Rachael Ray Dog Food Review 2023: Recalls, Pros & Cons

The specialty recipes cater to a dog’s individual needs which allows you to choose a dry or wet food that works best for your dog according to their breed and health status.

Rachael Ray dog foods have your dog’s best interest in mind, and most of the money from the sales of the Nutrish line goes towards The Rachael Ray Foundation which helps animals in need.

This dog food company has a lot to offer your dog, which we will provide more information on in this article.

At a Glance: The Best Rachael Ray Dog Food Recipes

Rachael Ray Dog Food Reviewed

Who Makes Rachael Ray Dog Food and Where is it Produced?

Rachael Ray’s dog food was created by a celebrity chef and was first produced in 2008. Rachael Ray herself is a beloved Food Network regular, TV host, devoted pet lover, and an author who first partnered with Ainsworth Pet Nutrition to produce a range of recipes that are created in the United States by Heart Pet Brands, a division of the J.M. Smucker company that is based in Ohio.

The Rachael Ray dog food line started back in 2008 and most of the products were first manufactured by the Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and then by J.M. Smucker Company. The wet food recipes from this company are produced in a USDA-inspected facility and all ingredients are high-quality and free from by-products. All the foods (both wet and dry) go through a quality inspection before being released for sale. All dry foods are produced in the United States, whereas wet recipes are created in Thailand.

Which Types of Dogs is Rachael Ray Dog Food Best Suited For?

Rachael Ray dog food is suitable for all dog breeds, from small to large. They have recipes that are suitable for dogs of various life stages, health problems, and breed types. Dogs who cannot eat grains will benefit from the grain-free recipes, whereas dogs who require wet food rather than dry foods will benefit from Rachael Ray’s wet dog food range.

There is no specific breed that does best on the Rachael Ray dog food, as this food makes kibble that is small enough to be chewed by small dog breeds and larger pellets that are better suited for medium to large dog breeds.

This company has around 17 dry dog food recipes, and 9 wet food recipes, so there is a wide selection to choose from to suit your dog’s needs based on their breed or nutritional requirements. Some recipes are specially formulated for dogs who need a specific diet, either grain-free or limited ingredients recipes. The limited ingredient food range is designed for dogs with sensitivities and contains 6 whole natural ingredients.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

When it comes to determining if a certain brand of food will be good for your dog, it is important to take a closer look at the main ingredients that can be found in most of the recipes, which we will discuss below:

By-products

Rachael Ray’s dog food does not contain any animal-based by-products, which are leftover parts of an animal’s carcass once they are processed for meat. Some companies deem the by-products to be slaughterhouse waste, which is why Rachael Ray dog foods have decided to remove animal-based by-products and instead use organ meats such as beef liver or chicken gizzards, which can be deemed more beneficial for dogs. However, they do have a few by-products that are not of animal origin in the recipes.

Controversial Ingredients

The recipes do not seem to have many controversial ingredients, however, some questionable ingredients in some of the dog foods range include canola meal, soybean protein, whole corn, poultry fat preserved with tocopherols, and textured soy protein products. These are generally considered to be low-quality ingredients and are classified as either by-products or fillers.

Rachael Ray dog food seems to have a lot of corn in its ingredients list, both ground and whole under different names. Fillers have no real nutritional value for dogs, but they are used in many dog foods.

There is a potentially harmful ingredient (menadione sodium bisulfite complex) that can be found in 15 of Rachael Ray’s dog food recipes and it is a synthetic form of vitamin K that is linked to organ damage over a long period, and it has only been approved by the AAFCO Pet Food Committee for use in poultry feed.

High-Quality Meats and Poultry

Rachael Ray’s dog food seems to have a lot of high-quality meats as the first line of ingredients in their recipes. The meats include beef, chicken, turkey, venison, bison, lamb, quail, and salmon. These are great protein-rich ingredients that can help keep your dog full and provide them with the energy they need to stay active and healthy throughout the day. Most of the meats and poultry are first on the list, which means that both the dry and wet recipes contain animal-based proteins which can be seen on the ingredients list.

Healthy Additives

This brand of dog food has a lot of vegetables and fruits in its recipes which are useful to boost your dog’s immune system and provide them with much-needed minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins to stay healthy. Rachael Ray dog foods also contain chickpeas, lentils, and legumes, which are healthy vegetables that increase the amount of fiber and carbohydrates in the food. These vegetables are good for weight management and aid in a dog’s metabolism.

A Quick Look at Rachael Ray Dog Food

Recall History

Rachael Ray dog foods do not have a lengthy recall history, even though they have been creating dog and cat foods for over a decade. One of the most notable recalls for dog food happened back in 2019 when the FDA recalled several brands of grain-free dog food that included Rachael Rays Nutrish’s dog food line. The most well-known recall for this brand was based on wet cat food, and fortunately not on any of their dog food recipes. There have been no other recalls for their dog food, aside from a few individual cases where only one dog was affected and investigated to see if the food had anything to do with the dogs’ symptoms.

Reviews of the 3 Best Rachael Ray Dog Food Recipes

Let’s take a look at some of Rachael Ray’s dog food recipes that are the most popular with devoted customers:

This food has a moderate protein percentage of 26%. Some ingredients that contribute to the protein’s total percentage are the dried peas and chicken meal. This food does have fillers in the form of corn, but overall, it seems to have a decent ingredient list. There are a few controversial ingredients in the food, however, it does contain menadione sodium bisulfate complex which is one of the potentially harmful ingredients we mentioned above.

This recipe is free from artificial preservatives and flavors, and it is gluten and grain-free. This specific recipe is rich in omega-6 fatty acids which are beneficial to a dog’s skin and coat health. It has a moderate level of protein at 25% even though it contains a lot of animal-based protein as the main ingredient. However, it does contain a potentially harmful ingredient (menadione sodium bisulfite complex).

The Rachael Ray Nutrish savory lamb stew recipe only has three controversial ingredients, and the rest are considered to be high-quality to form a balanced and healthy wet dog food. It has 9% protein per serving, and it is rich in essential vitamins and minerals.

What Other Users Are Saying

Conclusion

Rachael Ray dog food is easily accessible online and in most stores within the United States, and has become a staple food for dogs in many households. This seems to be a standard dry and wet dog food brand that uses better quality ingredients in comparison to similarly priced dog foods. They have only one recall with their dog food range, which is excellent and animal-based protein is first on the ingredients list. You can choose through the many wet and dry food recipes sold by this company to find the right one for your dog’s needs.