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American Journey Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
American Journey

Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $2.50/lb

American Journey Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 71/100 (B) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.

STACK

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 33% ⓘ
Protein
30%
min (as fed)
Fat
12%
min (as fed)
Fiber
6%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

45 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    deboned chicken

    Real meat with the bones removed before grinding. The cleanest version of chicken on an ingredient label.

  2. 2
    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.

  3. 3
    turkey meal

    Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey.

  4. 4
    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 →

  5. 5
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  6. 6
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

  7. 7
    dried plain beet pulp

    Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  8. 8
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  9. 9
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  10. 10
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.

  11. 11
    fish meal

    Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.

  12. 12
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

  13. 13
    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

  14. 14
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  15. 15
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  16. 16
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  17. 17
    dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product

    Probiotic strain. More heat-stable than lactobacillus, which means more of it likely survives kibble processing.

  18. 18
    dried kelp

    Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.

  19. 19
    fructooligosaccharides

    Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.

  20. 20
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  21. 21
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  22. 22
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  23. 23
    mixed tocopherols

    Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative.

  24. 24
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  25. 25
    zinc 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 45. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.