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Kirkland Signature Dog Food Ingredients

According to our research, Kirkland Signature manufactures 13 dog food recipes using 118 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Kirkland Signature, we've studied all 118 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Kirkland Signature ingredients.

Dog Food Recipes13
Unique Ingredients118
Artificial Colors0
Animal By-Products0
Anonymous Meats1
Controversial8
Harmful0

First 5 Ingredients

Dog 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 Kirkland Signature, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.

  1. chicken
  2. chicken meal
  3. whole grain brown rice
  4. cracked pearled barley
  5. canola oil

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Kirkland Signature is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken meal, followed by whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, and canola oil.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Kirkland Signature does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 13 Kirkland Signature dog 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 dogs 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, Kirkland Signature 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 Kirkland Signature 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 1 anonymous meat ingredient used by Kirkland Signature.

fish meal
6 Recipes

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:

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 dog 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 8 controversial ingredients inside Kirkland Signature products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

powdered cellulose
1 Recipes

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:

pea protein
2 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:

canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols)
1 Recipes

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 (preserved with mixed tocopherols):

organic pea protein
1 Recipes

Organic 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 organic pea protein:

canola oil
3 Recipes

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:

tomato pomace
4 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:

organic canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols)
1 Recipes

Organic 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 organic canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols):

organic canola meal
1 Recipes

Organic 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 organic canola meal:

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.

During our review, none of the Kirkland Signature ingredients analyzed were classified as harmful by our system. The absence of harmful ingredients is indicative of a relatively premium dog food brand.

Kirkland Signature Dog Food Ingredient Lists

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Beef Meal & Sweet Potato Formula For Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Beef Meal & Sweet Potato Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
beef meal
sweet potato
garbanzo bean
pea
canola oil

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Chicken & Pea Formula For Puppies
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Chicken & Pea Formula For Puppies
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
pea
garbanzo bean
lentil

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Organic Chicken & Pea Formula For Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Organic Chicken & Pea Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
organic chicken
organic pea
organic lentil
organic garbanzo bean
organic sweet potato

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula For Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
salmon meal
sweet potato
pea
potato
canola oil

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Small Breed Salmon & Lentil Formula For Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Small Breed Salmon & Lentil Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
salmon
salmon meal
lentil
chickpea
pea

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Turkey Meal & Sweet Potato Formula For Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Turkey Meal & Sweet Potato Formula For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
turkey meal
sweet potato
pea
potato
canola oil

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Super Premium
Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula For Mature Senior Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Super Premium Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula For Mature Senior Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
whole grain brown rice
egg product
oatmeal

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Super Premium
Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Adult Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Super Premium Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
whole grain brown rice
cracked pearled barley
chicken fat

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Super Premium
Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Puppies
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Super Premium Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Puppies
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
whole grain brown rice
cracked pearled barley
egg product

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Super Premium
Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Small Breed Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Super Premium Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Small Breed Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken meal
whole grain brown rice
cracked pearled barley
chicken fat

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Super Premium
Healthy Weight Dog Formula With Chicken & Vegetables
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formula With Chicken & Vegetables
First Five Ingredients
chicken meal
brown rice
pea
cracked pearled barley
millet

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Super Premium
Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Adult Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Super Premium Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
lamb
lamb meal
whole grain brown rice
ground white rice
rice bran

Kirkland Signature

(Costco) Nature's Domain
Turkey & Pea Stew For Dogs
Kirkland Signature
(Costco) Nature's Domain Turkey & Pea Stew For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
turkey
turkey broth
vegetable broth
natural flavor
dried egg product