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Purina Beneful Originals with Farm-Raised Chicken Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Purina Beneful

Originals with Farm-Raised Chicken Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $2.14/lb

Purina Beneful Originals with Farm-Raised Chicken Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 55/100 (C) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.

CQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.

FQI

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

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: 26% ⓘ
Protein
23%
min (as fed)
Fat
12%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

30 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  2. 2
    whole grain corn

    Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.

  3. 3
    barley

    Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.

  4. 4
    wheat

    Whole wheat. Fine for most dogs, though a portion are sensitive. Not a quality concern, just a fit-for-your-dog question.

  5. 5
    soybean meal

    Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.

  6. 6
    corn protein meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.

  7. 7
    oat meal

    Alternate spelling of oatmeal. Gentle whole grain, steady carb energy, soluble fiber.

  8. 8
    beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols

    Real animal fat from a named species, with natural vitamin E doing the preservation. The clean version.

  9. 9
    chicken by-product meal

    Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about.

  10. 10
    rice

    Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.

  11. 11
    egg and chicken flavor
  12. 12
    natural flavor

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

  13. 13
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  14. 14
    mono and dicalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  15. 15
    glycerin

    Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.

  16. 16
    carrots

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

  17. 17
    dried tomatoes

    Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.

  18. 18
    salt

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

  19. 19
    annatto color
  20. 20
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  21. 21
    vegetable juice
  22. 22
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  23. 23
    ferrous sulfate

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

  24. 24
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

  25. 25
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

Showing first 25 of 30. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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