Is Taste of the Wild made in China
Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review
In this review The Dog Food Advisor takes an in-depth look at Taste of the Wild Dog Food and its 4 most popular sub-brands.
Well also reveal
Is Taste of the Wild made in the United States?Has Taste of the Wild been recalled?Which flavors and recipes get our top ratings?
But first
Which Sub-Brand Is Right for You?
Here are Taste of the Wilds 4 most popular sub-brands. Some are wet. Most are dry. Some are made with grain. Others are grain-free.
Taste of the Wild Grain-Free is for those who prefer adryfood that containsno cereal grains.
- TOTWs most popular sub-brand
- No corn, wheat, barley or rice
- 32% protein, brand average
- 9 recipes(ratings vary)
View all Recipe Ratings
Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains is ideal for those seeking adry kibblecontainingclassic cereal grains.
- Traditional grain-inclusive design
- 33% protein, 41% carbs
- 4 recipes(ratings vary)
View all Recipe Ratings
Taste of the Wild Prey is alimited ingredientdiet ideal for dogs withfood sensitivitiesandallergies.
- Grain-free formula
- No corn, rice, wheat or barley
- Beef, turkey or trout protein
- 5 recipes
View all Recipe Ratings
Taste of the Wilds onlywetdog food. Itsgrain-freeand makes a goodtopperfor dry kibble.
- 45% protein, brand average
- 26% estimated carbs
- No BHA, BHT or other high risk preservatives
- 5 recipes(ratings vary)
View all Recipe Ratings
Individual Recipe Ratings
The Taste of the Wild Grain-Free product line includes the 9 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is buffalo. Although it is a quality item, raw buffalo 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 lamb meal. Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh lamb.
The third ingredient is chicken meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The fourth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The fifth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, theyre rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The sixth ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
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 doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The eighth ingredient is egg product, an unspecified (wet or dry?) form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The ninth ingredient is bison. Although it is a quality item, raw bison 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.
Other Notable Ingredients
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 TOTW product.
With six notable exceptions
First, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, theres probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
Next, we find potato protein, the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.
Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
In addition, this recipe also includes pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.
This also contains over 80% protein, and both potato and pea proteins can notably boost the total protein reported on the label a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
We also note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.
Next, this recipe lists 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 food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Summary
Based on its ingredients alone, Taste of the Wild looks like an above-average dry dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 20% and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 32% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 42% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the pea products and potato protein, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.
Our Rating of Taste of the Wild Dog Food
The Dog Food Advisor finds Taste of the Wild to be an above-average grain-free dry dog food. The recipe includes a notable amount of named meat meals as its primary source of animal protein thus earning the brand 4.5 stars. The Limited Ingredient Diet gets 4 stars. And the wet recipes receive 5.
Who Makes Taste of the Wild Dog Food?
Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Foods, inMeta, Missouri. All dry foods are manufactured at Diamonds company-owned plants in South Carolina, Arkansas, California and Missouri. Wet recipes are produced by a private-label cannery within the U.S.
What Do Others Say About Taste of the Wild Dog Food?
Chewy customers rate Taste of the Wild 4.7 out of 5 stars and 95% say they would recommend it to others.
Heres an actual user review
Sample buyer review My Basenji has been a picky eater since day one. I had her on ProPlan and she was under eating due to not liking it. I ordered the large bag so I couldnt switch earlier. Finally, I was recently able to switch her over to this food and now she enjoys eating and eats her recommended amount! She never had any stomach upset in the beginning either. So happy with this food!
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com
Taste of the Wild Dog Food Reviews 2023
Taste of the Wild dog food is a brand of dog food that was introduced to the public in 2007.
The brand offers puppy and adult dog formulas with a total of 7 food choices for your dog.
Their formulas are created to mimic the type of nutrition that dogs would have if they lived in the wild and have been enriched with natural ingredients to aid in digestion and mineral absorption.
This makes it extremely natural and holistic, so there is no need for additional nutritional supplements.
Taste of the Wild Dog Food Reviews
Who Makes Taste of the Wild Dog Food?
Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Food, which is owned by Schell and Kampeter Inc a private, family-owned company that was started in 1970.
Their headquarters are located in Meta Missouri and the company has disclosed 4 manufacturing facilities in the USA.
These facilities are spread throughout the nation with one being in Northern California, another in central California and the remaining facilities in Missouri and South Carolina.
Brand Overview
- Made In: United States
- Manufactured By: Diamond Pet Foods
- Free Of: Meat By-products, grain, artificial preservatives
- Bag Sizes: 5 lb, 15 lb, 30 lb
Processing Methods
There are four manufacturing facilities that are all located in the United States.
All locations are responsible for manufacturing the wide variety of pet foods that the company has available on the market.
The facilities are located in northern California, central California, Missouri, and South Carolina. Some of the companys food is also made by the Diamond Pet Company as can be seen by their recall in 2012 which affected the Taste of the Wild brand.
To date, this is the only recall associated with the brand.
One important aspect of the manufacturing process which Taste of the Wild dog foods has disclosed is the fact that it uses steam in the cooking process for its dry food. The company uses a water purification process called reverse osmosis.
