Review of Beneful Dry Dog Food
Rating:
Purina Beneful Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.
The Purina Beneful product line includes the 13 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Beneful Originals with Real Beef was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient ContentProtein =
Ingredients: Beef, whole grain corn, barley, rice, whole grain wheat, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, oat meal, egg and chicken flavor, calcium carbonate, mono and dicalcium phosphate, salt, natural flavor, potassium chloride, dried spinach, dried peas, dried carrots, iron oxide color, minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate], sodium selenite, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), folic acid (vitamin B-9), biotin (vitamin B-7), ], choline chloride, l-lysine monohydrochloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.7%
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 23% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 14% | 51% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 24% | 30% | 46% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it’s a quality item, raw beef contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The third ingredient is barley, which is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The next ingredient is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The fifth ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).
Next, we find soybean meal, a by-product of soybean oil production more commonly found in farm animal feeds.
Although soybean meal contains 48% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
The next ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Although corn gluten meal contains 60% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And less costly plant-based products like soybean meal and corn gluten meal can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The eighth ingredient is beef fat. Beef fat (or tallow) is most likely obtained from rendering, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Although it may not sound very appetizing, beef fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The ninth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Purina product.
With 6 notable exceptions…
First, we find dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber.
However, dried peas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
Next, we find iron oxide, a synthetic color additive used in industry to impart a reddish color to food — and paint. In its natural form, this chemical compound is more commonly known as “iron rust”.
We’re always disappointed to find any artificial coloring in a pet food. That’s because coloring is used to make the product more appealing to humans — not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color his kibble is?
Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.
We also note that the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
Additionally, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
And lastly, this product includes menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in either of its dog food nutrient profiles, we question the use of this substance in any canine formulation.
Based on its ingredients alone, Purina Beneful Dog Food looks like a below-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.
Which means this Purina product contains…
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.
However, when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, soybean meal and dried peas, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Our Rating of Beneful Dog Food
Purina Beneful includes both grain-inclusive and grain-free dry dog foods using a moderate amount of named meat and by-product meals as its primary source of animal protein, thus receiving 3.5 stars.
The Consumer Affairs website lists pages and pages of reports (1,711 reviews in all) from dog owners who claim Beneful® harmed or even killed their dogs.
Apparently those colors lead dog owners to believe the manufacturer’s claims that the food is full of healthy meats, whole grains and veggies. But those colors certainly aren’t found in nature, and in Beneful® they come from artificial food dyes: Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 2.
You may have seen over the past few years that many dog owners believed their dogs got sick – and some even died – after eating Beneful®.
Mycotoxins are molds that are potentially harmful to dogs and they’re in most kibbles. In fact, in 2014 when the Consumer Council of Hong Kong tested several pet foods and found they contained aflatoxins (a type of mycotoxin), Purina made a statement to the South China Morning Post that aflatoxins were “an unavoidable natural contaminant.”
We all know Beneful® from the TV ads, right? Nestle Purina’s multicolored kibble that gets dogs so excited? And their dog owners love it because it’s so colorful.
FAQ
Is Beneful safe for dogs now?
Is there a recall on Beneful?