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Blue Buffalo vs. Nutro
Both Blue Buffalo and Nutro are brands that make high-end pet foods in terms of quality. In fact, the two are very impossible to tell apart in many aspects. So, which are these identical features, and who wins the contest?
Blue Buffalo vs. Nutro Companies
Nutro was started in 1926 by John Saleen, an entrepreneur who purchased a dog food company to manufacture healthy kibble for Southern Carolina residents. The brand is one of the most popular quality foods you will find in pet food stores in the US. The pet food company was family-owned and operated until 1976 when it was acquired by Mars, Inc., Pedigree brand owner. It prospered after purchase and has facilities in Tennessee, California, and Missouri.
Blue Buffalo was founded in 2003 by Bill Bishop who later sold it to General Mills in 2018. It is headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut, USA.
Blue Buffalo vs. Nutro Overview & Recalls
When it comes to palatability, both Nutro and Blue Buffalo offer great foods but the latter is on the higher end of the spectrum, especially with its high-protein line of foods. Although Nutro’s ingredient splitting method is a concern, we give it thumbs up for great safety records. Unlike Blue, Nutro has only been recalled twice in the past decade. Both brands offer their foods at a competitive price with a range of selections to suit your pet’s needs.
Blue Buffalo vs. Nutro Ingredients & Nutrition
On the one hand, their cat food guaranteed analysis is almost the same with a slight difference visible in their wet foods in terms of protein contents (54.6%B and 45.6%N). This applies in their dog foods with Blue at 29.5% protein content in dry dog food against Nutro’s 27%. Canned dog foods have 40% and 42.6% (Blue & Nutro) in protein content.
Blue Buffalo vs. Nutro Comparison Table
| Factor | Blue Buffalo | Nutro |
| Taste | Uses real meat as the primary ingredient. Premium ingredients. | Uses meat as the first ingredient sometimes & wholesome grains |
| Nutritional Value | Uses less controversial ingredients: Canola oil, caramel & garlic | Has many controversial ingredients in its formulas |
| Product Line | Six product lines: Freedom, Basics, Veterinary Diet, Wilderness, Carnivora & TrueSolutions | Ten product lines in total for both dog and cat foods |
| Price | Can be costly | Can be expensive |
| Safety | Very many food recalls, 9 to be exact (2007 – 2017 ) | Four major recalls in 2007, 2010, 2015, 2016 & 2017 |
Verdict: Blue Buffalo vs. Nutro
Overall, both have a significant number of controversial ingredients in their formula. But we pick Nutro over Blue Buffalo due to safety concerns. If your dog prefers Blue, he knows best.
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Hi there! My name is Alex Landy, one of the co-founders here at Our Pets HQ and a parent to a small-breed Yorkie. I am a published author of two books on dog breeding and currently write on various pet-related blogs about caring for dogs. I am a parent of two daughters and live outside Boston where I spend a lot of time with family and serve in different breeding clubs. You can reach me at alex@ourpetshq.com
