Against the Grain Farmers Market (Wet) Review

Against the Grain Farmers Market product range is made of five recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating: 4 stars.

All recipes are grain-free with meat or fish as the first ingredient. The ingredients used are whole foods, and even the “flavoring” is from natural fruits, vegetables, and meats.

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating. The AAFCO nutrient profile is not included on the company website.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Against the Grain Farmers Market, Chicken & Polyhauaii Berry 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 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 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The second ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most wet cat foods.

The third ingredient is sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3’s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils. Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.

There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

The fourth ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant..

The fifth ingredient is polyhauai’i berry. Polyhauai’i berry, or a Thai eggplant is included within this cat food. There is no data available to assess the advantages or disadvantages of this vegetable in a cat’s diet.

The sixth ingredient is tricalcium phosphate, a beneficial source of calcium and phosphorus. In addition, this additive is used in wet foods as an emulsifier — an agent designed to disperse a food’s fats more evenly in water.

The seventh ingredient is salt (also known as sodium chloride). Salt is a common additive in many cat foods. That’s because sodium is a necessary mineral for all animals — including humans. 

Salt can often be found in cat foods to promote cats to drink more water too. This is a means of increasing their hydration and diluting their urine which helps to reduce the likelihood of urinary stones forming.

However, since the actual amount of salt added to this recipe isn’t disclosed on the list of ingredients, it’s impossible to judge the nutritional value of this item.

The eighth ingredient is guar gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product. 

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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Against the Grain Farmers Market Chicken & Polyhauaii Berry looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 74.1%, a fat level of 7.4% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 10.5%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 78.1% and a mean fat level of 4.2%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 9.7% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 5%.

This means the Against the Grain Farmers Market product line contains above-average protein, below-average carbs and below-average fat when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Against the Grain cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes, there has been one recorded recall for Against the Grain.

In 2017, the company — which also owns Evanger’s — voluntarily expanded its recall of its dog food products: Against the Grain’s Pulled Beef, Evanger’s Hunk of Beef and Braised Beef food, due to potential adulteration with pentobarbital.  

For more information about this recall, visit the Dog Food Advisor.

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

Against the Grain was created by twins Brett and Chelsea Sher. They started their careers in the pet food industry in 2003, when their parents took over the Evanger’s pet food company. Evanger’s is a well-established private label manufacturer also known for its pet food brand of the same name.