4health Wholesome Grains (Wet) Review

The 4health Wholesome Grains wet product range is made of seven recipes which all receive 3.5-stars.

This wet product range has meat or fish as its first ingredient. It is a quality product, however, each recipe does contain carrageenan.

The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

4health Wholesome Grains Adult Turkey & Salmon Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”. ¹

Turkey is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The second ingredient is turkey broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food, they are a common component in many wet products.

The third ingredient is liver. Normally, liver can be considered a quality component. However, in this case, the source of the liver is not identified. For this reason, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.

The fourth ingredient is salmon. Salmon is an oily marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life.

The fifth ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries – from eggs that have failed to hatch. In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The sixth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a cat.

The seventh ingredient is dried potatoes, a dehydrated potato product usually made from by-products of a food processing plant. This item is equal to corn in calorie content yet possibly with more protein.

The eighth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a cat.

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 the product.

However this recipe contains carrageenan, which  is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety. 

The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.

We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.

This recipe receives a 3.5–star rating.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, 4health Wholesome Grains Adult Turkey & Salmon Recipe recipe looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 40.9%, a fat level of 27.3% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 23.8%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 67%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42.4% and a mean fat level of 27.3%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 22.3% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 64%.

This means the 4Health Wholesome Grains wet product line contains above-average protein, below-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has 4health cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes, 4health has had two recalls.

In 2012, Diamond Pet Foods, which makes 4health, recalled all 4health foods manufactured in Gaston, South Carolina, due to potential salmonella contamination.

In 2013, Diamond recalled several cat food brands, including 4health, due to potentially insufficient thiamine levels.

You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.

To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.

About

4health is a pet food company owned by Tractor Supply Company, a home and ranch company based in Tennessee. 

This company was founded in 1938 as a mail-order tractor part supplier. However,  it has now grown to sell a wide variety of products including pet food and supplies. 4health brand is one of its biggest selling products made by Diamond Pet Foods.