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From our previous blue buffalo dog food reviews, you probably have come across words like “natural” and “healthy”. Just like any other industry, however, the pet food market has a wide variety of brands and products to choose from.
With the majority claiming to be fit and healthy for your pet, it’s kind of confusing on which is which now.
If you can know what exactly your dog is putting in his mouth, however, making your choice can’t be an issue at all. And to know what your dog is putting in the mouth, the first step is knowing the source of his diet. This includes the used ingredients and the point of preparation.
Therefore, on our blue buffalo dog food reviews 2023, we’ll look at the background of the company plus the nature of used ingredients.
With a desire to guide on what is best for your pet, our article also has some crucial product safety info you ought to know.
We duly hope you’ll find it informative and helpful in your quest for a trustworthy pet food brand.
Top pick from Blue Buffalo dog food brand,
- Best for the adult dry dog food on Amazon
- Best for the small breed dog on Amazon
- Perfect for the senior dogs on Amazon
- Blue Buffalo basics limited ingredient diet, grain-free dog food on Amazon
Introducing Blue Buffalo Dog Food Company in 2022
Overall, Blue Buffalo is one of the leading manufacturers and providers of dog and cat food. Determined to protect and care for your furry companion/s with health issues, the brand makes premium pet diets using the finest healthy ingredients.
Going to its history a little, the pet food brand debuted in 2002 through the efforts of Bill Bishop. Before starting the company, Bishop had an Airedale, Blue, who was a dear member of his family in every way.
Sadly, the precious pooch was ailing from Cancer. This had left the family in a twit, particularly when they saw him struggle to do his daily routines, including eating.
Even if they had not known what had caused the disorder, Bishops felt no other family should undergo a similar experience.
They decided to start their line of pet food that comprises only the finest healthy ingredients from natural sources.
Since it wouldn’t have managed to deliver all that on its own, Blue hired some of the world’s best veterinarians and animal nutritionists. Ever since they have been working alongside each other to make sure what they offer your pet is only what’s needed.
Is Blue Buffalo Family Owned?
Well, initially, Blue started as a local manufacturer with a simple mission to provide natural pet food. In the fiscal year 2017, however, the pet food net sales grew by 14.2% [or $41.9 million] to $337.0 million. The stunning performance caught the attention of some multinational food companies who hoped to expand its operations.
In early 2018, the giant General Mills bought Blue Buffalo for about $8 billion. This was not a bad move at all as in the year that followed, 2019, the pet food company registered an 11% growth in sales. Thereby, allowing them to reach to $1.43 billion.
So, as of now, General Mills are the owners of Blue Buffalo but the Bishop Family has still got some shares.
Do Blue Buffalo Make Its Own Pet Food?
As a brand solely determined to serve the needs of pets, Blue Buffalo makes diets of around any style. They have dry and wet dog food, as well as the treats. The dry kibble and the canned diets are available in six different formulas and over a dozen flavors.
When it comes to the production process, the brand hugely relies on its own facilities or their partners around the US. Previously, the company had one plant in Joplin, Missouri. After the 2018’s acquisition, nonetheless, the new owners unveiled a second factory in Richmond, Indiana.
The other food companies that Blue outsource for the production of their recipes include, ANI/Vita-Line, Ainsworth, CJ Foods, Tuffy’s, and Triple T Foods.
Blue Buffalo Dog Food Ingredients 2023
As we have just stated, Blue Buffalo dog food is available in over a dozen different flavors. This means the brand relies on various types of ingredients to ensure that a particular recipe has that specific taste.
Some of the key food compounds that you’ll find on a bag or can of Blue Buffalo dog food include:
Protein
As you already know it, protein is the key component in the building and repair of tissues. The contained amino acids are also an essential building block of muscles, hormones, as well as maintaining the skin and coat health.
Determined to make sure your pet remains strong and healthy, Blue prepares all its dog meals with high-quality protein. Real meat is usually the first ingredient in all the recipes. Hence, your pet has a guarantee of optimal levels of essential amino acids in either of the brand’s food formula.
