Lily’s Kitchen Pate (Wet) Review

Lily’s Kitchen Pate wet product range is made of 13 recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 5 stars.

This range of food lists animal protein as the first ingredient. Protein levels are very high and carbohydrate content low.  Each recipe is rich in moisture and fat and there are organic options to choose from too.  This food offers a very good diet option.

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

Lily’s Kitchen Organic Turkey Paté 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 organic turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.  ¹

The second and third ingredients are organic pork and organic beef. These meats can be defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered pork or cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.  ²

The fourth ingredient is organic fish.  This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.  ³

Without more detailed information, it’s difficult to judge the quality of this particular ingredient

The fifth ingredient is organic chicken which is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.  ⁴

All of the meat and fish ingredients listed above are naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The sixth ingredient is organic carrots which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The seventh ingredient is minerals which are included in this ingredients list, as in Europe ingredients are declared a little differently.

In the US, our nutritional additives are included within our ingredients list.  In Europe, ingredients and additives are listed separately.

For that reason the category of minerals can be included, to include those elements which are classed as an ingredient, rather than an additive, such as calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide.  These elements contribute to the nutritional balance of a food, so we see their inclusion in this recipe as a positive.

The eighth ingredient is algae, an algae-based seaweed modest in protein content but rich in marine minerals.

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.

Since this recipe contains a number of organic ingredients, we feel compelled to grant this line a more favorable status as we consider its final rating. That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards which significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.

This food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein.  This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better cat foods.

Taurine has also been added. Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats associated with the healthy function of heart muscle and eye sight, and is crucial for maintaining good health in cats. We view the presence of taurine as a positive addition.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Lily’s Kitchen Organic Turkey Paté looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 52.8%, a fat level of 33.3% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 5.9%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 52.3% and a mean fat level of 30.6%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 9% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 58%.

This means that this Lily’s Kitchen pate range has above-average protein, below-average carbohydrate and above-average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Lily's Kitchen cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes.  Lily’s Kitchen cat food voluntarily recalled a number of products in 2023 due to concern they may contain pieces of plastic.  The product affected were:

• Lily’s Kitchen Fishy Fish Pie 400g can

• Dog Multipack 24 x 400g cans)

• Can Batch Number: 1028F

• Can Best Before Date: 01.09.2024

• Lily’s Kitchen Chicken and Turkey Casserole 400g can

• Multipack 24 x 400g cans)

• Can Batch Number: 1032F

• Can Best Before Date: 01.09.2024

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

Lily’s Kitchen is a UK pet food brand purchased by Nestle-Purina PetCare in 2020. It continues to operate as a stand-alone business and its products are available to order online across the world. 

Nestle-Purina has similar arrangements with several super-premium niche pet food companies in the United States such as Merrick and Castor & Pollux.