Earthborn Holistic Whole Grain (Dry) Review

Product May Have Been Discontinued

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Earthborn Holistic whole grain dry cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating, 3 stars.

This food is formulated for all life stages and contains easily-digestible whole grains such as brown rice, oats, and barley.

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The second ingredient is ground brown rice, another name for rice flour. Ground rice is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.

The third ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable. 

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

The fourth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The fifth ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The sixth ingredient is pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a cat.

The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The eighth ingredient is herring meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, herring meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations. ¹

From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.

However, there are five notable exceptions. 

First, tomato pomace which is a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup. Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others believe it’s often used as an inexpensive pet food filler.

As the presence of fiber in a cat’s diet is shown to have great importance, we view the inclusion of tomato pomace in this food as a positive.

Also, canola oil, which can be a controversial item. That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed. Yet others cite the fact that canola oil can be a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids. In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a cat than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

Next, spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score[1. Completeness Score is a measure of a food’s relative nutrient content and is computed by NutritionData.com from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference] of 91. For cats who are predisposed to oxalate stones spinach should be avoided, due to it’s high oxalate content.

We also find taurine, an essential amino acid for cats associated with the healthy function of heart muscle and eye sight, and is crucial for maintaining good health in cats.

We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.

Lastly, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Earthborn Holistic Feline Vantage™ recipe looks like an average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 40%, a fat level of 15.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 36.4%.

Has Earthborn Holisitic cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes.

In 2021, Midwestern Pet Foods, Evansville, Indiana issued a voluntary recall of specific expiration dates of certain dog and cat food brands including CanineX, Earthborn Holistic, Venture, Unrefined, Sportmix Wholesomes, Pro Pac, Pro Pac Ultimates, Sportstrail, Sportmix and Meridian brands produced at its Monmouth, Illinois.  It was investigated by the FDA.

You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.

To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.

About

Earthborn Holistic is owned by Midwestern Pet Foods.  It is a fourth generation, family-owned and operated business founded in 1926, in Indiana, as a small milling company.  

The company specializes in producing nutritional dog and cat food recipes, oven-baked biscuits, and treats.