Fromm vs. Merrick: Guaranteed Analysis of Nutrients
According to the regulations established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), every pet food must have a guaranteed analysis of nutrients on their food label. The guaranteed analysis provides information on the levels of crude protein and crude fat, and crude fiber and moisture.
The term “crude” explains the method of determining the nutrient content of the product and has nothing to do with the quality of the nutrient. If the product makes a claim about any other nutrient, it may be included in the guaranteed analysis, depending on the regulations.
We’ll compare the nutrient content in each dog food brand, including the crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber. To make a meaningful comparison between the two brands, the percentages are evaluated on a dry matter basis.
Below are a table and a diagram comparing the nutrients in the dry dog food of each brand.
|
Dry Dog Food |
Fromm |
Merrick |
|
Crude Protein |
28.7% |
37.2% |
|
Crude Fat |
16.6% |
17.0% |
|
Crude Fiber |
6.7% |
4.3% |
Below are a table and a diagram comparing the nutrients in the Wet/Canned Dog Food food of each brand.
|
Wet/Canned Dog Food |
Fromm |
Merrick |
|
Crude Protein |
40.7% |
43.8% |
|
Crude Fat |
21.3% |
20.9% |
|
Crude Fiber |
6.5% |
8.6% |
Feeding your dog a high protein food is essential for the growth and maintenance of his body tissues. Proteins contain micronutrients known as amino acids essential for building your dog’s hair, muscles, hair, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. According to the AAFCO, puppies and pregnant and nursing dogs, the minimum level of crude protein is 22.0%.
Also, the minimum level of crude protein than adult maintenance dogs need is 18.0%—all on a dry matter basis. If you take a look at the dry dog food table above, you’ll notice that both brands provide sufficient amounts of protein. However, Merrick guarantees about 8.5% more protein than Fromm.
For wet dog foods also, Merrick provides about 3.12% more protein than Fromm.
Crude fat is the level of fat in your dog’s food before he digests and metabolizes it. For adult dogs, the minimum level of crude fat should be around 5 to 15 percent and 8 to 20 percent for puppies.
Both Fromm and Merrick provide a solid amount of crude fat, and the difference between them is relatively insignificant. As for their wet dog food, they are almost the same, with Fromm providing just 0.4% crude fat more than Merrick.
A diet rich in fiber is very important for your dog. Fiber aids in digestion and can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer, diarrhea, and constipation. It is also effective in managing weight loss and dog’s food cravings.
In many dog foods, the average crude fiber content is between 2.5% to 4.5%. These are the levels where nutrient digestibility is maximized. The crude fiber levels in both Fromm and Merrick are acceptable.
Both brands guarantee roughly the same percentage of crude fiber, with Fromm providing 2.4% more fiber. Also, there is a small difference between them in terms of wet dog food, with Merrick guaranteeing 2.1% more.
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Merrick is a leading producer of natural and organic pet foods. They pride themselves on making hand-crafted, wholesome recipes for dogs of all life stages and sizes.
Read on to find out more about the Merrick brand and take a look at some of its top recipes.