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Pure Balance Information

Pure Balance is a pet food brand that was launched in 2012 by Walmart. Pure balance stands out from the other store brand ranges of pet food offered by Walmart by providing superior nutrition without using very low-quality ingredients.

The range of products available from Pure Balance has increased over time and now includes dry and wet dog food as well as cat food.

The most obvious selling point of Pure Balance is that it is highly affordable and can fill the niche of pet owners who value their pet’s nutrition but have a very tight budget.

Given that Walmart owns pure Balance, it is only consistently available for purchase from Walmart retail stores or their website. Some Pure Balance recipes are occasionally seen on sites like Amazon, but the availability is inconsistent.

From our research, Pure Balance is produced for Walmart by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, which is a large pet food manufacturer.

They are better known for producing the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand, which is also regularly seen on Walmart shelves. This manufacturing takes place in the United States in Meadville, PA.

Pure Balance Product Range

Dog Food

Pure Balance has a moderately sized range of dog food products that are more or less evenly split between traditional dry dog food and wet/canned dog food.

Pure Balance also has a mix of grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes to appeal to both sides of the market.

Pure Balance produces very few niche recipes such as those for large and small breed dogs or those for certain age ranges like puppies or senior dogs.

Cat Food

Pure Balance’s cat food range is similar in size to their dog food range and includes a mix between dry cat food and wet/canned cat food.

Similar to their dog food range, there is a mix of grain-free and grain-inclusive cat food recipes. Pure Balance does not produce any age-specific cat food recipes like those for kittens or senior cats.

Pure Balance Nutrition

Dog Food

The nutrition provided by Pure Balance dog food recipes is above-average when compared to many of its competitors. However, when compared to other more premium brands, it is best described as average to above-average.

The nutritional profile often has a reasonably high protein and fat proportion and a considerable proportion of carbohydrates. Sadly, much of the protein in the recipes is from plant-based sources and vegetable by-products.

Below is an example of the nutrition provided by a Pure Balance dry dog food recipe.

Pure Balance Chicken and Brown Rice Calorie Breakdown Chart

Cat Food

The nutrition provided by Pure Balance cat food is similar to its dog food recipes and includes above-average proportions of protein and fat and reasonable proportions of carbohydrates.

Cats are obligate carnivores and thrive best without significant plant matter in their diet. Sadly Pure Balance cat food includes a large portion of plant matter.

Pure Balance Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Lamb
  • Beef
  • Salmon
  • Trout
  • Bison
  • Venison

Pure Balance uses all of the common meat and fish ingredients that are found in pet food. These include Chicken, Beef, Salmon, and more.

These ingredients are common because they are relatively inexpensive and can provide excellent nutrition that is high in protein and fat.

However, the brand also uses some less common ingredients such as Bison, Venison, and Trout. While the portion size of these ingredients is small, it is notable and sets them apart from their rivals.

Whole Salmon On Ice

Other Notable Ingredients

Pure Balance makes heavy and consistent use of Pea Protein. As those of you who have read our Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour and Pea Fiber in Dog Food article will be aware, Pea Protein is a low-quality ingredient and is most commonly used to inflate the level of protein in pet food without having to shell out on additional meat and fish ingredients.

Pea Protein is significantly less expensive than meat or fish, and manufacturers utilize it to keep their costs low.

Pure Balance’s use of Pea Protein is not surprising as the brand as a whole is extremely affordable. In order to keep the price as low as it is, the use of ingredients such as Pea Protein is an unfortunate reality.

Peas Close Up

The core grain ingredient used in Pure Balance recipes is Brown Rice. Brown Rice is considered to be one of the best grain ingredients as it can also provide dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals in addition to its core carbohydrate content.

Sadly, Pure Balance also uses Brewers Rice in some of its recipes. Brewers Rice is a cheap by-product of Rice and provides inferior nutrition. Learn more about Brewers Rice in our article Brewers Rice In Dog Food.

Mixed Rice Grains

A few of Pure Balance’s recipes make use of Menhaden Fish Meal. Menhaden Fish are harvested for their fish oil, but a nutritious fish meal remains once this has been removed.

This fish meal is then sold to pet food manufacturers as a fish-based source of protein and fat. Menhaden Fish Meal is seen across the industry from premium brands to low-cost brands.

You can learn more about Menhaden Fish Meal in Menhaden Fish Meal in Dog Food.

Some Pure Balance recipes feature Dried Beet Pulp. Dried Beet Pulp is a common addition to pet food alongside Tomato Pomace.

Both of these ingredients are added to provide soluble fiber. This soluble fiber can be critical to some dogs to ensure they keep regular and consistent digestion.

You can learn more about Dried Beet Pulp in Dried Beet Pulp In Dog Food.

Sugar Beet

Flaxseed is an industry favorite ingredient, in part thanks to the fact it is one of the best plant-based sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

These fatty acids are believed by many to provide several health benefits, including a reduction in the risk of certain health concerns and an improvement in the condition of a dog’s skin and coat.

