Ralston Purina began as an animal feed company in the 1890s. In 1898, Purina Chow became the first pet food produced on a commercial basis. In 50 years, the company entered the international market. The company opened manufacturing facilities in various countries.
Nestlé acquired Ralston Purina in 2001 for $10.3 billion. It became Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. This is one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the world. Nestlé is a multinational company that owns a wide range of brands. They range from pet food to cosmetics and health devices. Nestle has a well-known candy portfolio. It also owns Perrier, Carnation, Lean Cuisine, Haagen-Dazs, Alpo, Fancy Feast and Purina.
In its annual report, Nestle Purina Pet Care reported annual sales for 2022 as $19.385 billion USD.
For our Purina Beneful 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 PURINA BENEFUL A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Purina Beneful offers six lines of dog food. There are four lines of dry food with seven recipes, and two lines of wet food with nine recipes. By our criteria, 4 of the dry dog food lines are very high-risk. Six recipes score 0/10 for ingredient safety. These foods are ultra processed. They also include high pesticide/herbicide and GMO ingredients in the top 5. Other concerns include natural flavor and rice.
The two lines of Beneful wet dog food are moderate and high risk. Chopped Blends is moderate risk, and Prepared Meals is high risk. Wet foods are less processed than dry foods. However, they still have high carbohydrate levels and other concerns.
The brand claims Beneful foods are “accented with real vegetables.” However, all Beneful recipes also contain added vitamins and minerals. Many added vitamins suggest high processing and ingredients of poor nutritional value. The label lists spinach, peas, carrots, tomatoes, beans, blueberries and apples after salt. These are glam ingredients. They’re found in tiny amounts that they contribute little or no nutritional value. It’s best if nutrients come from whole foods. They provide a full spectrum of cofactors for safety and bioavailability.
Despite offering a single Grain Free recipe, carbohydrates remain high. This is because of starches like pea, cassava root, soybean meal, and canola meal. Dry recipes have higher carbohydrate levels than protein. The average is 38%. Wet foods are generally lower in carbohydrates. However, they still exceed desirable levels, ranging from 27% to 32% on a dry matter basis.
Quality concerns extend to the use of several plant proteins in most dry recipes. These proteins are cheaper substitutes for animal protein. They contribute to elevated carbohydrate levels. Wet foods include unnamed animal products like meat by-products. This indicates lower quality and cost-effective sourcing.
Ingredient safety is still a significant issue across all food lines. Known pesticide and herbicide residues, as well as GMO ingredients, present health risks. Potential arsenic contamination in rice also poses a health risk. Menadione is a synthetic form of vitamin K. It is in many dry recipes. It poses additional health concerns.
Dry foods undergo several stages of heating, resulting in nutrient loss. Wet foods, although less processed, still involve heating stages.
Finally, Purina doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. While this is true of most companies, it’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Let’s take a brief look at each line.
Purina Beneful Originals Dry Dog Food Review
Score: 0.3/10
Ingredient List For Real Beef Recipe: Beef, whole grain corn, barley, rice, whole grain wheat, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, oat meal, egg and chicken flavor, calcium carbonate, salt, mono and dicalcium phosphate, natural flavor, potassium chloride, dried spinach, dried peas, dried carrots, iron oxide (color), minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin a supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulphite complex (vitamin K), folic acid (vitamin B-9), biotin (vitamin B-7)], choline chloride, L-lysine monohydrochloride
Purina Beneful Originals is the lowest scoring line of Purina dog foods. By our criteria, it is a very high risk dog food. The ingredient safety score is 0/10 for each of the 3 recipes in this line. They average 23% protein. They have average carbohydrates of 42% carbohydrate as calculated.
These recipes rank low in ingredient quality for having excessively high carbohydrates. These foods also have excessive added vitamins and minerals and plant protein. All recipes score 0/10 for ingredient safety. They are ultra-processed with high heat, which destroys nutrients. There are high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in the top 5 ingredients. They also include natural flavor and food coloring. They have rice that can contain arsenic. They use menadione. This can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. There are glam ingredients, which are fruits or vegetables found in tiny amounts. They contribute little or no nutritional value. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Originals Dry Food Benefits
- Made in-house
Originals Dry Food Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Plant protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Food coloring
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Ingredient splitting
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Beneful Prepared Meals Dog Food Review
Score: 4.8/10
Ingredient List For Savoury Rice & Lamb Stew Recipe: Water, wheat gluten, liver, meat by-products, white rice, lamb, peas, carrots, chicken, wild rice, corn starch-modified, tricalcium phosphate, soy flour, minerals, vitamins, choline chloride
Purina Beneful Prepared Meals have a score of 4.8/10. By our criteria, this is a high risk dog food. There are 7 recipes. They average 45% protein and 32% carbohydrate when calculated based on dry matter. This is higher than we expect in cooked dog food. These foods have high carbohydrates from wheat, rice, corn and soy. They also have excessive added vitamins and minerals. There is plant protein and unnamed animal protein. On the ingredient safety side, the recipes are moderately-processed. This uses some heat, which depletes nutrients. There are high pesticide foods in the top 5 ingredients. They also include natural flavor and rice that can contain arsenic. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Prepared Meals Benefits
- Made in-house
Prepared Meals Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Plant protein
- Unnamed protein
- Moderately processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Beneful Incredibites Dog Food Review
Score: 2/10
Ingredient List For Real Chicken Recipe: Chicken, whole grain corn, barley, whole grain wheat, chicken by-product meal, soybean meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, corn gluten meal, rice, egg and chicken flavor, oat meal, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, mono and dicalcium phosphate, salt, dried sweet potatoes, dried spinach, choline chloride, potassium chloride, iron oxide (color), vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulphite complex (vitamin K), folic acid (vitamin B-9), biotin (vitamin B-7)], minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], L-lysine monohydrochloride
Purina Beneful Incredibites has a score of 2/10. By our criteria, this is a very high risk dog food. They average 26% protein and 38% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is higher than we expect in a cooked dog food. These foods also have excessive added vitamins and minerals and plant protein.
