EnTrust Adult Pork Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Kent / Blue Seal EnTrust Adult Pork Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry food featuring pork meal as its primary protein source.
This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources like barley and brown rice, which also provide fermentable fiber. It also uses quality fat sources, including named chicken fat and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA.
The formula contains pea protein concentrate high on the ingredient list, which can artificially inflate protein percentages. Also, yeast culture is present, which can sometimes be used as a way to include MSG without explicitly listing it.
Good fit for adult dogs of any size. Less ideal if you prefer formulas without pea protein concentrate or yeast culture.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Pork meal anchors position 1, with one pulse (pea protein concentrate at position 5). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 57/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+13 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. The gap to B-tier is small (3.0 points). Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty would likely close it.
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..
Contains pea protein concentrate. Pea protein concentrate in top 5. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat..
- Bottom quartile for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (57/100)
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.
Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Pork, Barley, & Beef Recipe High-Protein Adult Dry Dog Food, 5-lb bag
Scores 23 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Black Gold Explorer Beef Meal & Barley Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.53/lb vs your seed's $1.57/lb (2% less) at a comparable score.
Eagle Pack Chicken & Pork Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Chicken instead of pork, 18 points 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 animalpork meal
Pork cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh pork.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
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.
- 5pea protein concentrate
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 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.
- 8fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9fiberdried 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 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 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.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14hydrolyzed yeast
Yeast broken down with enzymes. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins and amino acids.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16l-lysine monohydrochloride
Stable form of L-lysine, an essential amino acid. Common in plant-heavy formulas to balance the amino acid profile.
- 17supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 18reed-sedge peat
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21supplementalfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Real fiber and trace minerals. Functional plant ingredient.
- 22mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 25vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 57. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.