Solid Gold Flavorful Feast (Wet) Review

Solid Gold Flavorful Feast product range is made of four recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4.5 stars.

The recipes contain high-quality ingredients such as real meat shreds in gravy or served as a pate. They are grain and gluten-free and have no artificial colorings or 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

Solid Gold Flavorful Feast Classic Paté Salmon and Beef Recipe in Gravy 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 fish broth.  Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food they are a common addition component in many canned products.

The second ingredient is salmon.  Salmon is an oily marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life.

The third ingredient is beef.  Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.¹

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

The fourth ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries – from eggs that have failed to hatch.  

The fifth ingredient is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

The sixth ingredient is sunflower oil.  Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.  

Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking. There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

The seventh ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable. Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.  

Less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

The eighth ingredient is carrots.  Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

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.

This recipe receives a 4.5-star rating.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Solid Gold Flavorful Feast Classic Paté Salmon and Beef Recipe in Gravy looks like an above-average, wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.5%, a fat level of 22.7% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 23.8%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average, protein content of 51.6% and an above-average fat level of 19%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 21.3% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 38%.

This means the Solid Gold Flavorful Feast contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate, higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Solid Gold cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes. In 2012, Solid Gold recalled limited numbers of its Wolf Cub dog food for suspected salmonella, after the bacteria was discovered in Diamond Pet Foods Gaston, South Carolina, facility. To read the full details of this recall, visit the Dog Food Advisor.

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

Sissy Harrington-McGill founded Solid Gold in 1970 after noticing that Great Dane dogs living in Germany lived, on average, four years longer than those in the United States.  

Solid Gold was one of the first pet food brands to use the holistic label, incorporating a variety of what the company describes as “carefully curated superfoods”.

All of Solid Gold’s dry cat food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in the United States. Most of its wet cat food is made in Thailand.