aldi complete dog food review 2020
Earls Complete Review
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Suitable for all breeds of dogs
Private label(or
white label) pet foods are pre-formulated recipes that companies can order from certain factories, add their own label or packaging and retail to the public as their own brand. They are therefore available from numerous suppliers.
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Mixing bowl composition
This is the ingredients list as printed on the packaging or manufacturer's website.
Think of the 'mixing bowl' composition like a recipe - all the ingredients you would need to put in a 'mixing bowl' in order to make the food.
Ingredients have to be listed in descending order of their weight so the higher it appears, the more there is.
Highlighted ingredients
Ingredients that we believe to be controversial or inferior are highlighted in yellow with particularly low grade, highly contentious or excessively vague ingredients in red.
As fed composition
While the 'mixing bowl' composition is useful for knowing what went into the food, it doesn't always reflect what your dog is actually eating. This is because the processes that turn the ingredients into the finished pet food can significantly alter the relative weights of the ingredients.
For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product.
Please note that these figures are very approximate. They are estimates based on the information provided by the manufacturer in the ingredients list so the clearer the terminology and the more percentages they provide, the more accurate our estimates will be. Wherever information is lacking, we always assume the worst.
Ingredient categories
Meat ingredients: includes all meat and fish ingredients except isolated fats/oils.
Added oils and fats: includes all isolated oil and fat ingredients.
Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements.
Fruit and veg: includes all whole vegetables and fruits.
Other: all other ingredients. Mostly made up by nutritional supplements and additives.
For more information on any ingredient, please take a look at our Dog Food Ingredient Glossary
The dry matter level of a nutrient is the percentage there would be in the food if all of the water was removed.
With water taken out of the equation, these figures allow the nutrient levels of foods of different types (like wet and dry) to be compared on an even playing field.
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The
price per dayof feeding this food based on feeding the manufacturer's recommended daily amount from 3kg bags bought at their rrp to a dog of:
Note:All suggested feeding amounts and costs are only approximate and may vary considerably from dog to dog. Be sure to contact the manufacturer if in any doubt.
35 out of 100-Poor
Our unique product ratings are calculated based on a number of characteristics including the quality and quantity of the stated ingredients, certain nutritional and technological additives and the processing methods used to create the food. They are designed to indicate how beneficial we think a food is likely to be for the majority of dogs when fed on a daily basis for an extended period. Click here for more information
Country of origin: Ireland
A technological additive is any substance added to a pet food "for a technological purpose and which favourably affects the characteristics of feed".
The most common categories of technological additives include preservatives and antioxidants, gelling agents and thickeners and probiotics.
While the primary effects of technoloical additives are certainly 'favourable' (increased shelf life in the case of preservatives & antioxidants, better food texture and consistency in the case of gelling agents and thickeners etc.) some have been linked to health problems in pets and should be treated with caution.
Unfortunately, many technological additives do not have to be declared by the manufacturer so just because they do not appear on the label does not necessarily mean they are not in the food. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer directly exactly what technological additives their foods contain.
Aldi Pure Being Dog Food Review
Aldi is a chain of supermarkets from Europe that recently expanded to the USA. They are known for the affordable prices of many consumer items and they have their lines of foods and merchandise.
Aldi also produces two dog food brands:
- Aldi Heart To Tail
- Aldi Pure Being
We have already covered the first one in the Aldi Heart To Tail Dog Food review. Heart To Tail comes at an unbeatable price and provides your dog with all the macronutrients. It is not a premium brand, however.
Pure Being is the second Aldi dog food brand, a more high-end and premium. It is also more expensive than Heart To Tail but still very affordable among other premium dog foods.
Aldi dog food range covers both wet and dry options. It is also meant to provide complete nutrition to canines.
Pure Being is superior to Heart To Tail dog food it has all-natural ingredients and no artificial colors and flavors. Additionally, it contains no wheat or soy. Pure Being also offers grain-free options, making it an excellent choice for dogs with gluten and wheat sensitivities.
