Now Fresh Wet Review

Now Fresh wet cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4 stars

This range of food has a variety of types, such as pate, stew and minced.  It is grain and gluten free and includes multiple sources of named animal protein in its ingredients.

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

The Now Fresh product line includes five wet cat foods.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Now Fresh Chicken Pâté with Bone Broth recipe 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 chicken.  Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.  ¹

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

The second ingredient is chicken bone broth.  Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food, they are a common component in many wet products.

The third ingredient is chicken liver.  This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

The fifth ingredient is cod liver, a fish oil known to be rich in both EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins A and D.

The sixth ingredient is cranberries, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber. 

The seventh ingredient is cassia gum.  Cassia gum is a plant extract likely used here as a gelling agent and providing no nutritional value to this food.

The eighth ingredient is flaxseed.  One of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

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

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Now Fresh Chicken Pâté with Bone Broth recipe looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38.6%, a fat level of 25% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 28.4%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 42% and an above-average fat level of 24.1%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 25.9% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 57%.

This means that the Now Fresh wet range contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Now Fresh cat food been recalled in the past?

No.  Now Fresh has never been recalled.  However, Petcurean (the parent company of the Now Fresh brand) has another brand called Go! Solutions which was recalled in 2003.  Petcurean hasn’t issued any other recalls or market withdrawals since that incident.

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

Now Fresh cat food was created by Petcurean, a Canadian pet food company founded in 1999.   In addition to Now Fresh, the Petcurean also owns the Go! Solutions and Gather brands.

Most of the ingredients in Now Fresh cat food are sourced from North America with a focus on Canadian ingredients.  Though they’re made from human food ingredients, Now Fresh foods aren’t considered human-grade because they’re made in pet food manufacturing facilities.

Its dry recipes are manufactured in Ontario, Canada, while wet food production is divided between facilities in Ontario and New Jersey. The patés and stews are manufactured in Wisconsin. These production facilities are certified by multiple authorities, including the EU, FDA, and CFIA.