In reverse osmosis, water is forced through extremely fine filters, removing microorganisms, organic chemicals, and inorganic chemicals.
When the process is complete, purified water is produced. They then use this water in the form of steam to aid in the cooking process for their dry pet food.
This same water purification process is actually used by many companies that make purified water.
Taste of the Wild Ingredients
Taste of the Wild uses a variety of lean meats in their dog food recipes unlike most of the brands on ourbad dog foodlist.
These meats include substances, such as bison, venison, and quail, which are naturally eaten by dogs in the wild.
Testing is done to ensure that they do not contain hormones and they are free from antibiotics.
Once they are processed, natural preservatives are added to ensure longevity and the formulas are grain free.
Most of the ingredients that are used in the foods manufactured by Taste of the Wild are sourced in the USA, but some supplies are imported from New Zealand, Germany, and Belgium.
Regardless of the source of the ingredient, a rigorous screening process takes place to ensure that there are absolutely no toxins or any other form of contaminants.
If any of these substances are present, the highly sensitive Toxiscreen test will detect it.
Most of the ingredients that are used in the foods manufactured by Taste of the Wild are sourced in the USA, but some supplies are imported from New Zealand, Germany, and Belgium.
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Regardless of the source of the ingredient, a rigorous screening process takes place to ensure that there are absolutely no toxins or any other form of contaminant.
If any of these substances are present, the highly sensitive Toxiscreen test will detect it.
Taste of the Wild uses controversial ingredients including pea protein, canola oil, and tomato pomace.
Pea protein is left over after the starch has been removed from peas. It is 80% protein but has a lower biological value than meat.
Using this ingredient bumps up the level of protein on the label without being the type of protein dogs need.
Canola oil can sometimes be fromgenetically modifiedrapeseed.
It is a source of Omega 3s but is not as biologically appropriate as fish oil as an omega 3 source.
Tomato pomace is a by-product of processing tomatoes into juice, soup, and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace as a high-fiber nutrient-rich ingredient, others scorn it for being a cheap pet food filler.
Does Taste of the Wild Use Taurine?
Apart from the ingredients that contain a lot of meat protein and fruits and vegetables, Taste of the Wild also uses ingredients, such as taurine, Vitamin C, and folic acid, which are very important for any dogs health.
Some of these ingredients are sourced in China as the company states that they are only available from Chinese locations, even though they may be branded otherwise.
Adequate amino acids in your dogs diet is vital to a healthy life.
Taurine is an essential amino acidmeaning it does not occur naturally in the body and needs to be supplemented.
Certain dog breeds, such as the American cocker spaniels, are more prone to taurine deficiencies.
You should have your veterinary run tests on your pup before determining if you need a more specialized diet that includes extra taurine.
Given the fact that taurine helps promote healthy eyes and a healthy heart I would suggest looking into whether it is necessary to add to your dogs overall nutrition plan.
Pros
- Uses rigorous screening to ensure ingredients are free of toxins or contaminants.
- Meats are tested for the presence of hormones and antibiotics
- Grain free and No artificial preservatives
- Contains chicory root, a source of inulin which is prebiotic that promotes healthy gut bacteria
- Contains chelated minerals that are easier to absorb
Cons
- Source some ingredients from China
- They use tomato pomace, a controversial ingredient
- Canola oil is a low-quality source of Omega 3s
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Why Taste of the Wild is One of the Best Dog Food Brands
If you are trying to find a quality dog food that is being sold at a reasonable price, you may want to check out the Taste of the Wild brand.
They have 7 recipes within their dry dog food line and they also make canned foods as well as dog treats.
Of the dry food recipes, 4 can be used at all stages of a dogs life while the remaining recipes are for adult dogs.
Each recipe has very high meat protein content in comparison to many other brands of dog food, as well as low carb portions and appropriate fat content.
The addition of other essential substances that dogs need contributes significantly to make the brand a very complete and natural food.
It is indeed a very premium dog food brand that is more than adequate for promoting and maintaining your dogs health.
The Best Taste of the Wild Flavors
Out of all the products that are made and sold by Taste of the Wild, I would highly recommend theTaste of the Wild Dry Dog Food Salmon Flavor.
It is made with real smoked Salmon, plus it has real, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
The grain free formula is very tasty and provides antioxidants to promote the health of your dog.
The recipe is good for all dog types, including dogs that have sensitive stomachs or those that have problems associated with food allergies.
Our other favorites are:
- High Prairie with Venison and Bison (Dry)
- Sierra Mountain Lamb (Wet)
- Wetlands Roasted Duck (Wet)
Wrapping Up
Although there has been one incident of a product recall involving the Taste of the Wild brand, it still remains a trusted choice of dog food among pet owners.
It is a premium brand of dog food and may be listed among the best foods that are currently available on the market.
Taste of the Wild dog food has grain free formulas that are healthy for dogs of all types, ages and even those who may have some health problems.
The brand has truly managed to mimic the natural diet of a dog in the wild and consistently delivers safe, tasty, natural, and complete dog food formulas.
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