Evanger’s Heritage Classic (Wet) Review

Evanger’s Heritage Classic wet cat food is made up of three recipes which each receive the Cat Food Advisor second highest rating, 4.5 stars.

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

Evanger’s Heritage Classic Chicken Lickin’ Dinner For Cats 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, which 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 chicken 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 chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is butternut squash which is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The fifth ingredient is tomato paste. Unlike the controversial item, tomato pomace, the tomato paste detailed here does not include the skin or seeds of the fruit.

The sixth 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. 

The seventh ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

The eighth ingredient is potassium chloride, a nutritional supplement sometimes used as a replacement for the sodium found in table salt.

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 brewer’s dried yeast, which can be a controversial item. Dried yeast contains about 45% protein and is rich in other healthy nutrients. Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system. Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies.

This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular cat is allergic to the yeast itself. In any case, unless your cat is specifically allergic to it, we feel yeast should be considered a positive addition.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Evanger’s Heritage Classic Chicken Lickin’ Dinner For Cats looks like an above-average wet cat food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.5%, a fat level of 27.3% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 19.3%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 45.5% and a mean fat level of 27.3%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 19.3% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 60%.

This means this Evanger’s Heritage Classic range contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Evanger's cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes, Evanger’s has had one, but significant, recall.

You can’t have a complete review about Evanger’s cat food without discussing the recall and controversy that happened in 2017. In February 2017, the FDA noticed that some of Evanger’s canned food contained pentobarbital. This is a drug that is used in animal euthanasia. No amount is safe for cat food, precisely why the FDA issued a statement warning pet owners not to purchase specific recipes.

The FDA inspected both plants the company-owned and found many significant concerns in how the food was processed. For example, condensation was dripping into the food at many points. There were no operating refrigerated storage facilities, so raw meat was thawing out before it was processed. Some meats were dropped onto the unsanitary concrete floor and then used in the final product.

Several animals died from the contaminated food. The pentobarbital was eventually traced to the company’s meat supplier. Evanger issued a voluntary recall of several recipes after the FDA report.

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

Evanger’s is a family-owned and operated pet food company. 

It was started by Fred Evanger in 1935 after he wanted better nutritional food for his Great Danes, which he bred and exhibited. He built a factory at the kennel he used, so he could make his own pet food. The headquarters are now in Markham, Illinois.