Purina Cat Chow Cat Food Ingredients
According to our research, Purina Cat Chow manufactures 8 cat food recipes using 62 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Purina Cat Chow, we've studied all 62 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Purina Cat Chow ingredients.
| Cat Food Recipes | 8 |
| Unique Ingredients | 62 |
| Artificial Colors | 3 |
| Animal By-Products | 2 |
| Anonymous Meats | 2 |
| Controversial | 12 |
| Harmful | 4 |
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 Purina Cat Chow, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 cat food ingredients.
- chicken by-product meal
- corn gluten meal
- rice
- rice
- soybean meal
As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Purina Cat Chow is chicken by-product meal. The most common 2nd ingredient is corn gluten meal, followed by rice, rice, and soybean meal.
Artificial Food Coloring Dyes
Our records indicate that Purina Cat Chow does use artificial food coloring dyes. More specifically, we've identified 3 artificial food dyes used by Purina Cat Chow.
Although these food dyes are classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA, we recommend avoiding them when possible.
According to the Center For Research In The Public Interest (CSPI), there are many potential health risks associated with the consumption of artificial food coloring dyes.
Given that most pets consume the same products for prolonged periods of time, these concerns should be taken seriously. In general, we recommend pet owners avoid feeding products which contain artificial food coloring dyes.
For more information regarding the CSPI's findings, read our artificial food coloring article.
Red 40 is the most widely used artificial dye in consumer goods. Studies have shown that red 40 may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice, cause allergy-like reactions and trigger hyperactivity in children.
The following recipes contain red 40:
Blue 2 is an artificial dye which can increase the likelihood of tumors according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Like other dyes, blue 2 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain blue 2:
Yellow 5 is an artificial dye which may be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals. Like other dyes, yellow 5 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain yellow 5:
Animal By-Products
Purina Cat Chow does indeed use animal by-products. More specifically, 2 animal by-product ingredients were found during our analysis of Purina Cat Chow cat food ingredients.
According to AAFCO, by-products are defined as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. In other words, animal by-products are the leftover ingredients that humans typically do not consume (lung, heart, tongue, stomach, intestine, blood, etc).
Many consumers have equated animal by-products with slaughterhouse waste. Animal by-products are still very controversial. Most premium brands have abandoned them in favor of specific named organ ingredients (duck liver, chicken heart, etc).
If you must feed a product with animal by-products, ensure that the specific animal source is specified. In other words, avoid ingredients such as meat by-products or poultry by-products.
Turkey by-product meal is produced by cooking turkey by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, turkey by-products contain nearly all parts of turkeys which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, turkey by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as turkey by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats.
The following recipes contain turkey by-product meal:
Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats.
The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Complete With Chicken Formula
- Purina Cat Chow Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
- Purina Cat Chow Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Grain Free Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
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 Purina Cat Chow.
The following recipes contain animal liver flavor:
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:
Cereal Grains
Certain Purina Cat Chow 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.
Whole grain wheat contains the entire grain of wheat (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Wheat is the second most-produced cereal grain in the world (corn is the first). Although wheat is a controversial ingredient, it is not necessarily undesirable because it provides dietary fiber and many other nutrients. However, wheat contains a notable amount of plant based protein, which is inferior to meat based protein and therefore an undesirable substitution.
Wheat is also one of the most common ingredients to cause food allergies or intolerance. However, grains such as wheat are typically low offenders in comparison to certain protein sources (such as beef).
The following recipes contain whole grain wheat:
Whole wheat flour is produced by grinding uncooked wheat into a powder. In addition to dietary fiber, wheat flour provides various vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein.
Wheat is considered a controversial ingredient because of it's protein content. Plant based proteins degrade the overall protein quality in the product. In addition, many people believe wheat is one of the most common ingredients to cause food allergies or intolerance. However, grains such as wheat are typically low offenders in comparison to certain protein sources such as beef.
The following recipes contain whole wheat flour:
Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the production of various corn products (corn starch, corn syrup, etc). It's very high in protein (nearly 60% protein) and therefore can significant boost the protein content of the product. Because plant based proteins such as corn gluten meal are inferior to meat based proteins (lack many essential amino acids), they are not suitable substitutes.
The following recipes contain corn gluten meal:
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Complete With Chicken Formula
- Purina Cat Chow Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
- Purina Cat Chow Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
- Purina Cat Chow Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
Brewer's rice is the small fragments of rice kernel that are separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. The fragments do not contain the same nutrition profile of the whole kernel and therefore brewer's rice is a lower quality grain. Brewer's rice is typically regarded as an inexpensive and low quality filler.
The following recipes contain brewers rice:
Whole grain corn is the entire corn kernel (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in cat food.
Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.
In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by cats to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.
Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in cat food should certainly warrant further questioning.
The following recipes contain whole grain corn:
Ground yellow corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in cat food.
Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.
In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by cats to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.
Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in cat food should certainly warrant further questioning.