However, there are problems. Some of their food contains carrageenan, which is potentially harmful to dogs.
What Kind of Dog Food Does Pure Being Offer?
Aldi Pure Being dog food range is a medium-sized range with dry and wet canned dog food options.
Overall, its quite an affordable brand, with a solid breakdown of ingredients. They dont use artificial colors or flavors. Meat is the first ingredient, making it a good source of protein.
Lets look at the two options below.
Pure Being Dry Dog Food
Pure Being dry food comes in two flavors: Chicken and Rice, and Salmon and Potato.
The first ingredients in dry food are real chicken and real salmon, along with brown rice, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, fish oil, lentils, and cranberries. Aldi makes good on its promise to use natural ingredients in its pet food.
The breakdown of crude macronutrients is typically like this:
- 25% Crude Protein
- 15% Crude Fat
- 3-4% Crude Fiber
What do these mean? The protein content in dry dog food is good, yet there are many options with 30% and more. The more active breeds might need a higher protein percentage.
On the other hand, crude fat content is a bit high. This is somewhat worrying since dogs should eat this food every day.
Too much fat leads to weight problems, obesity, and diabetes. In more severe cases, it will contribute to pancreatitis. If your dog is on a weight management diet, you might want to reconsider this brand.
Either way, before introducing any new food, you should talk to a veterinarian about your dogs dietary needs.
A 4-pound bag of Aldi Pure Being dry dog food is very affordable for premium pet food.
Pure Being Canned Dog Food
Pure Being wet food is offered in three flavors:
- Beef and Chicken
- Chicken, Vegetables, and Brown Rice
- Salmon and Potatoes Recipe
The flavors are similar to dry options. There are no artificial flavors and colors, and no unnecessary fillers. Salmon, in particular, makes for an excellent source of protein and fatty acids.
Dog owners often mention online that their furry companions love the flavors in these cans. As a matter of fact, Pure Being might be one of the easiest foods to switch to since there are no artificial ingredients and flavor is great.
However, a word of warning: Pure Being wet food contains carrageenan. Carrageenan is an artificial thickener known to cause cancer in humans.
Carrageenan in dogs nutrition is a controversial subject. It is thought to cause at least gastrointestinal issues, leading to inflammation and lesions. Some authors claim it might contribute to cancer in dogs.
So, overall, the ingredients in Pure Being dry and wet dog foods are pretty good for the price in fact, surprisingly so. Still, carrageenan should not be so easily dismissed.
Aldi Pure Being Review
Aldi Pure Being dog food is definitely worth considering it offers good advantages of premium dog foods at a fraction of the typical cost. However, there are also several things you must consider before feeding it to your dog.
Weve looked at two foods from this range.
Pure Being Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
The ingredients in this particular dry food recipe are surprisingly good they are chosen with dogs cardiovascular systems in mind.
The first two ingredients are chicken and chicken meal. Chicken is considered a high-quality source of protein for dogs. Chicken meal is also an allowed ingredient in canine food. Unlike Aldis other brand, Heart To Tail, Pure Being states the type of meat used.
Pure Being Chicken and Brown Rice contains turkey meals, fish meals, a variety of vegetables, and probiotics.
The food is very high in fiber which will keep the dogs digestive tract healthy and lower the cholesterol in older dogs.
The one thing that we dont like about this recipe is canola oil. Canola oil is a highly processed food. It is not necessarily toxic to dogs, but it can be harmful.
Too much oil and fat is detrimental to a dogs health and could lead to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and pancreatitis. Furthermore, highly-processed foods can contribute to inflammation in the body.
If the food is left open for too long, the fat can turn rancid.
Pure Being Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Canned Dog Food
The first ingredient in Pure Being Grain-Free Salmon and Sweet Potato is salmon, a great source of animal protein. Its generally important that the first ingredients in pet food come from meat. Dogs need good protein sources for muscle mass and overall health.
Salmon also provides essential fatty acids, which are good for heart health and shiny coat.
In addition to salmon, potatoes and peas also introduce some protein. This recipe has no wheat or soy, making it particularly suitable for dogs with wheat and soy allergies. There are also no artificial colors or flavors.
