Farmina N&D Quinoa Dry Cat Food Review

Farmina N&D Quinoa dry cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating, 3.5 stars.

Farmina N&D Quinoa provides support for specific conditions but does not require a veterinary prescription. All these foods use quinoa instead of other grain options.  This range uses good quality meat that is listed as their first ingredient in each recipe.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

The Farmina N&D Quinoa product line includes six cat foods.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Farmina N&D Quinoa Digestion recipe – Lamb, quinoa, fennel and mint was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is lamb.  Lamb is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” lamb and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus. ¹

Lamb is naturally rich in all 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The second ingredient is dehydrated lamb protein.  Dehydrated lamb is considered a meat concentrate and contains more than four times as much protein as fresh lamb.

The third ingredient is pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble. Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a cat.

The fourth 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 fifth ingredient is quinoa seed extracted.  Quinoa (pronounced keen-waa ) is not a true cereal grain but a plant prized for its gluten-free seeds.

Compared to most other grain-type ingredients, it is high in protein (about 12-18%), dietary fiber and other healthy nutrients.

The sixth ingredient is dried eggs, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The seventh ingredient is linseed, another name for flaxseed oil. Linseed oil is one of the best non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

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

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.

This food also contains chelated minerals that have been chemically attached to protein.  This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better cat foods.

Recipe star rating 3.5

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Farmina N&D Quinoa Digestion recipe – Lamb, quinoa, fennel and mint looks like a near-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 35.9%, a fat level of 23.4% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 32.8%.

As a group, the brand features a near-average protein content of 36.4% and an above-average fat level of 16.1%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 39.5% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 45%.

This means Farmina N&D Quinoa contains near-average protein, above-average carbohydrate, higher than average fat, when compared to typical dry cat food.

Has Farmina cat food been recalled in the past?

No.  To the best of our knowledge, Farmina cat foods has never had a product recall.

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

In 1965 Francesco Russo founded Russo Mangimi, a company which specialized in animal nutrition.  

In 1999, the company’s focus shifted to the pet food industry – its aim was to develop foods based on scientific studies around pet well-being. It then teamed up with Farmina, an English company, which specialized in food research and formulation. 

Mangimi’s manufacturing facilities are based in Europe and Farmina foods are mostly sourced from Italy.