The following recipes contain ground yellow corn:
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:
Rice is a gluten-free carbohydrate source. As long as the bran and germ of the grain are intact, rice can provide a notable amount of fiber and nutrition. However, because the type of rice ("brown" or "white") is not specified, we cannot make this determination.
The following recipes contain rice:
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Complete With Chicken Formula
- Purina Cat Chow Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
- Purina Cat Chow Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
- Purina Cat Chow Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
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 12 controversial ingredients inside Purina Cat Chow 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:
Whole grain wheat contains the entire grain of wheat (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Wheat is the second most-produced cereal grain in the world (corn is the first). Although wheat is a controversial ingredient, it is not necessarily undesirable because it provides dietary fiber and many other nutrients. However, wheat contains a notable amount of plant based protein, which is inferior to meat based protein and therefore an undesirable substitution.
Wheat is also one of the most common ingredients to cause food allergies or intolerance. However, grains such as wheat are typically low offenders in comparison to certain protein sources (such as beef).
The following recipes contain whole grain wheat:
Soybean flour contains more than 50% protein. Therefore, soybean can significantly boost the protein content of the product. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.
The following recipes contain soybean flour:
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:
Turkey by-product meal is produced by cooking turkey by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, turkey by-products contain nearly all parts of turkeys which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, turkey by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as turkey by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats.
The following recipes contain turkey by-product meal:
Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the production of various corn products (corn starch, corn syrup, etc). It's very high in protein (nearly 60% protein) and therefore can significant boost the protein content of the product. Because plant based proteins such as corn gluten meal are inferior to meat based proteins (lack many essential amino acids), they are not suitable substitutes.
The following recipes contain corn gluten meal:
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Complete With Chicken Formula
- Purina Cat Chow Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
- Purina Cat Chow Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
- Purina Cat Chow Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
Brewer's rice is the small fragments of rice kernel that are separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. The fragments do not contain the same nutrition profile of the whole kernel and therefore brewer's rice is a lower quality grain. Brewer's rice is typically regarded as an inexpensive and low quality filler.
The following recipes contain brewers rice:
Soybean hulls are a by-product of soybean oil and meal processing. They are typically regarded as low quality and inexpensive fillers which lack any significant nutritional value.
The following recipes contain soybean hulls:
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:
Whole grain corn is the entire corn kernel (the germ, bran, and endosperm). Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in cat food.
Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.
In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by cats to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.
Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in cat food should certainly warrant further questioning.
The following recipes contain whole grain corn:
Ground yellow corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in cat food.
Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.
In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by cats to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.
Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in cat food should certainly warrant further questioning.
The following recipes contain ground yellow corn:
Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.
Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by cats.
The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Complete With Chicken Formula
- Purina Cat Chow Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
- Purina Cat Chow Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Grain Free Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
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 Purina Cat Chow for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.
We have identified 4 harmful ingredients used in certain Purina Cat Chow recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.
Red 40 is the most widely used artificial dye in consumer goods. Studies have shown that red 40 may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice, cause allergy-like reactions and trigger hyperactivity in children.
The following recipes contain red 40:
Blue 2 is an artificial dye which can increase the likelihood of tumors according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Like other dyes, blue 2 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain blue 2:
Yellow 5 is an artificial dye which may be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals. Like other dyes, yellow 5 does not provide any nutritional value.
The following recipes contain yellow 5:
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:
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Complete With Chicken Formula
- Purina Cat Chow Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
- Purina Cat Chow Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
- Purina Cat Chow Naturals Grain Free Formula With Real Chicken
- Purina Cat Chow Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
Purina Cat Chow Cat Food Ingredient Lists
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals
Grain Free Formula With Real Chicken
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals Grain Free Formula With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken by-product meal
cassava root flour
soybean meal
pea starch
Purina Cat Chow
Gentle
Sensitive Stomach + Skin
Purina Cat Chow
Gentle Sensitive Stomach + Skin
First Five Ingredients
turkey by-product mealcorn gluten meal
soybean meal
rice
chicken by-product meal
Purina Cat Chow
Indoor
Hairball + Healthy Weight
Purina Cat Chow
Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product mealwhole grain corn
soybean flour
whole grain wheat
corn gluten meal
Purina Cat Chow
Senior Essentials 7+
Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
Purina Cat Chow
Senior Essentials 7+ Immune + Joint Health With Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product mealsoybean flour
corn gluten meal
rice
oatmeal
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals
Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickencorn gluten meal
brewers rice
chicken by-product meal
soybean meal
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals
Original Formula With Real Chicken
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
First Five Ingredients
chickencorn gluten meal
chicken by-product meal
rice
soybean meal
Purina Cat Chow
Nurture
Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
Purina Cat Chow
Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product mealcorn gluten meal
rice
soybean flour
beef fat
Purina Cat Chow
Complete
With Chicken Formula
Purina Cat Chow
Complete With Chicken Formula
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product mealcorn gluten meal
whole grain wheat
rice
soybean flour
