Northwest Naturals is owned by Morasch Meats. It’s a family business that began in 1956. It operates as a meat manufacturing facility. Morasch Meats was the first to produce raw frozen pet food. They follow USDA human food guidelines. Northwest Naturals uses environmentally friendly process controls.
The company produces raw and freeze dried foods. They make raw foods in nuggets, chubs and 25 lb bulk “dinner bars.” The freeze dried foods are the same formula as the raw.
It’s worth noting that they use High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) as a kill step. This doesn’t affect the product score. The processing plant is located in Portland, Oregon.
For our Northwest Naturals dog food 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 NORTHWEST NATURALS A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Northwest Natural dog food is a low risk food by our criteria. There are 3 lines of food with 25 recipes. They produce Raw, Freeze-Dried and Dinner Bars. These foods undergo light processing. That means there is a minimum loss of nutrients.
Average carbohydrates are very low. However, Beef products are are a bit higher in carbs than we expect. The Guaranteed Analysis is used to calculate carbohydrates in dog food. This provides minimum levels of protein and fat. So they could be higher. That would reduce the calculated carbohydrate level. Protein in the foods averages 45%. A few recipes have higher fat content than protein. This is a concern because too much fat impacts gut health. As well, fat stores toxins.
Produce used is locally sourced. Apples, a food known to be sprayed, appears in the top 5 ingredients in some recipes. The recipes have a few added minerals. Five or more added minerals often indicates a lower quality food. It’s preferred nutrients come from whole food ingredients.
Northwest Naturals doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. This is true of most companies. It’s a concern because 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.
Northwest Naturals Raw
Score: 8.8/10
Ingredient List For Whitefish & Salmon Recipe: Whitefish with ground bone, salmon with ground bone, broccoli, sweet potatoes, apples, ground flaxseed, fish oil*, salmon oil, apple cider vinegar, blueberry, cranberry, inulin, dried kelp, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, ginger, parsley, garlic, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, mixed tocopherols (as preservative), vitamin D supplement.
Northwest Natural Raw dog food is a low risk food by our criteria. There are 9 recipes. They average 44% protein. There are 5% carbohydrates as calculated. No points are lost for light processing. Two recipes have higher fat than protein. This is a concern because too much fat impacts gut health. As well, fat stores toxins. All recipes have a few added minerals. It’s preferred nutrients come from whole food ingredients. Salmon in these foods is wild-caught in Alaska. Other fish in the recipes, including fish oil, may be from farmed fish.
Raw Benefits
- Lightly processed
- Low carbohydrates
- Less fat than protein (except 2 recipes)
- Contains wild-caught salmon
- Made in-house
Raw Concerns
- Contains farmed fish and fish oil
- 2 recipes are high in fat
- Added minerals
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviewss
Northwest Naturals Freeze-Dried
Score: 8.9/10
Ingredient List For Chicken Recipe: Chicken, ground chicken bone, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, cantaloupe, carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce, egg, ground flaxseed, fish oil*, apple cider vinegar, blueberry, cranberry, inulin, dried kelp, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, ginger, parsley, garlic, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, mixed tocopherols (as preservative), vitamin D supplement.
Northwest Naturals Freeze-Dried dog food is a low risk food by our criteria. There are 7 recipes. They average 47% protein. There are 3% carbohydrates as calculated. The Freeze Dried foods are the same formulas as the Raw line. This makes them a convenient alternative to raw. No points are lost for light processing. The line is generally low in carbohydrates. As with the Raw line, 2 recipes are higher in fat than protein. The foods lose a quality point for added minerals. It’s preferred nutrients come from whole food sources.
Produce in the recipes is locally sourced but not organic. Salmon is wild-caught in Alaska. Other fish and fish oil in the recipes may be farmed. Farmed fish is less nutritious.
Freeze-Dried Benefits
- Lightly processed
- Low carbohydrates
- Less fat than protein (except 2 recipes)
- Contains wild-caught salmon
- Made in-house
Freeze-Dried Concerns
- Contains farmed fish and fish oil
- 2 recipes are high in fat
- Excessive added minerals
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Northwest Naturals Dinner Bars
Score: 8.9/10
Ingredient List For Bison & Beef Recipe: Bison liver, beef, bison kidney, beef ground bone, bison heart, beef kidney, beef heart, carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce, watermelon, ground flaxseed, fish oil*, apple cider vinegar, blueberry, cranberry, inulin, dried kelp, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, ginger, parsley, garlic, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, maganese proteinate, mixed tocopherols (as preservative), vitamin D supplement.
Northwest Naturals Dinner Bars dog food is a high risk food by our criteria. There are 9 recipes. They average 44% protein. There are 5% carbohydrates as calculated. The Dinner Bars line is raw food in a bulk format. There are 25 lb bars scored in 4 oz servings. It’s a good option for multi-dog households with plenty of freezer space.
No points are lost for light processing. The line is generally low in carbohydrates. As with the Raw line, 2 recipes are higher in fat than protein. The foods lose a quality point for added minerals. It’s preferred nutrients come from whole food sources.
Produce in the recipes is locally sourced but not organic. Salmon is wild-caught in Alaska. Other fish and fish oil in the recipes may be farmed. Farmed fish is less nutritious.
Dinner Bars Benefits
- Lightly processed
- Low carbohydrates
- Less fat than protein (except 2 recipes)
- Contains wild-caught salmon
- Made in-house
Dinner Bars Concerns
- Contains farmed fish and fish oil
- 2 recipes are high in fat
- Excessive added minerals
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
NORTHWEST NATURALS DOG FOOD RECALLS
Northwest Naturals Chicken & Salmon raw chubs were recalled in February 2018 due to potential listeria contamination. as not had any recalls or voluntary withdrawals.
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.
