Addiction Foods is a New Zealand based pet food company founded in 2002 by Jerel Kwek.
Addiction Foods produces grain-free, dry, and dehydrated foods. They also make treats for dogs and cats. Their brands are Addiction and Wishbone Pet Foods. The company has its own manufacturing plant in Te Puke, New Zealand. It also offers private label manufacturing. It offers private labeling and packaging services to brand owners. It also provides this service to supermarket chains and retail chains and distributors.
Addiction Foods exports its products to the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The company has offices in New Zealand, Singapore, China and Kent, Washington.
For our Addiction Foods review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
IS ADDICTION A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Addiction Foods has 3 lines of dog foods. Addiction Raw Alternative is a dehydrated line. It has 6 recipes. This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. Addiction Wild Islands is an air-dried dog food. It has 4 recipes. This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. Addiction Dry is also an air dried line. It has 8 recipes. This is a high risk dog food by our criteria.
Addiction positions itself as a premium pet food. It produces dog food with holistic nutrition and hypoallergenic qualities. Unfortunately, the quality and safety of some ingredients is concerning. All recipes have high carbohydrate levels. There are added vitamins and minerals. There are high pesticide ingredients and natural flavor. Many recipes have unnamed animal protein, plant protein, added amino acids, and inflammatory seed oils. They use rice which has potential arsenic contamination.
The Nutri-RX Allergy-HS recipe in the Dry line uses hydrolyzed soy protein isolate. The proteins are hydrolyzed by cooking with a dilute hydrochloric acid. The process can produce MSG, a potential problem.
The air-dried and dehydrated foods have added vitamins and minerals. This is disappointing as they have whole food ingredients. They include the full spectrum of cofactors. This makes them safe and bioavailable. Added vitamins and minerals can reflect poor quality or processed ingredients. Added amino acids are also a reflection of low quality. This can mean lower amounts of animal proteins.
The company states it doesn’t use corn, soy, wheat or gluten. Most Addiction recipes are grain-free. But grain free does not mean low carbohydrates
Addiction Dry air dried has 45% average carbohydrates as calculated. Raw Alternatives dehydrated has 41% average carbohydrates as calculated. These are excessive levels for moderately processed dog foods. They don’t require starches for the extrusion process used for kibble.
Addiction Wild Islands has the lowest level of carbohydrates at 25% as calculated. This is lower than most kibbles. It’s higher than necessary for dogs, who have no need for carbohydrates. However, it’s noteworthy that the line has average protein of 40%, which is a good level. The line scores low for several reasons. It has unnamed proteins, added sugar, and plant protein. Safety concerns are high pesticide ingredients and natural flavor.
The added sugar is actually Manuka honey. Manuka honey has benefits as an antibacterial and antimicrobial supplement. But it’s not something that should be in a dog’s food every day. Its fructose content can stress the liver. It’s better to give Manuka honey to dogs as needed.
Addiction recipes don’t have GMO ingredients. That doesn’t mean they are pesticide-free. Addiction could improve the safety of ingredients in its recipes by using organic ingredients. This offers reduced pesticide/herbicide exposure. And organics are non-GMO.
Addiction uses novel proteins and game meats. These include free-range venison, salmon, kangaroo and brushtail (New Zealand possum). The company uses salmon rated “Best Choice” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. This organization is dedicated to ensuring sustainable, safe ocean farming practices. Fish products are sustainably source, but not wild-caught.
A few of the Dry foods provide the omega-6 and omega-3 percentages. None provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation.
Let’s look at each line in a little more detail.
Addiction Dry
Score: 4.8/10
Ingredient List For Wild Kangaroo And Apples Recipe: Kangaroo, Kangaroo Meal, Green Peas, Tapioca, Coconut Oil, Flaxseed, Apples, Brewers Dried Yeast, Pea Protein, Natural Flavor, Yellow Peas, Natural Buffered Vinegar, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Cobalt Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols for added freshness, Rosemary Extract, Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
Addiction Dry dog food is a high risk food by our criteria. There are 8 recipes. They average 23% protein. There are 45% carbohydrates as calculated. This is excessively high, even for a kibble. This line is air dried so it’s moderately processed. This causes a loss of some nutrients. There are excessive vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Recipes include cheaper plant proteins and inflammatory seed oil. There is unnamed animal protein. Ingredient safety suffers from using high pesticide/herbicide ingredients. They are in the top 5 ingredients. They also use natural flavor. There is rice which can be contaminated with arsenic.
Dry Benefits
- Made in house
- No GMOs
- Moderately processed
Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Plant protein
- Unnamed animal protein
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Coconut oil
- Ingredient splitting
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Addiction Raw Alternative
Score: 5.3/10
Ingredient List For Herbed Lamb And Potatoes Recipe: Lamb, Potatoes, Carrots, Flaxseed, Coconut Oil, Tapioca, Papayas, Cranberries, Blueberries, Mango, Apples, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Peppermint, Spinach, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Sea Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Sulfate, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for added freshness, Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract, Spearmint Extract.
Addiction Raw Alternative dog food is a moderate risk food by our criteria. There are 6 recipes. They average only 22% protein. There are 41% carbohydrates as calculated. This is excessively high for a dehydrated dog food. The food is moderately processed. This causes a loss of some nutrients. This is reflected in the addition of vitamins and minerals. This suggests whole food ingredients don’t supply these nutrients. Ingredient safety suffers from using high pesticide/herbicide crops. They’re in the top 5 ingredients. The recipes also include natural flavor. There is rice which can be contaminated with arsenic.
Raw Alternative Benefits
- Made in house
- No GMOs
- Moderately processed
Raw Alternative Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Coconut oil
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Addiction Wild Island Dry
Score: 5.3/10
Ingredient List For Pacific Catch Recipe: Salmon, Mackerel, Hoki, Ocean Fish Meal, Fava Beans, Pea Protein, Eggs, Green Peas, Tapioca, Coconut Oil, Flaxseed, Green-lipped Mussel, Manuka Honey, Kiwifruit, Natural Flavor, Brewers Dried Yeast, Yellow Peas, Natural Buffered Vinegar, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (for added freshness), Rosemary Extract, Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
Addiction Wild Island dog food is a moderate risk food by our criteria. There are 4 recipes. They average 40% protein. There are 25% carbohydrates as calculated. This is high for an air-dried dog food. The food is moderately processed. This causes a loss of some nutrients. This is reflected in the addition of vitamins and minerals. There are added amino acids. This suggests whole food ingredients don’t supply these nutrients. Recipes also include cheaper plant proteins, inflammatory seed oil, and honey. They have fish meal which is an unnamed protein. Ingredient safety suffers from using high pesticide/herbicide crops. Recipes also include natural flavor.
Wild Island Dry Benefits
- Made in house
- No GMOs
- Moderate processing
- High protein
Wild Island Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Unnamed protein fish meal
- Sugar
- High pesticide/herbicide foods
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Ingredient splitting
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
ADDICTION DOG FOOD RECALLS
Addiction has had one recall:
9/2016: Voluntary recall for elevated levels of vitamin A and calcium/phosphorous ratio.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.