EnTrust Adult Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food, 35-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Kent / Blue Seal EnTrust Adult Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe is a dry dog food that features chicken meal as its main protein source.
This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, which is good for digestion. It also has quality fat sources, like named chicken fat and marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA.
The formula contains yeast extract, which can be a source of MSG. While not a direct health concern, it can obscure the true formulation of the food.
Good fit for adult dogs who need quality carbs and fats. Less ideal if you prefer formulas without yeast extract.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 62/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-3 points): Contains msg. Safety signal is internet-fueled; real issue is transparency. Yeast extract as MSG loophole obscures formulation.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Contains msg. Safety signal is internet-fueled; real issue is transparency. Yeast extract as MSG loophole obscures formulation..
- Top quartile for carb quality in dry kibbles (16/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Instinct BeNatural Adult Real Beef & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Scores 12 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wholesomes Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.18/lb vs your seed's $1.62/lb (27% less) at a comparable score.
Nature's Recipe Adult Lamb, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 34-lb bag
Lamb instead of chicken, 1 point higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainground corn
Cracked whole corn. Fine in moderation, but its presence in the top few ingredients usually signals a lower-cost recipe.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5protein plantcorn gluten meal
Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 5: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.
- 6grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8fiberdried beet pulp
Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble. See why →
Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 9fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11yeast culture
Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14monocalcium phosphate
Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 15hydrolyzed yeast
Yeast broken down with enzymes. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins and amino acids.
- 16mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 17supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 18vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 19l-lysine monohydrochloride
Stable form of L-lysine, an essential amino acid. Common in plant-heavy formulas to balance the amino acid profile.
- 20supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 21read-sedge peat
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23supplementalfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Real fiber and trace minerals. Functional plant ingredient.
- 24mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 25mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
Showing first 25 of 58. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.