Contributing to the low score is the ingredient safety score of 0/10 for the 2 recipes in this line. The recipes are ultra-processed. This uses several stages of heat, which depletes nutrients. They have GMOs and high pesticide foods in the top 5 ingredients. They include natural flavor and food coloring. They have rice that can contain arsenic. They use menadione, which can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. There are glam ingredients, which are fruits or vegetables found in tiny amounts. They contribute little or no nutritional value. There is ingredient splitting in these recipes. That’s the practice of splitting ingredients into subcategories. This can also move more desirable protein ingredients higher. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
IncrediBites Dry Benefits
- Made in-house
IncrediBites Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Plant protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Food coloring
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Ingredient splitting
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Beneful Healthy Weight Dog Food Review
Score: 5.5/10
Ingredient List For Healthy Weight With Real Chicken Recipe: Chicken, whole grain corn, chicken by-product meal, barley, whole grain wheat, soybean meal, soybean hulls, rice, corn gluten meal, egg and chicken flavor, oat meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, salt, mono and dicalcium phosphate, dried apples, dried carrots, dried green beans, choline chloride, potassium chloride, iron oxide (color), vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin a supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulphite complex (vitamin K), folic acid (vitamin B-9), biotin (vitamin B-7)], minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], L-Lysine monohydrochloride.
Purina Beneful Healthy Weight is another low-scoring Purina dog food. By our criteria, it is a very high-risk dog food. There is a single recipe that has 25% protein and 41% carbohydrate as calculated. This is a weight management food that is excessively high in carbohydrates. Carbs are from corn, barley, wheat, soybean, rice and oat meal. This is concerning because many of the grains are inflammatory. Foods high in carbohydrates can increase insulin levels. They can also increase the risk of obesity and cause unwanted changes to the gut microbiome. Additionally, dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates. This recipe also has excessive added vitamins and minerals, and plant protein.
On the ingredient safety side, this recipe is ultra-processed. This uses several stages of heat, which destroys nutrients. There are high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in the top 5 ingredients. There is also natural flavor, food coloring, and rice that can contain arsenic. There is menadione, which can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. There are glam ingredients, which are fruits or vegetables found in tiny amounts. They contribute little or no nutritional value. There is ingredient splitting in these recipes. That’s the practice of splitting ingredients into subcategories. This can also move more desirable protein ingredients higher. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Healthy Weight Dry Benefits
- Made in-house
Healthy Weight Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Plant protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients – barley wheat
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Food coloring
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Ingredient splitting
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Beneful Chopped Blends Dog Food Review
Score: 5.5/10
Ingredient List For Chicken, Carrots, Peas and Wild Rice Recipe: Chicken broth, chicken, wheat gluten, carrots, liver, peas, meat by-products, corn starch-modified, wild rice, rice, soy flour, tricalcium phosphate, minerals, vitamins, choline chloride
Purina Beneful Chopped Blends is the highest scoring of the Beneful lines. By our criteria, it is a moderate risk dog food. There are 2 recipes that average 50% protein. This is a high level which is good to see. There are 27% average carbohydrates as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is higher than expected in a cooked dog food. There are excessive added vitamins and minerals. Recipes have unnamed animal protein. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are moderately-processed. There is heat involved, which destroys nutrients. They have high pesticide foods in the top 5 ingredients. They also include rice that can contain arsenic. There is ingredient splitting in these recipes. That’s the practice of splitting ingredients into subcategories. This can also move more desirable protein ingredients higher. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Chopped Blends Benefits
- Made in-house
Chopped Blends Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Unnamed protein
- Moderately processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Ingredient splitting
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Beneful Grain Free Dry Dog Food Review
Score: 1.5/10
Ingredient List For Farm-Raised Chicken Grain-Free Recipe: Chicken, pea starch, cassava root flour, chicken meal, soybean germ meal, soybean meal, canola meal, beef fat naturally preserved with mixed-tocopherols, dried beet pulp, natural flavor, soybean oil, salt, blueberries, dried pumpkin, dried spinach, potassium chloride, mono and dicalcium phosphate, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), folic acid (vitamin B-9), biotin (vitamin B-7)]
Purina Beneful Grain Free dog food is another low scoring line of Purina dog foods. By our criteria, this is a very high risk dog food. There is a single recipe with 24% protein and 39% carbohydrate, which is very high. There are excessive added vitamins and minerals. It also has plant protein and an inflammatory seed oil.
Contributing further to the low score is the ingredient safety score of 0/10. This recipe is ultra-processed. There are several stages of heat that destroy nutrients. There are high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in the top 5 ingredients. There is also natural flavor and food coloring, and rice that can contain arsenic. There is menadione, which can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. There are glam ingredients, which are fruits or vegetables found in tiny amounts. They contribute little or no nutritional value. There is ingredient splitting in these recipes. That’s the practice of splitting ingredients into subcategories. This can also move more desirable protein ingredients higher. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Grain Free Dry Benefits
- Made in-house
Grain Free Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Plant protein
- Seed oil
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Unsubstantiated marketing terms
- Ingredient splitting
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
PURINA DOG FOOD RECALLS
Purina has had a number of recalls.
02/2023: Recall of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL for potentially elevated Vitamin D.
12/2022: Recall of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets for mislabelling.
03/2016: Voluntary recall of Pro Plan Savory Meals and Beneful for inadequate vitamins and minerals.
08/2013: Recall of Purina ONE Beyond for possible salmonella risk.
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.
