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Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick 2022

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Both Merrick and Blue Buffalo are good pet food brands with an emphasis on the quality and wellness of your pets. Right from their origins, the two have a lot in common, but that does not make them equal. So, which is better between Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick in the showdown?

Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick

Merrick rose from humble beginnings in 1988 as an independent operation founded by Garth Merrick. Garth began with homemade meals for Gracie, his dog, and his neighbors started ordering some as well which is when he started mass production. The company was acquired by Nestle Purina PetCare Corp. in 2015.

On the other hand, Blue Buffalo was founded more than a decade after Merrick in 2003 by Bill Bishop and in 2018, it was sold to General Mills. It is headquartered in Connecticut, USA but has operations in more than 5 countries.

Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick Infredients

Blue Buffalo and Merrick use natural healthy ingredients which make their pet foods nutritious and tasty. There are no cheap fillers in the two brands thus improving their nutritional value. Yet, Merrick has higher protein content in their diets. Their dry dog, wet cat, dry cat, and wet cat foods have 6.5%, 3.9%, 3.5%, and 0.9% more protein than Blue Buffalo. However, we noted controversial ingredients in both with 3 unique in each and one with adverse health effects.

Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick Recalls

In terms of recalls, Merrick only has 6 against Blue Buffalo’s 9.

Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick Pricing

And while the prices are almost similar, Blue Buffalo is less costly.

Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick Comparison Table

FactorBlue BuffaloMerrick
TasteUses meat, has tasty meals, but that differs based on recipesUse more meat with more protein content making tasty meals
Nutritional ValueHigh-quality ingredients with zero fillers & include omegasMore nutritious with healthy ingredients, omegas & no fillers
Product LineSix product lines: Freedom, Basics, Veterinary Diet, Wilderness, Carnivora & TrueSolutionsTen product lines in total for both dog and cat foods
PriceFairly costlyVery Expensive
SafetyVery many food recalls, 9 to be exact (2007 – 2017 )Six recalls from 2010 to 2018

Verdict: Blue Buffalo vs. Merrick

Overall, both brands are good choices but we pick Merrick due to safety concerns and high protein content, and high nutritional value.

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