Rachael Ray dog food was founded in 2008 when the celebrity chef partnered with Ainsworth Pet Nutrition to develop a line of dog food and treats under the Nutrish brand. In 2018, The J.M Smucker Company acquired Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food. Then in early 2023, JM Smucker sold the Rachael Ray brand along with 9Lives, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Nature’s Recipe and Gravy Train to Post Holdings, Inc, a consumer-packaged goods holding company in St Louis. The transaction was valued at approximately $1.2 billion.
The sale also included the company’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in Bloomsburg, PA, as well as its manufacturing facilities in Meadville, PA, and Lawrence, KS. Rachael Ray Nutrish dog foods are manufactured in Pennsylvania in the company’s updated plant.
For our Rachael Ray dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry
Score: 2.6/10
Package Ingredients For Real Beef, Pea & Brown Rice Recipe: Beef, beef meal, soybean meal, whole corn, grain sorghum, dried peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), corn protein concentrate, brown rice, pea starch, natural flavor, salt, dried plain beet pulp, carrots, malted barley flour, inulin, calcium carbonate, taurine, zinc sulfate, vitamin e supplement, choline chloride, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), ferrous sulfate, niacin, copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, citric acid (preservative), sodium selenite, annatto extract (color), thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, rosemary extract, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement
With a score of 2.6/10, Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry dog food is considered a high risk dog food, according to our evaluation criteria.
Ingredient Quality
There are several concerns when it comes to ingredient quality:
High In Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates in this line average 40% as calculated, which is excessively high. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of low quality foods as it’s often used to keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance. High carbohydrate diets also lead to a lower protein diet which holds true here with 25% protein, which is half the amount of carbohydrates.
Excessive Added Vitamins And Minerals: This line loses ingredient quality points for excessive added vitamins and minerals. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Ideally, these nutrients should come from whole food sources. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes.
Added Amino Acids: The Turkey Recipe has added amino acids. Foods with lower amounts of animal protein often need to add amino acids to compensate, so 2 or more added amino acids can be a marker of cheap, lower quality ingredients.
Plant Protein: Plant proteins are used as a less expensive substitute for quality animal protein. You want to see animal sources because they’re more digestible and contain a wider array of amino acids than plant based protein sources.
Ingredient Safety
There are several issues when it comes to ingredient safety.
Ultra Processed: This line loses significant points for being an ultra-processed dog food. The individual ingredients in dry dog foods are heated several times during processing, which can cause a significant loss of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species.
High Pesticide/Herbicide Foods In Top 5 Ingredients: These recipes contain foods in the top 5 ingredients that are known to carry a large pesticide/herbicide residue. Sorghum and peas (unless organic) are crops that are spray-dried with Roundup, leaving them with more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.
GMOs In Top 5 Ingredients: These recipes contain known GMO ingredients in the top 5 ingredients, including soybean and corn. There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off.
Rice: Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic that can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues.
Natural Flavor: Recipes in this line contain natural flavor, which is added to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.
Read more Rachael Ray Dog Food Reviews.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Dry
Score: 3.4/10
Package Ingredients For Zero Grain Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe: Salmon, chicken meal, sweet potato, turkey meal, pea starch, whole dried potato, whole flaxseed, canola meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried peas, dried plain beet pulp, natural flavor, salt, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), taurine, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), niacin, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, calcium iodate), choline chloride, zinc sulfate, citric acid (preservative), rosemary extract
With a score of 3.4/10, Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Dry dog food is considered a high risk dog food, as determined by our evaluation criteria.
Ingredient Quality
There are several concerns when it comes to ingredient quality:
High In Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates in this line average 38% as calculated, which is excessively high. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of low quality foods as it’s often used to keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance. High carbohydrate diets also lead to a lower protein diet which holds true here with 26% protein.
Excessive Added Vitamins And Minerals: This line loses ingredient quality points for excessive added vitamins and minerals. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Ideally, these nutrients should come from whole food sources. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes.
