Chunky Recipes Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Variety Pack, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Merrick Chunky Recipes Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Variety Pack is a wet food featuring deboned beef and beef liver.
This food offers reasonable protein quality, with beef liver contributing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named fat with marine oil, which provides EPA and DHA. The formula further benefits from diverse high-bioavailability protein sources, such as dried egg product and organ meat.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier that receives a minor penalty in canned foods due to emerging microbiome data, though there's no canine clinical evidence.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy a wet food with diverse protein sources. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chunky grain free big texas steak tips in gravy: deboned beef anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus beef liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 56/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+15 points): Reasonable protein quality. beef liver delivers solid amino acid coverage. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points): Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. The gap to B-tier is small (4.0 points). Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty would likely close it.
Reasonable protein quality. beef liver delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Bottom 10% for protein quality in Merrick's lineup (15/27)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in Merrick's lineup (8.3% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in Merrick's lineup (16.7%)
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.
Merrick Kitchen Comforts Real Meat & Brown Rice with Grains Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Merrick Grain-Free Real Texas Beef Dinner Canned Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
$4.76/lb vs your seed's $5.46/lb (13% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1chunky grain free big texas steak tips in gravy: deboned beef
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2beef broth
Real broth. Adds flavor and moisture, signals the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetable broth
- 4protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 7potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 8fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 9mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 10fruit juice color
- 11fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 13. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 14sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 17mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 18mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 19cobalt proteinate
Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.
- 20mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 21mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 22mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 23mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 24cumin
- 25cinnamon
Showing first 25 of 85. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.