Organic Grain-Free Turkey & Liver Recipe Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Tender & True Organic Grain-Free Turkey & Liver Recipe is a dry food for all life stages, featuring turkey and chicken as its main protein sources.
This recipe offers reasonable protein quality, with turkey providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes chicken liver for diverse, high-bioavailability protein and uses premium micronutrient forms like chelated minerals.
A significant concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, meaning its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the formula triggers a DCM-pulse flag due to the inclusion of dried peas and chickpeas.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages whose owners prefer an organic, grain-free option. Less ideal if AAFCO verification or avoiding legumes is a priority.
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 Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. At 350 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 7.75% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs (APOP, 2023) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 53/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 59 also applied because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address AAFCO compliance as well.
Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
- Lowest carb quality in grain-free dry kibbles (5/16)
- Top 10% for crude fiber in grain-free dry kibbles (8.6% DMB)
- Bottom 10% for caloric density in grain-free dry kibbles (350 kcal/cup)
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.
ORIJEN Fit & Trim Grain-Free High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 23.5-lb bag
Scores 16 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
True Acre Foods Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetable Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.35/lb vs your seed's $5.12/lb (74% less) at a comparable score.
Lotus Oven-Baked Grain-Free Lamb & Turkey Liver Recipe Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Lamb instead of turkey, 10 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 animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3tapioca starch
Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.
- 4dried peas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6flaxseed meal
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 9potato flour
- 10protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 10. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 11protein 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 11. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 12monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 13supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 14preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16vitaminascorbic acid
Vitamin C. Pulls double duty as a natural antioxidant preservative.
- 17vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 18mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 19mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 20manganous oxide
Inorganic manganese. Functional, cheaper than chelated forms, less efficiently absorbed.
- 21mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 22vitamininositol
- 23mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 24vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 25vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
Showing first 25 of 40. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Offers 100% complete and balanced nutrition for dogs of all life stages.