However, this recipe contains a food thickener, carrageenan. Carrageenan is a harmful ingredient because it degrades in the stomach and can cause gastrointestinal upset, inflammation, and lesions. Some argue it might even contribute to cancer.
Furthermore, the ingredients list mentions animal liver. Liver and meat by-products are fine in pet food.
They are nutritious and sometimes encouraged as a source of additional nutrients if dog owners know which animal it comes from. In this case, we dont, so its unclear whether this ingredient is beneficial at all.
What We Like About Pure Being Dog Food
Pure Being brings many good things to the table, or rather the kibble. Here are some things that we believe are very valuable to dog owners.
Complete nutrition
Pure Being pet food is true to their word that this is a premium food with all the necessary ingredients for a dogs dietary needs.
This dog food contains all-natural ingredients like real salmon, beef, turkey, chicken, vegetables, and some fruits.
Meat is always the first ingredient, which makes it an excellent source of protein for dogs. There is also a good fat- and fiber-content for a complete nutritional profile.
Free of Artificial Ingredients
A really strong point about this dog food is that it contains no artificial flavors or artificial colors. Both of these can cause strong allergic reactions in dogs.
Grain-Free Option
Pure Being offers grain-free options. They dont even use corn as a filler, unlike the other Aldi brand, Heart To Tail dog food.
Instead, the grain-free dog food consists of sweet potatoes and vegetables. These are very easy on dogs stomachs and quick to digest.
As such, this dog food is great for dogs with wheat and gluten sensitivities.
Affordable
The strongest point of Aldis dog food is that its quite affordable. Dry food currently retails for about $6 per 4-pound bag, while canned food costs about $1.57 per 14.1 oz can.
Both of these options are pretty budget-friendly. Coupled with the premium dog foods qualities, these make an excellent choice in terms of money.
What We Are Careful About Regarding Pure Being Dog Food
There are many good sides to Pure Being dog food. However, several points are worth considering before you buy this food.
Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a food thickener that is potentially harmful to dogs.
The effects of carrageenan are still debated. It is known that it contributes to cancer in humans. However, it causes digestive issues, inflammation, and lesions in dogs. There are claims that it also contributes to cancer in dogs.
It might be best to talk to your vet about this food ingredient. As far as we are concerned, it is best avoided.
Canola Oil
Canola oil is also present in some of the Pure Being food options. Canola oil is not toxic to dogs, but it can be harmful.
Canola is one of the highest processed foods. The jury is still out on canola oils effects on dog health. Canola oil may come from GMO crops. So, if you are looking for more natural oils, it might not be a good option.
Either way, too much fat in any dogs diet causes many health issues down the line weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and potentially pancreatitis.
Adding to that, Pure Being does have a relatively high crude fat content. It might not be the best option for dogs on weight management or those with heart disease.
Undisclosed Animal Liver
Meat by-products are perfectly fine in pet food. They shouldnt be the first ingredient as they are not the best source of protein. But, they do give some protein, lower the cost, and provide additional health benefits, like certain vitamins and minerals.
That being said, some Pure Being options contain a by-product simply dubbed animal liver. This is an issue because we cant know which animal the liver comes from. As such, we cant speak of its advantages and disadvantages.
Ideally, Pure Brand will change this in the future. For now, it is a red flag.
Bad Packaging
Premium dog food should come in good packaging. Pure Being comes in generic bags which are not suitable for long-term usage.
Some of their products are re-sealable, which is excellent for the freshness of the food. However, customers have complained that dry food doesnt last long and in some cases, mold develops. This can be caused by the neglect on the customers side, but its a thing worth remembering.
This is a big problem considering that some products use canola oil and have high-fat content. Fat can turn rancid if the food is not properly sealed.
Aldi Pure Being Dog Food Reviews
Overall, the online reviews of the Aldi Pure Being dog food seem to be positive and appreciative.
The dog owners say that their dogs love the food and its flavor. Additionally, they praise the ingredients for making the dogs coats shinier and healthier. Finally, some commenters also praise the affordable price.
