In a recent press release Mars Petcare announced: “the launch of Royal Canin Fresh Health Nutrition, a science-based approach and fresh perspective on health through nutrition, reinforcing the brand’s 55 years of pet nutrition expertise. Royal Canin Fresh Health Nutrition uses a fresh nutrient design to create meals that support dog health, from immune function to digestive wellness, tailored to individual dog’s specific life stage.“
After “55 years” of kibble and canned pet food, Royal Canin has decided to take a “fresh perspective” on pet food.
This is Mars Petcare Royal Canin’s new pet food…
A close up image of the pet food…
Per the ingredient list, the above four ingredients are the only food ingredients included in this pet food (the remaining are supplements). Rice is listed as the first ingredient – which tells us (per pet food regulations) rice is the heaviest ingredient in the food (contains more rice by weight than any other ingredient).
The Royal Canin website makes NO claims of the pet food being human grade, it is a feed grade pet food.
And the cost?
Per Chewy.com, a case of seven 14.1 ounce pouches sells for $70.12.
Or…$0.72 per ounce.
How does the cost of Mars Petcare Royal Canin’s new fresh/cooked feed grade pet food compare to a fresh/cooked human grade pet food?
Also available on Chewy.com is human grade pet food JustFoodforDogs; 100% human edible ingredients (including supplements) and manufactured in a licensed human food facility.
Chicken is listed as the first ingredient in the JustFoodforDogs product, meaning chicken is the heaviest ingredient (contains more chicken by weight than any other ingredient).
The cost of this human grade pet food – $76.99 for a case of seven 18 ounce pouches.
Or…$0.62 per ounce.
For $0.10 LESS per ounce, pet owners could provide their pet with a human grade pet food (instead of a feed grade pet food).
Both Royal Canin and JustFoodforDogs have veterinarians on staff, both brands have performed pet food research, and both brands have performed feeding trials.
Looking at these two fresh pet foods side-by-side:
Two points:
- ‘Fresh’ doesn’t guarantee human grade ingredients.
- Price doesn’t equal human grade ingredients and manufacturing standards.
Before you trust your pet’s life with a pet food, do your homework.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Rachael
June 18, 2025 at 12:58 pm
I wish you would have used a food for comparison that is available in independent pet stores instead of only at Chewy and online. We independent stores support you and would like to share this.
Susan Thixton
June 18, 2025 at 1:03 pm
I always support independent stores. But – when I need a comparison of products, it is best if I source them from the same website. Such as in this case, many independent stores don’t carry Royal Canin or JustFoodforDogs. As well, JFFD was the best comparison because of their research and feeding trials.
Rachael
June 18, 2025 at 1:29 pm
Thank you for the quick response and explanation!
Susan M Yakus
June 18, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Nice they finally joined, but not happy with the ingredient list. Could you please review K9 Naturals. I get this for my dog and it’s all sourced in New Zealand. Thanks!
Joanne Keenan
June 18, 2025 at 1:27 pm
Same garbage in, same garbage out. 55% carbs in the Senior food. Mostly rice as you noted. What did poor, older dogs do to deserve this? 😢 It’s the highest level of average carbs and lowest level of average protein of all their lines. No better than it’s other foods and actually worse. Sadly, many pet owners will fall into step.
Maggie
June 18, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Air-dried, grain-free base mix from the Honest Kitchen (or Dr. Harvey) + locally sourced fresh chicken or turkey would be even less expensive than shipping pre-made frozen food.
Bonnie S Morris
June 18, 2025 at 4:56 pm
Ingredients suck in my humble opinion. Rice and pork of all meats. No, I cook for my three and no it’s not cheap, but vet costs are much lower,dogs are healthier and love their meals. Think I’ll stick with what I’m doing. I also use Dr. Harvey’s dried as a topper.
T Allen
June 18, 2025 at 2:38 pm
That is insane! Thanks for the info Susan!
Steve Mitchell
June 19, 2025 at 3:04 pm
We own an independent pet supply store. One of the best lightly cooked foods is Small Batch because they do not include any grains or legumes. The lightly cooked chicken sells for 60 center per ounce. Less than Just Food for Dogs. Also, Open Farm and My Perfect Pet offer human grade cooked foods for 50-67 cents per ounce.
Skip the Chewy foods. Skip Mars and Purina. Choose independent companies and independent retailers! 😉