All progress occurs because people dare to be different.

I love to cook and read recipes. So I thought it interesting to collect ingredient lists (1) from 11 frozen raw food chicken products and where I could find it, I pulled guaranteed analysis info, too. Most look just like my grocery list! We can learn a lot from them.

Get the Facts
Do you read human & dog food labels and ask - What does this term really mean? I'm talking about natural, organic, free-range, hormone-free, etc. In college I studied soil science so when I think of organic, it is a sustainable way of producing & harvesting food crops without conventional pesticides and fertilizers, etc. At the moment, I know no one can claim that organic produce is more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. The scientific evidence is just not there yet; but it's coming! Because dog food companies claim to use human-grade food stuffs, the facts below pertain to human foods and may or may not apply to dog foods.

• No steroid hormones are approved for use in poultry (chicken & turkey) and swine (pork). (2)
• Certain steroid hormones have been approved for use at very low concentrations to increase the rate of weight gain and/or improve feed efficiency in beef cattle. (2)
• A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural. (3)
• "No antibiotics added" may be used on labels for meat or poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the [USDA] demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics. (3)
  
• The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people. (4)
• Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. (4)
• Natural does not mean organic. Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims, such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural, can still appear on food labels. However, don't confuse these terms with "organic." (5)

I like these facts because I can balance it with what I already know. They guide me. Helps me decide if that package of organic, antibiotic-free, hormone-free boneless chicken meat is worth buying.
 
Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!
I respect the companies (below) for daring to be different in the pet food industry. Though frozen raw food, in my opinion, should stay a niche market. It's too unconventional for the mainstream. Each chicken recipe below is unique and we already know there is no right or wrong way to feed raw. Some products appear more homemade looking than others. Some come in commercial packaging and others packed in simple containers. A few with added vitamin and mineral supplements and others without. Read on!

Aunt Jeni's Chicken - Ingredients: Bell & Evans® Chicken; Chicken heart; Chicken liver; Chicken gizzards; finely ground, real, raw Chicken bones; pureed carrots, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and apples; farm-fresh whole eggs (including shells); ground organic flax seeds; fresh garlic; raw, unpasteurized honey; organic, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar; powdered organic alfalfa and kelp; fresh parsley. Guaranteed Analysis: Moisture 71.0%, Protein 10.0%, Fat 10.0%, Fiber 2.0%, Ash 2.3%, Calcium 1.07%, Phosphorus 0.85%.

Bravo Original Formula Chicken - Ingredients: Antibiotic-free chicken necks & frames, antibiotic-free chicken, antibiotic-free chicken organs (hearts, gizzards, liver), green beans, acorn squash, broccoli. Guaranteed Analysis: Moisture 70.38%, Protein 14.24%, Fat 8.32%, Fiber 0.2%, Ash 3.41%, Calcium 0.96%, Phosphorus 0.60%.

Creston Valley Meats Berry Chicken Mix - Ingredients: ground chicken with bone and organs, Spinach, Squash, Broccoli, Carrots, Raspberries, Blueberries, flax seed, honey, salmon oil. Guaranteed Analysis: No information available.

Excel K9 Diet Chicken - Ingredients: Whole ground chicken, including bone and organ meat, assorted fruits and vegetables as season permits, kelp, alfalfa, lecithin, whole egg, organic apple cider vinegar, organic salmon oil. Guaranteed Analysis: No information available.

K9 Kraving Chicken & Vegetable - Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Hearts, Chicken Gizzards, Chicken Liver, Ground Chicken Bone, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Linseed (Flax) Meal, Sunflower Meal, Tomato Pumice (Dry), Carrots (Dry), Kelp (Dry), Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Natural, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin A, Niacin, D Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin, Selenoyeast, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Pyridoxine HCL, Thiamine Mononitrate, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, EDDI (source of iodine). Guaranteed Analysis, As Fed: Crude Protein (Min.) 13.0%; Crude Fiber (Max.) 1.0%; Crude Fat (Min.) 10.0%; Moisture (Max.) 70.0%.

Nature's Variety Chicken - Ingredients: Chicken, Raw Ground Chicken Bone, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Apples, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Chicken Eggs, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Rosemary, Sage, Clove. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min): 13.0%; Crude Fat (min): 6.0%; Crude Fiber (max): 2.0%; Moisture (max): 68.0%.

Primal Chicken Mix - Ingredients: Chicken Neck, Chicken Frames, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Organic Carrots, Organic Dandelion Greens, Mango, Organic Apples, Organic Parsley. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min) 13.0%; Crude Fat (min) 6.0%; Crude Fiber (max) 1.0%; Moisture (max) 71.0%.

Raw Advantage Organic Chicken Dinner - Ingredients: organic chicken, organic millet, organic oats, organic carrots, organic zucchini, organic kale, organic beets, organic ground flaxseed, organic dried kelp, organic wheatgrass, organic garlic powder and organic lecithin. Guaranteed Analysis: No information available.

SmallBatch Chicken - Ingredients: Free Range Chicken Frames (including muscle meat and bone), Yams*, Egg Yolks*, Kale*, Carrots*, Broccoli*, Squash*, Basil*, Parsley*, Rosemary*, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar*, Kelp*, Bee Pollen*, Grapefruit Seed Extract*. (*organic) Guaranteed Analysis: Moisture 72.2%; Protein 12.1%; Fat 9.9%; Fiber 0.5%; Ash 2.8%; Calcium 0.51%; Phosphorus 0.3%.

Stella & Chewy's Chicken - Ingredients: Chicken (ground with bone), chicken liver, chicken gizzard, pumpkin seed, organic cranberries, organic spinach, organic broccoli, organic beets, organic carrots, organic squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, direct-fed microorganisms (Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium), magnesium oxide, natural tocopherols, vitamin E supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, vitamin D3 supplement. Guaranteed Analysis: crude protein min 15.0%; crude fat min 9.0%; crude fiber max 2.0%; moisture max 70.0%.

Steve's Real Food Chicken - Ingredients: Ground chicken (with ground bone), Broccoli, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Cantaloupe, Chicken livers, Chicken gizzards, Flaxseed, Egg Shell Powder, Sardine/Anchovy Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Sea Salt, Extract of Chicory (FOS), Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Rosemary Extract, Natural Flavors. Guaranteed Analysis: Protein: 10.0% minimum; Fat: 6.0% minimum; Fiber: 1.0% maximum; Moisture: 78.0% minimum.

Bottom Line: Reading through the ingredients, helps me sort out what's most important in a frozen raw food product. Raw is a part of my variety/rotation feeding method and these products make it convenient. At the same time, I'm interested in learning how to make it myself, too. 

Resources:
(1) All of the product ingredients were sourced from companies’ websites.
(2) Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - Product Safety Information on Steroid Hormones
(3) U.S. Department of Agriculture - Meat & Poultry Labeling Terms
(4) Organic Trade Association - National Organic Standards Board Definition of "Organic"
(5) U.S. Department of Agriculture - Understanding Organic

Notes: This post was updated on October 20, 2010 to include facts on meat and poultry labeling. Other updates were made, too.