The used meat usually comes from sources like Beef, alligator, bacon, Bison, chicken, duck, rabbit, quail, and venison. Also, there are some recipes with marine sources like tuna, salmon, sardines, Pollock, and cod. As well as plant-protein like lentils, fava beans, Brewer’s Yeast, and oat flour.
Apart from the body-building roles, by the way, proteins do help provide energy to your pet in some instances.
Fat
In this blue buffalo dog food reviews, this is the second of the three key constituents of food. It’s usually very important to your pet’s body and that’s why the Blue team ensures every of their recipe has enough of it.
Starting with the obvious, fats provide your dog with the two essential fatty acids that their bodies cannot make. These are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that play the role of keeping your dog’s skin healthy and coat shiny. The two, however, have to be properly balanced to ensure optimal efficacy without any downsides.
Also, fats are a great source of energy. They’re even necessary for the absorption of soluble vitamins [A, D, E, & K] and normal functioning of cells, nerves, and body tissues.
Some of the sources of fats and fatty acids in Blue dog foods include flaxseed, chicken fat, canola oil, and sunflower oil. Fish like salmon, tuna, and cod plus their oils are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Carbohydrates
For your dog to be able to do all the running and jumping, his body has to have significant energy. This energy is usually in the form of glucose, which in the majority of cases is broken-down carbohydrates.
Usually, the majority of people don’t believe carbohydrates to be essential in the dogs’ diets. The food constituents, however, is very crucial in your pet’s body as it provides a readily available source of energy. Hence, allowing proteins to focus on their role of repairing tissues and muscles, rather than being used to provide energy.
While preparing their various dog food formulas, Blue Buffalo often incorporates different types of carbs. Some of them include brown rice, barley, potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, and oat flour.
Apart from energy production, carbohydrates also provide unique dietary fiber, which is also crucial in your pet’s body.
Fiber
Although some people take it lightly, fiber is very crucial in the animal body. It helps improve digestion and maintain the health of the gastrointestinal system. Hence, an essential component if your dog is suffering from GI disorders like irritable bowel syndrome or constipation.
Alongside helping in the recovery of the GI tract, dog food with fiber can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. It is also a significant element when you are trying to help your overweight dog lose some pounds.
Apart from the carbohydrates we listed, other sources of fiber used by Blue include chickpeas, beet juice, barley, barley grass, spinach, peas, bananas, apples, blueberries, and blackberries.
Vitamins & Minerals
On their end, vitamins usually help enhance/ boost your dog’s immune system and allow him to fight diseases. They work alongside minerals and that’s why in the majority of cases you’ll find them explained as one.
For instance, Vitamins A & D plus phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc are especially important for healthy bones and teeth. The same vitamin A and zinc also helps the two essential fatty acids to maintain healthy skin and shiny coat.
If you are caring for a young pup, Vitamins A, D, E, Biotin, Manganese, iron, and Potassium are very crucial. They help in ensuring proper growing process and development into strong and healthy adult dogs.
Apart from their key roles, the majority of ingredients we have discussed do offer vitamins and minerals. They include meat, fish, oils, peas, yeast, and grains. Other sources depended on by Blue include eggs, rye, parsley, kelp, carrots, liver, yogurt, salt, Riboflavin, and vitamin supplements.
Other Ingredients
Antioxidants: for this one, they function just like the vitamins, whereby they support the immune system’s health. Some grains like oats and veggies such as spinach, carrots, and parsley often feature antioxidant properties.
Nonetheless, blackberries, blueberries, garlic, cranberries, cinnamon, and pomegranate are known to have a higher content of antioxidants. Hence, their wide use in the Blue Buffalo dog foods in 2021.
Sweeteners: Just like you despise bitter or awful-tasting meals, dogs love savory food. A nice smell can be an added advantage to a picky or sick dog that is not eating.
Fats [like chicken fat] in dog food don’t just make it highly digestible but good-tasting as well. In enhancing the aroma of its recipes even more, though, Blue does use other ingredients like cheese, Rosemary, vegetable glycerine, and natural flavor.
In case you’re wondering, natural flavor is a compound made from processed vegetables, fruits, and spices.
Preservatives: When fats and oils are present in a dog meal, there are high chances of it going rancid quickly. To prevent that from happening with their pet food, Blue Buffalo usually include some natural preservatives.
The four commonly used include tocopherols, rosemary, citric acid, and ascorbic acid [also a great source of vitamin c].
Well, from the above lists of ingredients, you can tell why thousands of pet owners are choosing the brand. The majority of these food compounds are things you have in your kitchen right now. So, you can also chow it down if you find yourself on a tough edge as Mel Gibson on the Mad Max 2.
Safety: Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall History
Nothing is so important than a trustworthy provider who is willing to claim responsibility in both good and bad moments. The reason we are saying this is because Blue Buffalo did run into some trouble in the past around its ingredients. But instead of masking it up, the pet food company realized their mistake and recalled the affected batch.
The various recalls that the brand has issued on their line of products include:
March 2017:
This time, the product affected was the Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner canned food for Adult Dogs. The brand came to realize some of the packed foods had high levels of beef thyroid hormones.
They, therefore, decided to recall all the affected batch to prevent exposure to potential risks like excessive urination, increased heart rates, and restlessness.
February 2017:
For this particular one, Blue recalled some cans of the Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables. They had a suspicion the 12.5-ounce cans had metal [aluminum] contamination.
May 2016:
The recall was on some Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe due to the presence of excessive moisture and mold. This was another voluntary recall, with the affected recipes being the 30-pound bag of Batch data AH 2A 12:08-14:00.
November 2015:
Blue issued a recall on part of the Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chews Bones. This came after carrying out routine testing at their manufacturing facility and noted the presence of salmonella in the particular product.
While no illness was ever reported, the swift recall helped reduce potential risks of high heart rate, diarrhea, and skin disease.
October 2010:
The pet food brand voluntarily issued the recall after learning some of their dog food recipes have higher levels of vitamin D. Although non-lethal, the company noted they unknowingly exceeded the levels labeled on their product specifications.
The dog food recipes involved in the recall were the Blue Wilderness Chicken, Basics Salmon, and Life Protection Large Breed Adult Chicken.
April 2007:
This was the first in the recall history of Blue Buffalo. It came after FDA confirmed the presence of melamine in many different dog and cat foods, not just Blue products.
Since American Nutrition, Inc. was the one making its foods, Blue Buffalo denied knowledge of the additive in the product. Determined to offer only the best, Blue recalled all the involved recipes but then cut off all its ties with the American Nutrition, Inc.
Recalls Bottom Line
If you know about the 2009 Toyota Floor mat crisis, you then understand why Blue Buffalo is a brand to envy. The pet food company has had several recalls, yes. But the majority of them are voluntary-issued after having suspicions with some of their products while conducting routine testing.
As we stated earlier, the pet food company doesn’t make all the recipes in its facilities. Sometimes they outsource production to other food companies and as you know well, “a thing can only be done well when you do it yourself”.
Now that the brand is owned by a multinational company, though, we hope it will establish more processing plants and stop outsourcing production.
The #4 Best Dog Food Recipes by Blue Buffalo Company
1. Blue Life Protection Formula Lamb & Brown Rice Adult Dry Dog Food
This is one of the bestselling dog food in the market following its stunning formula. It has real meat from a farm-raised lamb as the first ingredient and the main source of protein. Hence, providing optimal levels of amino acids to build strong and lean muscles in your adult beagle, terrier, or German Shepherd.
Formulated with the finest garden veggies, including peas, sweet potatoes, and carrots, the Blue Buffalo Kibble is highly digestible and health-boosting. It even has the exclusive LifeSource Bits that are highly rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for a robust immune system. This is the first product in this blue buffalo dog food reviews.
Pros
- It comprises a nutritious, well-balanced formula for optimal growth and development
- Features high-quality protein from deboned lamb
- Rich in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and coat
- Has hardworking antioxidants from blueberries, cranberries, and carrots
- Ultimately good-tasting and lips licking from the contained natural flavors
- Relies on natural preservatives, such as tocopherols
- The dry dog food has no chicken by-products, corn, or any artificial additives.
2. Blue Freedom Grain-Free Large Breed Chicken Puppy Kibble
Just as its name suggests, the Blue Buffalo Freedom puppy formula contains no grains. It has potatoes and sweet potatoes that are ultimately rich in energy, as well as fiber content. Similar to the other recipes by the American brand, real meat is the first ingredient, with it coming from deboned chicken.
Prepared for your growing pet’s needs, this Blue Freedom recipe has vitamin A, manganese, potassium, and calcium to build strong bones. It also has ample levels of DHA and ARA to support the proper development of the brain and the eyes.
Pros
- It features high-quality protein from deboned chicken, chicken meal, and turkey meal
- Rich in energy from the contained potatoes, sweet potatoes, and more
- Has high fiber content to improve gastrointestinal system health and enhance digestion
- Highly palatable from the sweet-tasting chicken and natural flavors like rosemary, parsley, and garlic
- Features powerful antioxidant properties
- Relies on natural preservatives, such as citric acid and tocopherols
- Contains no grains, gluten, or artificial additives
- The puppies’ kibble has significant levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to build healthy skin and shiny coat.
3. Blue Wilderness High Protein Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food
The dog food features high-quality protein from deboned chicken, fish meal, chicken meal, and peas. Alongside good exercise, this guarantees your pet strong and lean muscle mass.
In case your little friend is having troubling digesting grains, this Blue Buffalo Wilderness diet is grain-free. It has sweet potatoes and pea starch as the primary sources of energy. Hence, guaranteeing your pet a significant amount of fiber as well.
Pros
- The Blue dog food is highly nutritious and well-balanced
- It has real chicken as the first ingredient. Hence, rich in protein
- Has the exclusive LifeSource Bits to boost immune system health
- Features tasty, highly-digestible carbohydrates
- Provides your pet with the essential fatty acids for a clean, healthy coat
- Contains only natural preservatives and flavors
- The pet food has excellent levels of calcium, phosphorous, and essential vitamins to promote strong bones and teeth.
4. Blue Family Favorite Sunday Chicken Dinner Adult Wet Dog Food
Although it’s the last on our blue buffalo dog food reviews, this canned dog food is ultimately nutritious and worth a penny. It has highly delicious protein from a real chicken, chicken liver, and egg product.
In case you’re caring for a sick canine, this wet dog food is very easy to ingest and digest, following the contained chicken broth. You can, therefore, use it alone or add to your dog’s favorite kibble to make it palatable.
The dog food is formulated with the finest, natural ingredients without the use of corn, wheat, soy or poultry by-product meals.
Product Features:
- It features real chicken as the first ingredient and main source of protein
- Contains potatoes and green beans for energy and dietary fiber
- Has excellent antioxidant properties
- High in moisture to improve sweetness and digestion
- Includes essential vitamins and minerals for proper growth and development
- Features no artificial flavors and preservatives
Final Verdict:
Although there’s still more to share, these are some of the essential info about the renowned Blue Buffalo. The pet food company is amongst the best providers of natural recipes that your dog will chow with a wagging tail.
As we have seen from the discussion, almost all the food compounds that Blue uses are what we usually use in our kitchens. Hence, remarkably convenient and safe for your young and senior dogs.
The brand even has the exclusive LifeSource Bits that comprises a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Prepared through the guidance of top-rate veterinarians and animal nutritionists, the small dark kibbles help boost a healthy immune system of your pet.
To conclude, none of Blue’s dog food recipes have artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Meaning, there’s lesser/ no potential risk of digestive disorders. Here are the finish blue buffalo dog food reviews.
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