6-Pack Sample Bundle Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 6-oz
Graded by The Sniff System
Simple Food Project 6-Pack Sample Bundle Freeze-Dried Dog Food is a freeze-dried food for growth, featuring chicken and turkey as its primary proteins.
This formula boasts a strong protein profile, with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, which is good for digestion. The addition of organ meats like chicken hearts and liver, plus ground krill, provides diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies and growing dogs who need a high-quality protein source. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken & turkey: chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 6 (a natural taurine precursor). Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 69/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+20 points): Strong protein profile with chicken & turkey: chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+15). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 6-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in fat-quality declaration (6 of 16 possible). Full fat-quality declaration requires a named-species animal fat (e.g., chicken fat, salmon oil) plus a marine oil with declared EPA/DHA milligram content.
Strong protein profile with chicken & turkey: chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 10% for carb quality in grain-free freeze-dried foods (15/16)
- Bottom quartile for fat quality in grain-free freeze-dried foods (6/16)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in grain-free freeze-dried foods (6.5% DMB)
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 Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Scores 3 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nature's Diet Fresh Chicken Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 3-lb bag
Chicken instead of turkey, 2 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.
- 1chicken & turkey: chicken
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3chicken hearts
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 6. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 7vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8ground krill
- 9ground pumpkin seeds
- 10fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12cinnamon
- 13mineralsea salt
Same as salt. Required at small doses for normal physiology.
- 14supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 15dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 16mixed tocopherols . beef & salmon: beef
- 17protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
- 18protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
- 19fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
- 20protein animalbeef heart
- 21vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 22fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 23ground krill
- 24legumegreen peas
Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →
- 25ground pumpkin seeds
Showing first 25 of 99. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
16 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
The Simple Food Project Chicken & Turkey Recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance. To meet AAFCO's Growth & Reproduction requirements for a Complete & Balanced puppy diet, add the Simple Food Project's Puppy Balancer with a concentrated blend of vitamins & minerals from whole foods.