Seed Oil: Several recipes contain sunflower oil, which is a highly processed and inflammatory oil. It’s used as an inexpensive alternative to higher quality animal fats and oils.
Plant Protein: Plant proteins are often used as a less expensive substitute for quality animal protein. You want to see animal sources because they’re more digestible and contain a wider array of amino acids than plant based protein sources.
Sugar (Glycerin): Sugar is often found in pet food to increase the palatability or as a preservative or humectant. Glycerin is an added sugar in this food. It is a low quality ingredient that can cause unwanted gut changes, obesity and insulin spikes.
Ingredient Safety
There are several issues when it comes to ingredient safety.
Ultra Processed: This line loses significant points for being an ultra-processed dog food. The individual ingredients in dry dog foods are heated several times during processing, which can cause a significant loss of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species.
High Pesticide/Herbicide Foods In Top 5 Ingredients: These recipes contain foods in the top 5 ingredients that are known to carry a large pesticide/herbicide residue. Beet pulp, peas and sunflower meal (unless organic) are crops that are spray-dried with Roundup, leaving them with more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.
Rice: Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic that can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues.
Natural Flavor: Recipes in this line contain natural flavor, which is added to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.
Read more Rachael Ray Dog Food Reviews
Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Canned
Score: 4.5/10
Package Ingredients For Rustic Duck Stew Recipe: Water sufficient for processing, duck, dried egg product, chicken, egg white, green beans, carrots, pea protein, brown rice, ground tapioca, tricalcium phosphate, natural flavor, guar gum, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, caramel (color), fish oil, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, celery powder, vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), copper proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, manganese proteinate, vitamin A acetate, calcium iodate, calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, riboflavin, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity).
With a score of 4.5/10, Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Canned dog food is considered a high risk dog food, according to our evaluation criteria.
Ingredient Quality
There are several concerns when it comes to ingredient quality:
High In Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates in this line average 20% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is considered high for a canned dog food. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of low quality foods as it’s often used to keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance.
Excessive Added Vitamins And Minerals: This line loses ingredient quality points for excessive added vitamins and minerals. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Ideally, these nutrients should come from whole food sources. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes.
Unnamed Animal Ingredients: Unnamed animal ingredients are a sign of low quality. Some recipes contain fish oil that can be made from any type of fish. Unnamed animal ingredients are often a less expensive, low quality ingredient that can be made from rendered waste of many proteins.
Plant Protein: Plant proteins are also used as a less expensive substitute for quality animal protein. You want to see animal sources because they’re more digestible and contain a wider array of amino acids than plant based protein sources.
Ingredient Safety
There are several concerns when it comes to ingredient safety.
Moderately Processed: This food loses a point for being a cooked dog food. Cooking uses heat, which can cause a loss in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and phytonutrients.
High Pesticide/Herbicide Foods In Top 5 Ingredients: One of these recipes has ingredients in the top 5 ingredients (peas) that are known to carry a large pesticide/herbicide residue. Crops spray-dried with Roundup contain more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.
GMO Ingredients: One recipe contains potatoes, a known GMO ingredient. There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off.
Rice: Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic which can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues.
Menadione: Menadione is a synthetic form of Vitamin K that is not required in dog food. It may be linked to immune system dysfunction, oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity, and allergic reactions.
Natural Flavor: Recipes in this line contain natural flavor, which is added to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.
Colors/Dyes: Colors, iron oxide, caramel and titanium dioxide are dyes added to foods to make them look more appealing to people. They are often used to hide the grey color of rendered ingredients and are linked to health issues.
Read more Rachael Ray Dog Food Reviews
Rachael Ray Nutrish Premium Pate Canned
Score: 5.4/10
Package Ingredients For Real Chicken & Apple Recipe: Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, apples, brown rice, peas, carrots, guar gum, canola oil, carrageenan, vitamins (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid), minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, calcium iodate)
With a score of 5.4/10, Rachael Ray dog food is considered a moderate risk dog food according to our evaluation criteria.
