Acana vs Fromm Dog Food Comparison 2021

Should you buy Fromm or Acana dog food? Both brands have an excellent reputation, come highly recommended by breeders, veterinarians, and pet parents alike, and the price tags are equally outrageous. Today we take a deep dive into company history, nutrition labels, ingredient lists, and online retailer research to help you make the right choice if you’re willing to pay a pretty penny.

Which is better: Fromm or Acana? You’ll find your answer by the end of this post!

Fromm Family Pet Food is an American Dream come true. Created by German immigrants in the late 1800s, the family business ran silver fox farms. From there, the Fromm brothers switched to producing fox food. And the first bag of Fromm Complete Dog Meal was sold in 1949. The company introduced new products throughout the decades and hired new veterinarians and nutritionists, but it always remained within the Fromm family.

Being an all-American brand is one of Fromm’s core advantages. The company owns several manufacturing facilities and a research center. They even run an annual Fromm Petfest for pets and their parents.

It’s easy to make sense of the Fromm dog food variety, unlike other popular brands. There are three kibble lineups, including Classic, Gold, and FourStar, as well as two wet food options (Pate and Family Recipes). You can also supplement the feeding with Fromm Remedies and Crunchy Os treats.

Fromm Classic Adult

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A best-selling formula that’s super-affordable and nutrient-packed is designed for active adult canines. It’s based on Fromm’s classic recipes, with chicken as the first ingredient and a combination of healthy grains, minerals, vitamins, and probiotics. Thanks to 23% protein and 15% fat, this kibble meets the AAFCO dog food nutrient profile for growth and maintenance. The one downside to this food is that it’s difficult to get your hands on, and it only comes in 15 and 33-pound bags.

Fromm Adult Gold

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Gold is a more nutritious take on the traditional chicken-based formula by Fromm. Though the recipe remixes most of the ingredients from the Classic lineup, the protein (25%) and fat (16%) content is higher. Using protein sources that are more digestible than the protein offered by other brands, this kibble is perfect for supporting adult dog health without causing weight gain. The product comes in three bag sizes (5, 15, and 33 pounds) and is better suited for small and medium breeds, as kibble pieces are too small for large and giant dogs.

Fromm FourStar Beef Frittata Veg Recipe

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The most recent addition to the Fromm kibble variety, FourStar recipes are delectable, nutritious, and interchangeable without any digestive issues. This recipe uses beef as the No1 ingredient, complemented by vegetables, legumes, and a balanced combination of vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. Extra-high in protein (30%) and fat (18%), it’s also grain-free, so it works perfectly for allergy-prone canines with sensitive tummies. Still, the price tag is a bit extreme, and the bag sizes range from 4 to 26 pounds.

Fromm Pros

• Wide variety of life stage and lifestyle-specific formulas built around high-quality protein sources.
• Stringent quality management supported by HACCP programs and regular random inspections by the FDA, USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
• Transparent ingredient sourcing and traceability.
• Canned and dry dog food produced at family-owned US-based manufacturing facilities.

Fromm Cons

• A single recall was caused by elevated vitamin D levels in three types of Gold Pate canned food.
• Bag size options are somewhat limited across all lineups, and kibble shape is mostly the same, though different in size for various breeds.
• Fromm products are unavailable at popular online retailers, like Chewy, PetSmart, Petco. You can only purchase them via Amazon or Fromm authorized online retailers, like Care-a-Lot, K9 Cuisine, or PetFlow.

Read our full Fromm Dog Food Review.

Champion Petfoods started as a small milling and bagging business to supply local farmers in Alberta, Canada, in 1979. The first dog kibble under the Acana brand was released in 1985, and it quickly became a go-to choice for local pet lovers. The company expanded to open large manufacturing facilities in Alberta and Kentucky and is now a globally renowned brand.

While Acana joined the canned dog food market recently, their kibble variety is outstanding. Wholesome grains is a line of grain-inclusive recipes, while the majority of products are grain-free and built around a healthy combination of animal ingredients and fresh vegetables and fruit. Singles lineup includes limited ingredient formulas ideal for allergy-prone dogs. You can also get your hands on Freeze-dried Patties or High-protein Biscuits to treat your pup to something extra.

Acana Wild Atlantic

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A fresh and exciting take on dog kibble is based on an assortment of WholePrey fish rather than chicken. Up to 70% of the recipe is made by animal ingredients, while the rest comprise fresh veggies and fruits, with no grains, soy, or tapioca in sight. Extra high in protein (33%) and fat (17%), this kibble is suitable for all breeds and life stages, though you’ll have to monitor your pup’s weight and adjust the portion size accordingly.

Acana Free-run Poultry Formula

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A high-end twist to chicken-based canine kibble, this product boasts up to 60% animal ingredients, starting with deboned chicken and turkey. Every bite is enhanced with fresh vegetables, legumes, and fruit, as well as probiotics to promote healthy digestion. Though Acana kibble is free of artificial colors and flavors, even fussy eaters gobble it up thanks to freeze-dried chicken liver coating every bite. This kibble may be less nutrient-packed (29% protein, 17% fat) than the Wild Atlantic formula, but it’s still grain-free.

