Ultimates Dog Food Ingredients
According to our research, Ultimates manufactures 17 dog food recipes using 70 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Ultimates, we've studied all 70 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Ultimates ingredients.
| Dog Food Recipes | 17 |
| Unique Ingredients | 70 |
| Artificial Colors | 0 |
| Animal By-Products | 0 |
| Anonymous Meats | 0 |
| Controversial | 3 |
| Harmful | 0 |
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 Ultimates, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.
- chicken meal
- brown rice
- pea
- pea starch
- glycerin
As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Ultimates is chicken meal. The most common 2nd ingredient is brown rice, followed by pea, pea starch, and glycerin.
Artificial Food Coloring Dyes
Ultimates does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 17 Ultimates 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, Ultimates 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 Ultimates 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 dog 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 70 Ultimates ingredients. According to our data, Ultimates does not contain any anonymous animal-based ingredients.
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 3 controversial ingredients inside Ultimates products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.
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 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):
Beet pulp is the by-product which remains once sugar has been extracted from sugar beets. The primary contribution of beet pulp is dietary fiber.
We'd also like to note that beet pulp is fairly controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that beet pulp can promote intestinal health and regulate blood sugar. However, opponents claim that beet pulp is an inexpensive filler.
The following recipes contain beet pulp:
- Ultimates Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Puppies
- Ultimates Whole Grain Whitefish Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
- Ultimates Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Puppies
- Ultimates Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Adult Dogs
- Ultimates Sensitive With Salmon Protein For Dogs
- Ultimates Sensitive With Lamb Protein For Dogs
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 Ultimates ingredients analyzed were classified as harmful by our system. The absence of harmful ingredients is indicative of a relatively premium dog food brand.
Ultimates Dog Food Ingredient Lists
Ultimates
Grain Free
Meadow Prime For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Grain Free Meadow Prime For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
lamb mealpotato
pea
canola oil
chickpea
Ultimates
Grain Free
Overland Red For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Grain Free Overland Red For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
beef mealpotato
pea starch
pea protein
canola oil
Ultimates
Grain Free
Bayside Select
Ultimates
Grain Free Bayside Select
First Five Ingredients
whitefish mealpotato
pea
pea starch
canola oil
Ultimates
Grain Free
Heartland Choice For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Grain Free Heartland Choice For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealpotato
pea
chicken fat
chickpea
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealbrown rice
pea
rice
rice bran
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealbrown rice
ground rice
chicken fat
rice bran
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Whitefish Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Whole Grain Whitefish Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
whitefish mealbrown rice
pea
rice
chicken fat
Ultimates
Sensitive
With Lamb Protein For Dogs
Ultimates
Sensitive With Lamb Protein For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
lamb mealbrown rice
oatmeal
pearled barley
ground rice
Ultimates
Sensitive
With Salmon Protein For Dogs
Ultimates
Sensitive With Salmon Protein For Dogs
First Five Ingredients
salmon mealbrown rice
oatmeal
pearled barley
whitefish meal
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Bison Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Whole Grain Bison Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
bison mealrice
pea
brown rice
beef meal
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Puppies
Ultimates
Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Large Breed Puppies
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealbrown rice
pea
chicken fat
whitefish meal
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Puppies
Ultimates
Whole Grain Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe For Puppies
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealbrown rice
pea
chicken fat
whitefish meal
Ultimates
Whole Grain
Lamb Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
Ultimates
Whole Grain Lamb Meal & Rice Recipe For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
lamb mealbrown rice
pea
rice
pea starch
Ultimates
Jerky Bites
With Whitefish Protein
Ultimates
Jerky Bites With Whitefish Protein
First Five Ingredients
whitefish mealpea
tapioca
pea starch
glycerin
Ultimates
Jerky Mini Sticks
With Lamb Protein
Ultimates
Jerky Mini Sticks With Lamb Protein
First Five Ingredients
lamb mealpea
tapioca
pea starch
glycerin
Ultimates
Jerky Mini Strips
With Chicken Protein
Ultimates
Jerky Mini Strips With Chicken Protein
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealpea
tapioca
pea starch
glycerin
Ultimates
Jerky Sticks
With Beef Protein
Ultimates
Jerky Sticks With Beef Protein
First Five Ingredients
beef mealpea
tapioca
pea starch
glycerin