However, some commenters mention carrageenan and urge Aldi to remove this ingredient from otherwise great food. It seems that there is growing awareness of the bad effects of this thickener.
Finally, this dog food is usually not available online or in pet shops. It can be bought only at Aldi supermarkets. There were some options on Amazon, but the reviewers complained that the food was grossly overpriced compared to what Aldi was charging.
Aldi Pure Being Dog Food Recalls
Aldis Pure Being dog food has been recalled in July 2021 (FDA). Sunshine Mills, a third-party producer of Pure Being, voluntarily recalled the food because of the high aflatoxin levels. Aflatoxin is toxic to dogs if eaten in large quantities.
Sunshine Mills voluntarily recalled Pure Being Natural Dog Food Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice recipe. The other Aldi brand, Heart To Tail dog food, has not had a recall yet.
Alternatives
Pure Being offers some outstanding qualities at an affordable price. But, not all the ingredients are safe for your dog. You can check out the following alternatives.
Natures Recipe contains real salmon and sweet potatoes. In addition to that, this particular brand has also added pumpkin to the recipe.
The crude protein content is the same as Pure Beings, but the fat and fiber content is better for the dogs health. The fat content is at 12%, acceptable for most dogs.
Natures recipe does not contain added corn, wheat, or soy.
Natures Recipe is more expensive than the Pure Being counterpart but contains better ingredients overall.
True Acre is an affordable food with great ingredients. It contains chicken as the first ingredient, peas, beet pulp, fish oil, and rosemary extract. It also has added vitamins and minerals.
The crude protein content is somewhat lower at 24%. It would be good that it was a little higher, but the fat content is lower too which is a better amount in this case. Fiber is somewhat higher at 5%, so it should help your dogs digestive health. This is an optimal amount of fiber in most cases.
This dog food is not recommended for dogs with soy allergies. It contains soybean meal.
The most important point, though it is an affordable dog food free of grains, artificial flavors, and colors.
True Acre dog food is slightly more expensive than Pure Being.
American Journey canned food has both beef and chicken options for added variety. Its first ingredients are real beef and chicken, along with chicken and beef broth.
The food contains 8% crude protein and 5% crude fat. Its grain-free and has no wheat, corn, or soy. As such, it is a good source of protein and especially suitable for dogs with food allergies.
This American Journey variety pack is intended for adult dogs of all sizes. Its somewhat more expensive than Pure Being canned food, but much safer, with better sources of protein.
Our Verdict
Overall, the Aldi Pure Being dog food range is an affordable premium food and more high-quality than Aldis other brand, Heart To Tail. It contains all-natural ingredients with high-quality meats as the first ingredient.
The food doesnt have artificial colors or flavors. There is also no wheat or soy. This makes it particularly suitable for dogs with food allergies.
However, the usage of carrageenan is a big concern because it could cause many issues in dogs. The full scope of effects is still investigated, but we would recommend talking to your vet before trying it out on your dog.
In addition to that, canola oil and generic animal liver are also not among our favorite ingredients. These may not be harmful, but they limit your options and we dont think they belong in premium dog food.
Check out Natures Recipe and American Journey reviews instead for safer options.
FAQ
Is Aldi dog food a good deal?
Aldi dog foods are affordable and supposedly provide complete nutrition to dogs. The prices are some of the lowest in the market, and the ingredients are satisfactory. Pure Being brand is particularly good in this regard. For the other brand, read our detailed Heart To Tail dog food review.
Where is Aldi dog food made?
It is not completely clear where the Aldi dog food is manufactured, but it is suspected that Sunshine Mills produces them in the USA. A portion of the production may be in the Netherlands.
Does Aldi have grain-free dog foods?
Yes, Aldi offers both dry and wet dog foods that are grain-free. Pure Being brand has grain-free options, but Heart To Tail dog food does not. Grain-free food is especially good for dogs with gluten sensitivity. Before introducing any new food to your dog, talk to your veterinarian.