Ingredient Quality
There are several concerns when it comes to ingredient quality:
High In Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates in this line average 23% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is considered high for a canned dog food. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of low quality foods as it’s often used to keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance.
Excessive Added Vitamins And Minerals: This line loses ingredient quality points for excessive added vitamins and minerals. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Ideally, these nutrients should come from whole food sources. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes.
Ingredient Safety
There are several issues when it comes to ingredient safety.
Highly Processed: Canned foods are heated before and during canning, which will cause significant losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species.
High Pesticides/Herbicide Foods In The Top 5 Ingredients: The recipes in this line contain foods in the top 5 ingredients that are known to carry a large pesticide/herbicide residue. Apples and peas (unless organic) are crops that are spray-dried with Roundup, leaving them with more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.
GMO Ingredients: One recipe contains canola oil, a known GMO ingredient (that’s also a seed oil that’s highly processed and inflammatory). There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off.
Rice: Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic that can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues.
Menadione: Menadione is a synthetic form of Vitamin K that is not required in dog food. It may be linked to immune system dysfunction, oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity, and allergic reactions.
Natural Flavor: Recipes in this line contain natural flavor, which is added to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.
Colors/Dyes: Colors, iron oxide, caramel and titanium dioxide are dyes added to foods to make them look more appealing to people. They are often used to hide the grey color of rendered ingredients and are linked to health issues.
Read more Rachael Ray Dog Food Reviews
Is Rachael Ray A Good Dog Food?
Rachael Ray has 3 lines of dog food that are considered high risk and the Premium Pate Canned that’s considered moderate risk. There are 2 lines of dry foods that are ultra processed, causing a loss of nutrients. They have high carbohydrates and low average protein. The 2 lines of wet foods score slightly better with less processing, higher protein and lower carbohydrates … but carbs are still higher than we expect to see in canned and wet foods.
There seems to be nothing exceptional about the ingredients used in these recipes as there’s no information about the sources or quality. However, the website lists a number of additives, preservatives and colors used to enhance the appearance and texture of the food. There is another list of palatants including low quality animal digest and natural flavors, and sweeteners to enhance the taste, so points were deducted in these areas. These additions are concerning as the appearance, color, texture or sweetness of food don’t matter to dogs.
According to the company website, the Dry recipes have added vitamins, minerals and nutrients, and some amino acids but these are synthetic and not from preferred whole food sources.
It’s stated that Nutrish Grain-Free doesn’t contain added grain, gluten or filler ingredients. While these recipes might not include grain, they are high in carbohydrates (38% as calculated) from ingredients like rice, peas, sweet potato, tapioca, canola meal and chickpeas. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate but starch is needed for extrusion in dry foods. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity.
Recipes lost points for using ingredients known to have high pesticide/herbicide residues, GMO ingredients, unnamed animal proteins, seed oils, plant proteins, carrageenan, rice and natural flavor.
There are additional concerns with the dog food and marketing. These don’t affect the Rachael Ray dog food reviews score, but they’re worth mentioning:
Glam Ingredients: Two of the dry recipes include glam ingredients. This is when desirable ingredients like fruit or vegetables are listed after salt, which means they’re included in minimal amounts that don’t provide any nutritional benefit.
Ingredient Splitting: There is ingredient splitting in all of the dry and a few of the wet recipes. That’s the practice of splitting ingredients into subcategories to make them appear lower on the list. This can also move more desirable protein ingredients higher.
Does Not State Farmed Vs Wild Caught Fish: The company doesn’t specify whether the fish ingredients used are from farmed or wild-caught fish. Farmed fish is less nutritious than wild-caught fish and does not contain the same healthy fatty acid balance.
Does Not Provide Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratio: This omission is true of most foods. However it is a concern because omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory, and AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Rachael Ray Dog Food Recalls
08-2018 – Consumer complaint over dog food labeled as “natural” containing trace levels of glyphosate weed killer.” Dismissed in April 2019, and again in February 2020.
06-04-2015 – FDA recall of 7 types of cat food for potential elevated levels of vitamin D.
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. We’ve 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.
