Halo Holistic (Dry) Review

The Halo Holistic product range is made of seven recipes which all receive 5 stars.

Halo Holistic uses fresh meats and are made without corn, wheat, wheat gluten, and rice. Halo foods are made without any artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

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

Recipe and Label Analysis

Halo Holistic Wild-Caught Whitefish Cat Food (Sensitive Stomach Support) 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 whitefish, a marine or freshwater species native to Canada and the California coast.

The second ingredient is brewer’s 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 third ingredient is pork. Pork can be defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered pork” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus. ¹

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

The fourth ingredient is brewers yeast, which can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer-making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and 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, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.

What’s more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

The fifth ingredient is pork fat, a product from rendering pig meat. Commonly known as lard, pork fat can add significant flavor to a cat food. And it can be high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. 

Although it may not sound very appetizing, pork fat (in moderate amounts) is actually an acceptable pet food ingredient.

The sixth ingredient is peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber. However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

The seventh ingredient is natural flavors. Natural flavors doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this cat food for flavoring purposes. 

The eighth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in cat food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.

However, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Halo Holistic Wild-Caught Whitefish Cat Food (Sensitive Stomach Support) looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36.3%, a fat level of 18.7% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 37.1%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 36.6% and a mean fat level of 18.2%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 37.2% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 50%.

This means the Halo Holistic dry product line contains near-average protein, above-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical dry cat food.

Has Halo Holistic cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes, Halo food has been recalled once.

In late October 2015, the company voluntarily recalled packages of a single product with a specific expiration date. The problem was listed as potential mold concerns.

What was recalled: 3 lb and 6 lb bags of Spot’s Stew Wholesome Turkey Recipe Sensitive Formula for Cats with a Best By date of September 4, 2016.

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

Halo was set up by Andi Brown in 1980. It is now owned by Best Choice Company Inc which sources meat and poultry from the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. 

To support the company’s GMO-free mission, Halo sources fruits and vegetables from Europe, where genetic engineering is strictly regulated.