Review of Open Farm Rustic Stews Dog Food
Open Farm Rustic Stews Dog Food earns The Advisor’s second-highest rating of 4.5 stars.
The Open Farm Rustic Stews product line includes 6 dog foods.
Each recipe below includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Product
Rating
AAFCO
Open Farm Grass-Fed Beef Rustic Stew
4.5
M
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Stew
5
M
Open Farm Homestead Turkey Rustic Stew
4
M
Open Farm Herring & Mackerel Rustic Stew
5
S
Open Farm Chicken & Salmon Rustic Stew
4.5
M
Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Rustic Stew
4.5
S
Recipe and Label Analysis
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Stew was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Stew
Wet Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Humanely raised chicken, chicken bone broth, pumpkin, carrots, green beans, spinach, red lentils, agar agar, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), sunflower oil, coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), chicory root, potassium chloride, salt, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, selenium yeast, choline chloride, dried kelp, turmeric, cinnamon
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 11.1%
Red denotes controversial item
Estimated Nutrient ContentMethodProteinFatCarbsGuaranteed Analysis8%5%NADry Matter Basis44%28%20%Calorie Weighted Basis34%51%15%
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is humanely raised chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the eleven essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken bone broth. Although they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, bone broths are a common component in many wet products. However, since broths consist almost entirely of water, the trace nutrients they contain account for only a fraction of the overall finished dog food.
The third ingredient is pumpkin. Pumpkin is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.
The fourth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The fifth ingredient is green beans, legumes naturally high in dietary fiber and other healthy nutrients.
However, beans contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
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The sixth ingredient is spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score2 of 91. For cats who are predisposed to oxalate stones spinach should be avoided, due to it’s high oxalate content.
The seventh ingredient is red lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
With 7 notable exceptions…
However, lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The eighth ingredient is agar agar, a natural vegetable gelatin derived from the cell walls of certain species of red algae. Agar is rich in fiber and is used in wet pet foods as a gelling agent.
The ninth ingredient is garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. Like peas, beans and lentils, the chickpea is a nutritious member of the fiber-rich legume (pulse) family of vegetables.
Garbanzos contain about 22% protein, something which must be considered when evaluating the total protein reported in this food.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With 3 notable exceptions…
First, this food includes chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
In addition, this food includes chicory root. Chicory is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
Thirdly, coconut oil is a natural oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids.
Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.2
Because of its proven safety3 as well as its potential to help in the treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and chronic skin disorders, MCT can be considered a positive addition to this recipe.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Open Farm Harvest Chicken Rustic Stew looks like an above-average dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 28% and estimated carbohydrates of about 20%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 44% and a mean fat level of 30%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 19% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 68%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
Our Rating of 4.5 Dog Food
Open Farm Rustic Stews are grain-free human-grade dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5.
Highly recommended.
Open Farm Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Open Farm through September 2023.
No recalls noted
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Open Farm Brand Reviews
The following Open Farm reviews are also posted on this website:
Open Farm Dog Food Review (Dry)Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Review (Freeze-Dried)Open Farm Gently Cooked Dog Food Review (Fresh)Open Farm Raw Mix Dog Food ReviewOpen Farm Rustic Stews Dog Food Review
A Final Word
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References
Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
Completeness Score is a measure of a food’s relative nutrient content and is computed by NutritionData.com from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference ↩
09/14/2023 Last Update
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