

Dry Cat Food
Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
Health Extension
Dry Cat Food Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
brown rice
oatmeal
dried egg product

Health Extension

Grain Free Dry Cat Food
Turkey & Salmon Recipe With Whole Vegetables & Berries
Health Extension
Grain Free Dry Cat Food Turkey & Salmon Recipe With Whole Vegetables & Berries
First Five Ingredients
turkey
salmon
salmon meal
chicken meal
chickpea

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Chicken In Gravy Recipe
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Chicken In Gravy Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
modified tapioca starch
tricalcium phosphate
potassium chloride

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Real Turkey Entree
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Real Turkey Entree
First Five Ingredients
turkey
turkey broth
butternut squash
guar gum
taurine

Health Extension

Canned Cat Food
Turkey & Chicken Entree
Health Extension
Canned Cat Food Turkey & Chicken Entree
First Five Ingredients
turkey
chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
carrot

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Chicken & Tuna Recipe
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Chicken & Tuna Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
tuna
tapioca starch
tricalcium phosphate

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Real Beef Entree
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Real Beef Entree
First Five Ingredients
beef
turkey liver
beef broth
butternut squash
tomato paste

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Real Chicken Entree
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Real Chicken Entree
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken liver
chicken broth
butternut squash
tomato

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Chicken Pate Recipe In Broth
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Chicken Pate Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
modified tapioca starch
cellulose fiber
pea protein

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Chicken & Pumpkin Recipe In Savory Sauce
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Chicken & Pumpkin Recipe In Savory Sauce
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
pumpkin
tapioca starch
pea protein

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Beef & Salmon Recipe In Broth
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Beef & Salmon Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
beef broth
beef
tuna
chicken
modified tapioca starch

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Chicken & Duck Recipe In Savory Sauce
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Chicken & Duck Recipe In Savory Sauce
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
duck
tapioca starch
pea protein

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Chicken & Salmon Recipe In Savory Sauce
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Chicken & Salmon Recipe In Savory Sauce
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken broth
salmon
tapioca starch
pea protein

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Tilapia & Tuna Recipe In Savory Sauce
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Tilapia & Tuna Recipe In Savory Sauce
First Five Ingredients
tilapia broth
tilapia
tuna
sunflower oil
tapioca starch

Health Extension

Grain Free Canned Cat Food
Tuna & Prawns Recipe In Savory Sauce
Health Extension
Grain Free Canned Cat Food Tuna & Prawns Recipe In Savory Sauce
First Five Ingredients
tuna
tuna broth
prawn
sunflower oil
tapioca starch

Health Extension

100% Pure Dired Cat Treats
Buffalo Recipe
Health Extension
100% Pure Dired Cat Treats Buffalo Recipe
First Five Ingredients
buffalo

Health Extension

100% Pure Freeze-Dried Cat Treats
Chicken Recipe
Health Extension
100% Pure Freeze-Dried Cat Treats Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken