Purina Beneful Dog Food Review
Lots of people feed their dog Purina Beneful. You’re probably one of them given you’ve here reading this review? You want to know if it’s a good dog food or not?
I’ll give you an educated answer, but I think I can do better – I think I can give you the information you need to make better choices for your dog, so they can live a long healthy life.
Sound good? Let’s go…
What you need to know first
“Your dog is a carnivore”.
Ok, so maybe you’ve heard dogs are omnivores, like us? But you must admit they’re more like cats than us humans? Sharp teeth. Like to hunt. Prefer a nice juicy steak over a bowl of corn?
Cats are factually carnivores. Undisputed.
Yes, dogs eat other stuff, but it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for them. They’re scavengers so will eat whatever they can get their chops on. Even dog poo.
The digestive system of a dog is more similar to a cat than a human, and that matters. Their shorter digestive tract can effectively process meat. Grains and other stuff not so much.
When it comes to healthy dogs, research has shown they depend on “whole prey ingredients”, from animals. A dog food must have these nutrients to be “complete and balanced”.
But did you know a dog food can pass the “complete and balanced” test if those few nutrients are added to unhealthy stuff? In reality they’re only a small percentage of a dog food. Once boxes are ticked the rest can be rubbish, pretty much.
With all that in mind, the next step on this educational journey is the Purina Beneful dog food review. Let’s see whether it sounds healthy or not?
Purina Beneful Dog Food Review (Beneful Originals)
To keep this review short we’ll only look at the ingredients of Purina Beneful Originals With Farm-Raised Beef. This will give you all the information you need to figure out if any of the other formulas are any better.
You’ll find in BIG LETTERS on the bag that farm-raised beef “is the #1 ingredient”. This is where the trickery begins, and you’ll feel duped once I tell you why – Pet Food Marketing Trick #1:
When it comes to dog foods the ingredients are listed in order of percentage. You would be forgiven to assume beef is the main ingredient, and a big portion of the dog food?
But this isn’t the case.
The following ingredients can be just as much, which in Beneful Originals is probably the next six!
Remember the your-dog-is-a-carnivore thing?
Beef may sound good, but the next ingredients are corn, barley, rice, wheat, soybeans, and corn gluten meal.
If you hate math you can skip this next fact, but if those top 7 ingredients amount to 90% of the dog food, that could make the beef as little as 12%. Less when you realise it’s “wet weight”, inclusive of around 70% moisture. Once baked into a kibble how much less a percentage would it be?
It makes you wonder how they get all these glowing reviews for Beneful – taken from Purina Beneful’s own website. Unfortunately most dog owners think a food is good because their dog eats it or they like how affordable it is.
By now you’re probably thinking Purina Beneful isn’t as good for your dog as they’ve led you to believe. Maybe the succulent beef on the bag isn’t a true representation of what the food is?
Unless you believe those glowing reviews on the Purina Beneful website, that is 🤔
But back on track…
When we think about all those grains for our pet carnivore, we should also be worried about the problems they may cause with digestion. I find wheat very problematic, and often find dogs fed a kibble with wheat to have rashes, itchy skin, poor coat, or be overweight. Signs that a dog can’t digest their diet as well as they should.
Often those issues develop over time, sometimes a matter of years, which is why people rarely consider the dog food as the cause.
But soybeans and corn? For your dog? Imagine the look they’d give you if you filled their bowl with soybeans and corn for dinner!
It doesn’t really get any better either, sadly.
Well, you could laugh at “egg and chicken flavor” – so, not egg and chicken, but some kind of flavor? Makes me think of those powders you add to microwave noodles.
And then they have “natural flavor”. WTF is that? Seriously?
Glycerin – used to keep food moist, and it also has a sweet flavor which may entice your dog to eat something he probably wouldn’t otherwise. Like wheat and soybeans baked into a hard nugget.
But wait!
Look at those yummy veggies on the ingredients list! Spinach! Peas! Carrots! Aren’t they worth mentioning?
Well, no, not really. They’re 4 ingredients lower than salt, and that will amount to 1% max. Take a guess – 0.1% of the food? Less? Sounds to me like they’re included for the benefit of the labelling, not your dog.
And then we have annato color, which according to Dogs Naturally in can “cause food intolerances”, and “one study showed it can also cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in dogs”.
23% protein is moderate (but how much protein from corn rather than meat?). 12% is on the low side. I estimate carbs to be almost 50% – mostly from the grains.
Should you feed Purina Beneful to your dog?
If you’ve read the above then you’ve probably come to a resounding conclusion. Even if that’s the case, I hope this review of Beneful has been informative, and I hope it leads you towards better decisions and many years ahead with the healthy dog you love.
Personally I wouldn’t feed Purina Beneful to my dog, and I would recommend the same to you.
Below I’ve kept an original review (from 10 years ago!) in which I mention the lawsuits surrounding the brand. I haven’t mentioned recalls – I believe the last Beneful recall was 2016 for the Prepared Meals and Chopped Blends. Not that it matters though, as the key take home points from this review are whether the ingredients are appropriate for your dog. I don’t think they are. Do you?
Ingredients
Ingredients of Purina Beneful dog food (Beneful Originals Beef):
Beef, whole grain corn, barley, rice, whole grain wheat, soybean meal, corn gluten meal,
chicken by-product meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, oat meal, egg and chicken flavor,
natural flavor, calcium carbonate, salt, mono and dicalcium phosphate, glycerin, potassium chloride, dried
spinach, dried peas, dried carrots, annatto color, vegetable juice (color), MINERALS [zinc sulfate, ferrous
sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], VITAMINS [Vitamin E
supplement, niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), pyridoxine
hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin D-3
supplement, riboflavin supplement (Vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (Vitamin K), folic
acid (Vitamin B-9), biotin (Vitamin B-7)], choline chloride, carmine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride
Guaranteed Analysis
Guaranteed analysis of Beneful dog food (Beneful Originals Beef):
| Protein | (min) 23% |
| Fat | (min) 12% |
| Crude Fibre | (max) 4% |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 47% |
* May be estimated. Read how to calculate carbohydrates in a pet food.
Historical Review (Last Updated April 11th 2013)
I usually remove historical reviews, but it is interesting to see how Purina Beneful dog food has changed over time. A good observation from the ingredients of this formula (circa 2013) is corn is the first ingredient. Chicken is second, but you then have more corn (CGM) and wheat flour. In the updated review (above) they market the product as meat being the first ingredient, but followed by six non-meat ingredients. What this comparison shows is how two formulas can have little meat, but the amount of non-meat ingredients can be used to make meat “first” without having much meat included – cunning, eh?
Purina Beneful has enjoyed quite the reputation in pet food circles among those who may not really know what’s in pet foods. You can ask many people what food they feed their dog, and the response is often “Beneful”. It’s one of the “leading” pet foods in America today.
But is it any good? Well, no. Actually it’s downright terrible.
I originally reviewed this food back in 2007, and on an ingredients standpoint alone pointed out how awful it was. This was before the reams of consumer complaints and heartbreaking stories of sick and dying dogs that have persisted over the years. It’s always hard to substantiate such a claim as pets can die for many reasons (which always seems to be Purina’s answer), but if you think logically – a pet’s diet is fundamental to their health.
Pet Food Ratings is an ingredients and analysis review website, so that’s what this review is focused on. Beneful have labelled the recently filed class action lawsuit as baseless, but I’m pretty sure I can offer a base. Let’s take a look:
The main ingredient is corn, an awful ingredient to make up the foundation of a dog food. A few studies in recent years have shown, in very few cases, corn can be a decent protein source if processed to a very high standard (at cost). Corn in pet food is more often used as a very cheap non-nutritious filler, which, with typical processing is difficult for our dogs to digest. It makes no sense to include corn in a pet food where a decent meat ingredient is a far better inclusion, and that’s fact. Beneful is largely made from corn for one reason alone, and that’s because cheap ingredients ensure significant profit margins. Good for them, not for your dog.
The protein level in Beneful Original is 21%. This is moderately low for a dog food, and you can be assured the corn is the main contribution to this, not meat protein which is what our dogs need.
So what’s the second ingredient? Ah, we find meat – that’s good. But it’s not, it’s by-products, the lowest quality parts of the animal (heads, beaks, feet, etc). It’s not legal to sell by-products for human consumption, and it’s not healthy for our pets. Look up “4D rendered meat” in Google, and make sure you have a strong stomach. In any case, once this meat is cooked it will lose most of it’s weight, which means the third ingredient will likely become more prominent…
…and the third ingredient is, oh dear, more corn. Corn gluten meal is a telltale sign of a cheap dog food. It’s used to artificially inflate protein levels where meat should really be used, it lacks essential amino acids (lysine, tryptophan), it’s highly allergenic, and can cause gastrointestinal issues. So why’s it used? It’s cheap.
Then we find wheat flour. Wheat is one of the cheapest, most allergenic grains that can be used to “fill” a pet food. It has no nutritional value. Wheat flour is even worse, and commonly known in the industry as “floor sweepings”. We find rice flour too… oh, and speaking of allergens, soy is another one, and guess what, we find that as well. Hat trick!
Beef is completely insignificant as the 7th ingredient, but this justifies having “With Beef” on the front of the packet.
It really doesn’t sound appealing does it? There’s more:
Propylene Glycol – This is what antifreeze is made of! It’s banned by the FDA in cat food! It’s used here as a preservative, but it’s definitely not something you want to be feeding your dog day in day out, which is what most dog owners do. Dicalcium phosphate can become toxic. Calcium propionate is a potentially carcinogenic chemical. These are warning signs to me, are they warning signs to you?
Look how high sugar is on the ingredient list. Sugar shouldn’t even be in a pet food. Salt shouldn’t be included either. Your dog doesn’t need the extra sodium (or sugar). They’re used to improve flavor which is otherwise lacking.
So if you put it all together it’s a disaster. Buy a better food, save your money on vets bills, and save the heartbreak of having a sick pet.
If you look on the Beneful website there are many claims about how good their food is. These claims, dear consumers, are baseless.
Where to buy?
What’s good about this food….
Not much of anything.
….and what’s not so good.
Widespread use of corn, by-products and animal digest (rendered meats inclusive of diseased animals and lots of nasties). All common allergens such as corn, wheat, and soy. Chemicals, toxins, carcinogenics. Sugar and salt. Artificial colors (I doubt your dogs care about color!). It’s appaling.
Ingredients:
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, rice flour, beef, soy flour, meat and bone meal, propylene glycol, sugar, tricalcium phosphate, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), mono and dicalcium phosphate, dried spinach, dried peas, dried carrots, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Red 40, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, Blue 2, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
This brand makes me so angry. The company zip work for sells this brand as well as others but constantly has it on sale. The cheap, ignorant folks jump all over it. I can’t imagine that they haven’t seen the news stories about this food. What makes it even worse is knowing that most of them are buying it because it’s on sale. I just don’t get why they even have a dog. I hear “it’s the only food my dog will eat” all the time but it’s just an excuse to make themselves feel better for not being a good pet parent. Is it really that difficult to follow the directions on the side of the bag on how to change out food? There are a lot of brands on the market that are good food to change out to. Even the comment above about their dog not having seizures anymore is a prime example of lazy and irresponsible pet owners. Why would you not want to find out what the actual problem is? These are living creatures.
I have been giving my chihuahua beneful for years and I’m so upset after reading this article. I feel terrible and guilty because I too was sold by the name alone. Now my dog has congestive heart failure and I’m wondering if its not because of this dog food. It’s always about the profit and Nothing about the animals.
my dog passed away this morning from Purina Dog Food they need to be shut down I have seen over 3,000 complaints over Purina killing their animals their loved ones where the baby got into that dog food think about it that way if our animals not important what about our kids they need to fix the problem so I can tell you right now I am filing a lawsuit I’m already having the chow testedI don’t want money money is not going to bring back my dog I just don’t want other dogs suffer the same fate minded mind suffered puking up blood tell he finely passed way
Im a victim of marketing, sorry puppies
You’re also a victim of faulty punctuation keys, but thanks for your comment.
From someone who generally doesn’t care.. You’re kind of a rude asshole. I know, I am too. Lol
I am a veterinarian and every dog I’ve ever treated that is fed this food has health issues or is failing to thrive In my opinion this is the WORST food on the market, yet people see the vegetables on the bag and think it’s healthy. I can’t believe this food is still around. Zero stars.
My standard poodle was having bad seizures. We didn’t know what was causing them. She was on Iams. We gave her Beneful dog food and the seizures stopped. She has not had one since.
Then it’s likely something that was in the Iams. You don’t feed a child only Big Macs because they’re allergic to peanuts. It might be a good idea to figure out what was the real culprit rather than put the animal at further risk of other problems.
Well said. I can’t believe people are so easily led.
McDonalds should change their golden M to a huge carrot, then swathes of people will flock in believing the food’s healthy.
Excellent rating and review.. except that this food actually qualifies for zero stars if it were possible! It may taste good to your dog but so do Chicken Nuggets to kids! Like children, if you want your dog to be healthy, you need to provide a nutritious diet and this “food” has no part in a nutritious diet! Let’s look more extensivly at some of the ingredients followed by suggestions for better quality alternatives priced in the same ballpark.
BENEFUL ADULT DOG DRY FOOD
GROUND YELLOW CORN, 2 Star – Indicates feed-grade source of protein/filler, not “whole” GROUND. Can have higher levels of Aflatoxins than allowed for corn for human consumption. GMO
CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, 1 Star – ground up carcasses, internal organs, beaks, feet, intestines. Concentrated. Will have high levels of Arsenic
CORN GLUTEN MEAL, 1 Star – Waste product, cheap, non-nutritive filler but used as protein source — can cause allergies and sugar imbalance, GMO
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 3 Star – Whole ground wheat grain, more nutritious but flour is too processed. Wheat is often implicated in allergies in dogs
ANIMAL FAT preserved with mixed tocopherols, 1 Star Non-descriptive fat from rendering can be anything rancid or 4-D (dead, dying, disabled, diseased). Can include Roadkill, Euthanised pets, Zoo animals, regardless of natural preservatives such as Vitamin E
RICE FLOUR, 1 Star – Cheap filler, causes bowel distress and can lead to diabetes in dogs. US produced rice has extremely high levels of cancer-causing Arsenic unless it is Californian
BEEF, 4% (yes you saw that right.. FOUR PERCENT REAL MEAT!), 4 Star – Whole muscle meat but is 70% water!
SOY FLOUR 1 Star – Cheap source of grain protein, filler, can cause bloat/death in dogs. GMO
WATER, 1 Star- Used as a non-nutritive filler in food
MEAT AND BONE MEAL, 1 Star – Meat and Bonemeal is (species) non-descriptive. This can indicate 4-D Animals.. Dead, Dying, Disease, Dying and Disabled. It can legally include tumorous or diseased tissues plus bone meal can not be digested and assimilated for calcium! It is banned for use in animal feedstuffs in most European countries due to its link with Spongiform Encephalopathies (think BSE or “MadCow Disease”). It IS banned in the US as a ruminant feeed (your cows etc) Meat and bone meal is now utilized in Europe as a fossil-fuel replacement, and is commonly used as a fuel in cement kilns, landfilling and in incinerators. It was previously used as a fertiliser until the BSE outbreak when it was banned. In the US it is principally used as a low-cost protein source in dog food and cat food. There is NO testing on Meat and Bonemeal.. it is not required. The POISONOUS euthanising drug Pentobarbitol has been found in Meat and Bonemeal. It will also contain insecticides used as parasite control on animals as well as the drugs used to treat sickness that are present in a dead animal. From the EPA themselves: “Meat rendering plants process animal by-product materials for the production of tallow, grease, and high-protein meat and bone meal. Plants that operate in conjunction with animal slaughterhouses or poultry processing plants are called integrated rendering plants. Plants that collect their raw materials from a variety of offsite sources are called independent rendering plants. Independent plants obtain animal by-product materials, including rancid cooking grease, blood, feathers, offal, and entire animal carcasses, from the following sources: butcher shops, supermarkets, restaurants, zoos, fast-food chains, poultry processors, slaughterhouses, farms, ranches, feedlots, and animal shelters.”,
PROPYLENE GLYCOL, 1 Star – contains 1% by raw ingredient weight. Adds sweetness to food, used in antifreeze! Has one third of the toxicity as regular antifreeze, Ethylene Glycol. Some preservative action, possible carcinogen
SUGAR, 1 Star – leads to hyperactivity, addiction to food (sugar rush), weight gain
TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, 3 Star – Anti-caking agent, emulsifier and dietary supplement of Phosphorous needed for body’s alkaline/acid balance
PHOSPHORIC ACID, 1 Star – A sequestering agent for rendered animal fats, implies poor quality fats are used. Used in fertilizers, detergents, food flavoring, and pharmaceuticals
SALT, 1 Star – Used to cover up rancid meat and fat, can cause kidney and heart disease, hypertension
ANIMAL DIGEST, 1 star – Rendered, by chemical and/or enzymatic process, non-descriptive animal tissues including 4-D (Dead, Dying, Diseased and Disabled) animals, zoo animals, euthanised pets, shelter animals, roadkill.. used for flavors
POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, 3 Star – Standard source of Potassium, balances acid/alkaline levels
SORBIC ACID (a preservative) 1 star – A mold and yeast inhibitor
DRIED PEAS, 5 Star – Source of protein/carbohydrates/fiber. Present in insignificant quantities
DRIED CARROTS 5 Star – Good source of nutrients and fiber. Present in insignificant quantities
CALCIUM PROPIONATE, 1 Star – Chemical preservative. Antifungal. Potentially carcinogenic
CHOLINE CHLORIDE, 3 Star – Standard source of choline, a B Vitamin, emulsifies fats
L-LYSINE, 2 Star – Source of Lysine (essential amino acid found in meat), needed to use for food enrichment for grain-based foods
VITAMIN E, 3 Star – Antioxidant used as food preservative,
ZINC SULFATE, 2 Star – Standard source of zinc, protects against free radicals, essential to insulin formation and immune function. Poor absorption/bioavailabiliity
RED 40, 1 Star – Artificial color, carcinogenic
FERROUS SULFATE, 2 Star – Standard source of iron, promotes oxygen-rich blood, immune support. Cheap to buy but poorly absorbed
MANGANESE SULFATE, 3 Star – Manganese is necessary to development of strong bones and enzyme activators, enhances immune system
NIACIN, 3 Star – Standard source, promotes proper digestion, healthy skin and nerves
YELLOW 6, 1 star – Sunset Yellow, Artificial color, potentially carcinogenic. In studies Yellow 6 has been linked to kidney and adrenal gland tumors,
YELLOW 5, 1 Star – yellow 5 “Tartrazine” is derived from coal tar and is the number one allergy-causing dye. Allergies to yellow 5 can range from mild indigestion to asthma to severe depression. It is estimated that 360,000 Americans have bad reactions to ingesting yellow 5. yellow 5 is a common dye and is in candy, cereal, and many other processed foods. It has been banned in several European countries. A variety of immunologic responses have been attributed to tartrazine ingestion by humans, including anxiety, migraine, clinical depression, blurred vision, itching, general weakness, heatwaves, feeling of suffocation, purple skin patches, and sleep disturbance,
VITAMIN A, 3 Star – Standard supplement needed for a strong immune system
BLUE 2 , 1 Star – Carcinogenic, artificial color
CALCIUM CARBONATE 3 Star – Standard source of calcium, promotes strong bones, teeth, cardiovascular health and skeletal strength, used as a buffer to acidic foods
COPPER SULFATE, 2 Star – Standard source, aids in bone formation, iron absorption and protein metabolism. Poorly absorbed and utilised form of copper
VITAMIN B-12, 3 Star – Standard source, involved in immune function, nerve and red blood cell production
BREWERS DRIED YEAST, 1 Star – Waste product (used for flavoring, protein, B-vitamins) which can become very toxic to the liver causes allergies and arthritis,
CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, 3 Star – Standard source of a B-complex vitamin B5, supports adrenal activity
THIAMINE MONONITRATE, 3 Star – Standard source of B-1,affects nervous system and mental attitude
GARLIC OIL, 5 Star – Antioxidant, antibiotic,
PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (source of vitamin B6), 3 Star – Standard source, immune stimulant, major factor in protein metabolism and red blood cell production
RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT, 3 Star – Vitamin B-2 needed for rich red blood cell production,
VITAMIN D3, 3 Star – Standard source, aids calcium and phosphorous in building bones and teeth
menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity),
CALCIUM IODATE, 3 Star – Source of iodine, promotes strong bones, teeth, cardiovascular health and skeletal strength
FOLIC ACID, 3 Star – Standard source, needed for blood building and DNA synthesis
BIOTIN, 3 Star – Standard source to promote healthy skin and coat,
SODIUM SELENITE, 3 Star – Standard source of selenium, powerful anti-oxidant protects the body from free radicals and heavy metals, supports immune response
If you are SO poverty stricken that you can only afford to pay $1.30 for your dry dog food then consider two alternatives. First, if you have a Costco nearby, then buy their own brand Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Grain Free Turkey Meal and Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food at $36 for 30 lbs. If you have a Tractor Supply nearby get them 4Health Grain Free Dog Food. 30lbs for $36.99. Both are free of the real nasties: CORN, BY-PRODUCTS, WHEAT, SOY, MEAT AND BONEMEAL, ANIMAL FAT, ANIMAL DIGEST, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, BHT/BHA, SUGAR, ARTIFICIAL COLORS The cat food although not 100% grain free, contains none of the bad stuff!
I recently lost my very health part Border Collie to Purina Beneful. She had cirrhosis of the liver. Symptoms were exactly what would be expected from micro organism toxins. How could these toxins get from the gut to the blood, well Purina adds a most effective aid for this epithelial translocation, it’s PROPYLENE GLYCOL.
“Purina’s Beneful Poisoned My Dogs! ” New article on Doginton Post : with BEFORE and AFTER VIDEO evidence! If THIS doesn’t persuade you that BENEFUL is trash then you must be working for Putrina! http://dogingtonpost.com/guest-post-purinas-beneful-poisoned-my-dogs/
Interesting information – you certainly aren’t a fan of Beneful!!