Acana Lamb & Apple Recipe

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Ideal for dogs with food sensitivities, this kibble uses a single source of animal protein. Lamb works great for pups with poultry allergies and can entice the pickiest eaters. Apples and other fruit and veggies round up the formula that’s free of grains and peas to ensure your pooch doesn’t run into any digestive issues. Probiotics are also meant to help with that. As always, Acana recipes are free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

Acana Pros

• Three to five of the first ingredients in every recipe are animal-based, so each formula comprises at least 50% to 70% animal ingredients.
• Acana offers a broad range of grain-free and grain-inclusive formulas, limited ingredient recipes, all tailored to limit possible digestive issues.
• Kibble packaging options range from 12oz to 25lbs, which is perfect for trying new recipes for the first time or stocking up for a multi-canine household.
• Not a single Acana product includes corn, soy, tapioca, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
• Products sold in the US are manufactured by the US-based facilities from ingredients sourced from reliable suppliers all over the world.

Acana Cons

• Most kibble recipes are marketed as appropriate for all life stages, which may not be true for your pup.
• Wet formulas are relatively new on the market and hard to get your hands on. I could only find some online at Pet Supplies Plus.

Read our full Acana Dog Food Review.

Let’s take a closer look at the brands’ offers and compare Fromm dog food to Acana kibble and wet food options. Fromm wins by a long shot when it comes to canned products, as Acana has joined the race recently. In kibble variety, the companies are evenly matched. The only major difference is that most Acana products are designed for all breeds and ages, while Fromm has plenty of recipes tailored for puppies, senior canines, and large breeds.

Flavor variety is respectable for both Acana and Fromm. Both came up with beef, red meat, pork, freshwater fish, turkey, lamb, duck, and chicken formulas. However, Fromm beat Acana in crafting gourmet recipes that sound like something out of a Micheline restaurant. Salmon a la Veg or Highlander Beef, Oats, ‘n Barley Recipe are just a couple of examples that caught my eye. And they are available as canned food too!

For me, there’s no competition between Acana vs Fromm dry dog food. I see no problem with feeding my pooch the same kibble throughout his whole life. It sure eliminates the trouble of transitioning him to a new formula. Still, if you want a specialized puppy or senior dog food, Fromm will be a better choice.

When it comes to nutrition, in a battle of Fromm dog food vs Acana, the latter is the winner. Across most formulas I’ve researched, crude protein, fat, and fiber content were higher for Acana. And while Fromm argues increased digestibility of their formulas, Acana’s are even more so.

See the numbers for yourself.

When we compare Fromm and Acana dog food, both use high-quality ingredients acceptable for canine digestion, though some may cause concern. For instance, among Fromm ingredients, you may see salt, miscanthus grass, and unspecified natural flavors, as well as ‘ancient grains’. All are considered safe in small quantities and could even be beneficial for your dog’s health. Besides, none of Fromm’s ingredients are sourced in China.

The most disturbing ingredients in Acana kibble are liver, cartilage or tripe from lamb or beef, and whole fish. These components fall under the brand’s WholePrey philosophy of providing dogs with the same things they would eat in the wild, including those nasty-sounding things, like cartilage. There’s nothing wrong with organs and bones on the ingredient lists, as they partially replace synthetic additives, like minerals.

Acana is very serious about sourcing the ingredients, but the company lacks transparency. The official website claims some dog food components come from New Zealand and Scandinavia, but there’s no information on Chinese ingredients. Hopefully, the company steers clear of those after so many pet food brands fell victim to the Melamine recall of 2007.

When you’re choosing whether to buy Fromm or Acana, price is probably not the first thing on your mind, as you’re obviously looking for the best dog food possible. Still, Acana prices may seem exorbitant until you take a calculator and figure out the prices per pound and per calorie. The latter is particularly important, as it accounts for moisture and nutritious value. With this number, you know for sure how much of your money goes towards your pup’s health.

As you see in the table below, Acana and Fromm are evenly matched when it comes to pricing. In some cases, Acana wet food and kibble may turn out to be a cheaper option.

Acana has never been recalled.

A class-action lawsuit against Champion Petfoods was the only slight blemish on the company’s otherwise flawless reputation. The plaintiffs claimed the dog food was contaminated with heavy metals, while Champion Petfoods falsified product quality. Their arguments lacked substance and proof, so the case was dismissed in early 2019.

Fromm issued a single recall in 2016. All lots of three canned dog food formulas of the Gold pate lineup were recalled due to elevated levels of vitamin D. The company did not receive any reports of appetite loss or other health issues from pet owners.

You may have also heard of Fromm as a part of the FDA’s investigation into the possible connection between diet and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Some of the complaints were filed by the owners of DCM-diagnosed pets who were feeding them Fromm food. However, the investigation did not find a direct correlation between certain diets and DCM as there may be too many possible causes of the condition.

Is Fromm dog food better than Acana?

Considering the lack of recalls, exceptional ingredients and nutritional value, Acana is the one for me. Even if the company hasn’t been around as long as Fromm, its dedication to quality management and biologically appropriate recipes has me and my pup hooked. The prices don’t seem so overwhelming when you use the right portion size, and you can buy a tiny pouch for taste-testing before you commit to auto-ship. Besides, Acana dog food is readily available across a dozen of online retailers.

If you prefer all-American products, want to support local businesses, or value kibble and canned food variety, Fromm will be a better option for you. Their FourStar gourmet recipes are interchangeable, delicious, and as nutritious as Acana formulas. Just don’t look for Fromm products at Chewy or Petco; they are only available via authorized retailers, Amazon, and goFromm.