If you want to read more about Flaxseed and its benefits, you should check out Flaxseed In Dog Food.

Flax

Pure Balance Animal Testing

There is very limited information available on whether Walmart brands such as Pure Balance are tested on animals. For this reason, we can not say definitively whether they do or do not test on animals and whether any treatment is ethical and cruelty-free.

However, we do know whether some of the manufacturers contracted to produce Walmart brands use animal testing. One such example would be Mars Petcare.

It is known that Mars Petcare does conduct animal testing on their own products. Whether they also conduct testing on Walmart’s behalf for brands such as Pure Balance is a matter of opinion.

Pure Balance Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Pure Balance has no recorded recalls.

While Pure Balance is still a relatively new brand in comparison to some of its competitors, having over five years of recall-free production is a positive indication of the brand’s production quality.

However, it is important to note that Pure Balance’s parent brand Ol’Roy has had some product recalled in the past. There was a significant number of recalls in 2007 and 2008.

While these are still important to note, a significant length of time has passed since these, and they may no longer be relevant. In addition, one of Ol’Roy’s brands featured in the February 2018 scare of a Euthanasia drug, pentobarbital, being found in dog food brands.

Pure Balance Featured Articles

Best Cheap Dog Food – As one of the most affordable pet food brands that are readily available, it will come as no surprise that Pure Balance features in our article discussing cheap and affordable dog food.

Best Dog Food At Walmart – While Walmart does not specialize in pet food, it is still one of the biggest suppliers of pet food in the United States.

For this reason, it’s important to know which brands and recipes sold at their stores can provide the best nutrition from the highest quality ingredients.

Best of Pure Balance

Wild & Free Trout & Lentils Recipe Review

Pure Balance Trout & Lentils Recipe

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Wild & Free Trout & Lentil is one of Pure Balance’s grain-free recipes. The use of Trout is what caught our eye as Trout is a highly nutritious and relatively uncommon addition to dog food.

Trout can provide high-quality fish-based protein and fat. In addition, Trout is an excellent source of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which are known to provide a number of health benefits.

Sadly the recipe does use a portion of Pea Protein, which is a vegetable by-product. However, this is not surprising given the price range of the recipe, with higher cost alternatives out of reach.

The recipe is rounded out with a portion of Peas and Potatoes, which provide a mix of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Beef Dinner Review

Pure Balance Beef Dinner

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Beef Dinner is one of Pure Balance’s best wet dog food recipes. If you hadn’t already guessed, the core ingredient is Beef, which is one of the most common meat ingredients found in dog food.

There is also a smaller portion of Beef Liver present, which is an excellent addition. Organ meat ingredients such as Liver can drastically improve the flavor of a recipe as well as provide vitamins and minerals that are not commonly found in traditional meat cuts.

Lastly, the recipe also contains a mix of fruit & vegetables, including Potatoes, Carrots, Tomatoes, and Blueberries. These will provide a modest portion of carbohydrates, as well as some vitamins and minerals.

Salmon & Chickpeas Recipe Review

Pure Balance Salmon & Chickpeas Cat

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Salmon & Chickpeas is one of Pure Balance’s dry cat food products. The reason we chose this recipe over Pure Balance’s other dry cat food recipes is that we are big fans of Salmon.

Salmon is probably the best fish ingredient to find in a cat food recipe. It is relatively affordable and high in fish-based protein and fat.

In addition to these core benefits, it is a great source of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which many believe could improve the condition of your cat’s skin and fur.

The recipe also uses a portion of Menhaden Fish Meal, which is a well-known industry ingredient that is used to top up the overall meat and fish proportion.

Lastly, the recipe uses a mix of Chickpeas, Peas, and Potatoes to provide a modest proportion of carbohydrates and fiber. While we’d prefer this portion were smaller, it is notably less than some of Pure Balance’s competitors.

Pure Balance Full Product Range

Dry Dog Food

Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe

Wild & Free Grain Free Salmon & Pea Recipe

Wild & Free Grain Free Bison, Pea & Venison Recipe

Grain Free Chicken & Garden Vegetables Recipe For Small Breed Dogs

Wild & Free Trout & Lentils Recipe

Grain Free Chicken & Pea Recipe

Wet/Canned Dog Food

Chicken Dinner

Lamb Dinner

Beef Dinner

Chicken, Vegetables & Brown Rice Stew

Beef, Vegetables & Brown Rice Stew

Turkey & Chicken Recipe

Chicken Recipe

Cat Food

Limited Ingredient – Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe

Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Grain Free Wild & Free Turkey Recipe

Grain Free Wild & Free Salmon Recipe

Salmon & Chickpeas Recipe

Chicken & Turkey Recipe

Chicken & Salmon Recipe

Turkey Recipe

Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe

Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe

Indoor Chicken & Chickpeas Recipe