A Quick Guide to Rachael Ray’s Sub-Brands
Still not sure which Rachael Ray sub-brand is right for you? This short video from Chewy can help.
Is Rachael Ray a Good Dog Food?
Rating:
Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food earns The Advisor’s second-highest rating of 4 stars.
The Rachael Ray Nutrish product line includes 8 dry dog foods.
Each recipe below includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Use the following links to check prices and package sizes at an online retailer.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken and Veggies 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: Chicken, chicken meal, dried peas, soybean meal, whole ground corn, dried plain beet pulp, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea starch, corn gluten meal, brown rice, dicalcium phosphate, natural flavor, calcium carbonate, salt, alfalfa nutrient concentrate, dried carrots, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, beet powder (color), iron sulfate, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, niacin, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, selenium supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K), thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, potassium iodide, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 14% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 16% | 48% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 33% | 42% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken 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 chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient includes 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.
The next ingredient is 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.
And less costly plant-based products like this 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 fifth 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.
For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The sixth ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The eighth ingredient is pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble. Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The ninth ingredient lists 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 this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that can’t be ignored when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
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 Nutrish product.
With 4 notable exceptions…
First, this recipe contains alfalfa nutrient concentrate, a vitamin and mineral-rich extract made from alfalfa.
Even though it contains over 50% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And plant-based products like this can notably affect the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.
In addition, 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.
And lastly, this recipe contains 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 its nutrient profiles, we question the use of this item in any canine recipe.
Based on its ingredients alone, Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food appears to be an average dry dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.
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 52%.
Which means this Rachael Ray product line contains…
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the dried peas, soybean meal, corn gluten meal and alfalfa, this looks like the profile of a kibble still containing a notable amount of meat.
Rachael Ray Nutrish: Quality
Dog Food Advisor (DFA) gives Rachael Ray Nutrish 2.5 stars out of a possible 5. This is DFA’s second lowest tier, indicating that they believe this is a relatively low-quality pet food.
Read on to learn more about some of the reasoning behind this score.
FAQ
Is Rachael Ray peak dog food good?
Is there a recall on nutrish dog food?
2015 – Several cans of Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat food were recalled for high levels of Vitamin D, which can be toxic to cats and dogs. 2019 – The FDA recalled multiple brands of grain-free dog foods, including several varieties from the Nutrish line.
Is nutrish made in China?
Does Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food have grain?