PureVita (Wet) Review

PureVita canned product range is made of four recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4.5 stars.

This food lists animal protein sources as the first ingredient and protein levels are high.  The moisture content is also  high, carbohydrate low and it is grain free.  These recipes are formulated for cats of all life stages.

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile.

Recipe and Label Analysis

PureVita Limited Ingredient Chicken Entrée 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 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,  an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is agar agar, a natural vegetable gelatin derived from the cell walls of certain species of red algae.  Agar is rich in fiber and is used in wet pet foods as a gelling agent.

The fifth ingredient is yeast extract and is the common name for a broad group of products made by removing the cell wall from the yeast organism.

A significant number of these ingredients are added as specialized nutritional supplements while others are used as flavor enhancers. 

However, the glutamic acid (and its chemical cousin, monosodium glutamate, or MSG) found in a minority of yeast extracts can be controversial.

That’s because even though the Food and Drug Administration designated these food additives to be safe decades ago ², the agency continues to receive reports of adverse effects.

So, detractors still object to the use of yeast extract and other glutamic acid derivatives and blame them for everything from Alzheimer’s (in humans) to obesity.

In any case, since the label reveals little about the actual type of yeast extract included in any recipe, it’s impossible for us to judge the quality of this ingredient.

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

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 choline chloride, an essential B vitamin that naturally occurs in both plants and animals. It is found in meat, eggs, fish, liver, soybeans and wheat germ.

Because a cat cannot store choline chloride in its body, the nutrient must be replenished to avoid a deficiency.  Choline chloride is a supplement required by both AAFCO and the FDA. 

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.  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 .  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 brewer’s yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

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.

Recipe star rating 4.5

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, PureVita Limited Ingredient Chicken Entrée looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 51.6%, a fat level of 36.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 3.8%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 48.4% and an above-average fat level of 38.6%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 5% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 80%.

This means this PureVita wet range contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate, higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has PureVita cat food been recalled in the past?

No.  Neither Pure Vita nor its parent company, Tuffy’s, has had a recall of pet food in its 70 years of manufacturing.

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

Tuffy’s was founded by Darrell Nelson in 1947 and it launched Pure Vitai in 2007.  The food is manufactured in Perham, Minnesota, USA.