Now Fresh (Dry) Review

Now Fresh dry product range is made of four recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 3 stars.

This range of food lists animal protein as the first ingredient and contains omega 3, along with probiotics.  There are recipes for kittens, in addition to adult and senior cats, so it caters across all the different life stages.

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

Now Fresh Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain Free Recipe for Adult 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 deboned 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 peas which 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 third ingredient is potatoes.  Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates.  Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a cat.

The fourth ingredient is whole dried egg, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs.  Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The fifth ingredient is pea flour, a powder made from roasted yellow peas.  Pea flour contains as much as 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

The sixth ingredient is potato flour.  Unlike potato starch, potato flour is made from the whole potato (even the skins).  This item is considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates with only modest nutritional value.

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

We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients.  Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our cats.

The eighth ingredient is canola oil.  Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item.  That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

Yet others cite the fact that canola oil can be a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a cat than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

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 food 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.

The company also appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a cat’s digestive and immune functions.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Now Fresh Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain Free Recipe for Adult Cats looks like an average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 34.4%, a fat level of 18.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 38.7%.

As a group, the brand features a below-average protein content of 34.4% and an above-average fat level of 19.4%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 38.1% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 56%.

This means that the Now Fresh dry range contains lower than average protein, higher than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical dry cat food.

Has Now Fresh cat food been recalled in the past?

No.  Now Fresh has never been recalled.  However, Petcurean (the parent company of Now Fresh) also owns Go! Solutions which was recalled in 2003.

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

Now Fresh cat food was created by Petcurean, a Canadian pet food company which was founded in 1999.   In addition to Now Fresh, Petcurean also owns the Go! Solutions and Gather brands.

Most of the ingredients in Now Fresh cat food are sourced from North America with a focus on Canadian ingredients.  Though they’re made from human food ingredients, Now Fresh foods aren’t considered human-grade because they’re made in pet food manufacturing facilities.

Its Dry recipes are manufactured in Ontario, Canada, while its wet food production is divided between facilities in Ontario and New Jersey.  The patés and stews are manufactured in Wisconsin. These production facilities are certified by multiple authorities, including the EU, FDA, and CFIA.