Most would want to buy their pet food from a company that has been in the market for a long time. That said, a newer company might make better products.
In this review, I will talk about a century-old pet food company called Fromm and a relatively newer but recognized company called Blue Buffalo. I’m sure you must’ve heard about both.
Old and new companies may make different decisions, and their priorities might not align. Still, we’re here to find out what works best and who may have your pet’s best interest in mind. What’s interesting to note here is that both are family-owned brands.
| Factors | Fromm | Blue Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Owned by | Privately owned family business | Family-owned business |
| Launched In | 1904 | 2003 |
| Headquarters | Mequon, Wisconsin | Wilton, Connecticut |
| Special Feature | Hands-on production process | Complete Nutrition |
| Intended for | All dogs | All dogs |
All About The Fromm
- Fromm uses fresh ingredients and high-quality ingredients
- Dog Food contains Duck, chicken meal, chicken, brown rice
- You can find grain-free dog foods as well
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Erma Fromm started the company as far back as 1904 with the name Fromm Family Petcare.
What has always made this company stand out from the car is its state-of-the-art machinery and dedication to being involved in production.
The fifth-generation owner of the company, Tom Nieman, has heavily invested his time in not only being involved in on-ground-level production but also gaining a chemical engineering degree to help with his work.
Fromm and Nieman families had migrated to the USA from Germany. After acquiring a headquarters in Wiscon, the family made some vaccines for foxes and felines.
In the 1990s, the Fromm pet food recipes started using high-quality protein, and the advent of the 2000s brought forth the use of fresh vegetables and fruits. The company proudly boasts about its roots and sticking to them.
Get to Know Blue Buffalo
- High-Quality Protein
- A Natural Dog Food
- Antioxidant-Rich Lifesource Bits
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Blue Buffalo comes from the creator Bill Bishop’s first dog, “Blue,” who had unfortunately been diagnosed with cancer.
It took that rude awakening for the owners to start preparing Blue’s food by themselves to incorporate all the carbohydrates, proteins, and nutrients that it would take for Blue to have enough strength to get through his illness.
Blue Buffalo’s tagline says, “Love them like family. Feed them like family,” indicating that Blue Buffalo believes in feeding dogs the same kind of high-quality food you would want for your family.
The company started in 2003, using ingredients that align with the AAFCO guidelines, and has always been a meat-first dog food.
Fromm Vs. Blue Buffalo: Detailed 4-Factor Comparison
Buckle up because this is the part where I compare the two dog foods with regard to these four aspects that matter the most for dogs and their owner – recipes, ingredients, nutrition, and recalls.
1. Recipes
Knowing what recipes your favorite dog food has is important if you want to change your pet’s diet later. Here are some recipes by both our contenders.
Fromm
Heartland Gold Puppy
- Red meat
- Loved by small shops
- Family-made
This recipe contains chunks the same size as a penny, so your puppy is not likely to choke like they would on bigger adult-sized chunks.
What makes this good for puppies and pregnant and nursing dogs is the high-quality meat, multivitamins, and natural antioxidants. Fromm also claims that it has brain-boosting effects.
Beef Frittata Veg Recipe
- Highest-quality beef and pork
- Fruits and vegetables
- For all breeds and ages
This recipe has beef, beef broth, and loads of vegetables. It also contains some lentils and potatoes.
This recipe contains so many wholesome ingredients, added vitamins, and probiotics that it may be a more nutritional meal than your own dinner.
Dogs with health issues and pregnant and nursing dogs will benefit from this food. It is also interchangeable with all of Fromm’s Fourstar line of recipes.
Classic Mature Adult
- Whole grains
- Added probiotics
- Low-fat
This recipe is specially crafted for dogs with difficulty managing weight and those who aren’t particularly active.
Often, dogs stop being active as they age, and hence, this recipe is made with senior dogs in mind.
There are probiotics to help with their digestive system, and it has really simple but hearty ingredients such as chicken, brown rice, and eggs.
Blue Buffalo
Life Protection Formula Lamb and Oatmeal Recipe
- Deboned Lamb
- Wholesome grains
- Healthy fruits and vegetables
This recipe has been extensively enhanced with added vitamins and minerals. The lamb has been deboned, meaning the protein content is given importance, and the fruits and vegetables have antioxidant properties.
The formula has been prepared with DHA for healthy brain development.
BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe
- High-Protein
- No grains
- No by-products
The inspiration for this diet has been the biologically appropriate diet for wolves that roam the West Coast of America, and this is why no wheat, soy, or corn has been used.
This wet dog food is beef-first, followed by multiple meats, and it is nutritionally complete with added DHA for puppies.
BLUE Basics Turkey and Potato Recipe
- For senior dogs
- Limited ingredients recipe
- Supports gentle digestion
The idea behind this recipe is that sometimes less is more, which is why the recipe only uses a single protein source: turkey.
It is easier for senior dogs and dogs with troubled digestion to digest when the diet has only one type of protein. Glucosamine and Chondroitin have been added for those with concerns about the joint health of their mature dogs.
2. Ingredients
Ingredients are the whole identity of a dog food recipe, and nothing will tell you more about a brand except for the ingredients that it uses.
Fromm
- Meats
Many of Fromm’s recipes use multiple proteins, such as chicken, lamb, and turkey, in a single recipe.
The source isn’t as crystal clear, but it’s safe to assume that they do the sourcing of their ingredients from America itself. Mostly, Fromm focuses on using easily digestible proteins.
You can most certainly find meat meals or by-products listed as the second ingredient after every first-ingredient meat.
- Vegetables
Fromm often uses a controversial ingredient called dried tomato pomace for its antioxidant properties, which doesn’t make sense because there are certainly stronger and better antioxidant ingredients.
Apart from this, the recipes also include celery, lettuce, and carrots. I wouldn’t recommend any of these vegetables except carrots to feed your dogs.
Carrots are nutrient-rich and provide some vitamins that other fruits and vegetables lack. However, celery and lettuce contain almost all water and aren’t worth putting in a carnivorous diet.
- Grains
Fromm is a grain-inclusive food. It does contain some genuinely healthy grains such as flaxseed and alfalfa meal. But sometimes, it also uses low-quality ingredients such as brewer’s yeast.
The pet food company also doesn’t stop there and uses legumes even after their connection to heart disease in dogs.
Blue Buffalo
- Meats
Blue has both single protein and multiple recipes.
Most recipes contain deboned meats but also list by-product meals as the second ingredient, which may contain bones and non-human grade parts of an animal.
- Vegetables
The food is enriched with cranberries, blackberries, and pomegranate- a sign of an expensive but nutritious dog food.
While Blue Buffalo uses a healthy blend of vegetables like fiber-rich pumpkin and leafy greens like spinach and kale, it still uses legumes like peas and beans, which can be detrimental to a dog’s health in the long run.
All grain-free recipes do not contain wheat, corn, or soy, but legumes can be just as harmful, if not more.
- Grains
Any Blue Buffalo recipe contains minimum grains but uses rice and brown rice as bonding ingredients.
The other most frequently used grain is flaxseed, which is a healthy grain. It does not always contain seeds, but a lot of the time, seed oils are present.
3. Nutrition
Nutritional values give us an insight into the quality of the ingredients and the way they are blended in each recipe.
Fromm
Fromm recipes often overdo it in the fat department, going as high as 24%. However, they recognize this and fix it in the recipes for senior dogs.
Protein always ranges between 20-30 percent depending on the recipes, which is acceptable as long as the protein quality comes from natural sources.
The calcium content sometimes goes overboard, but phosphorus is just right.
One thing to note about Fromm is that it does not do feeding trials, so make of that what you will.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo mostly has an average protein content of 26%. I wish they added a bit more protein because many of their recipes are multi-protein, and it’s best to use more of one ingredient than many and have that not be enough.
This dog food company also has a problem with fat that goes beyond 30% sometimes. While dogs use fats as their energy source, they may gain unhealthy weight if they’re inactive.
We would like to see the fiber content in any dog food at 5%. It is safe to say that your pup will easily digest Blue Buffalo recipes.
The carbohydrate content is again over what other dog food companies use, with as high as 50%, which may not be ideal for inactive dogs.
4. Recalls
Fromm
Fromm dog food has an almost clean, perfect track record despite being around for over a century.
However, the recall is as recent as 2016, so it may indicate that the dog has decreased in quality over time. The recall was for heightened levels of Vitamin D.
Please also note that Fromm has been listed as one of the dog foods that are linked to heart disease in dogs. The FDA published the list.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo has never been recalled since it came out in 2003
Because it has been so recently launched, recalls may happen in the future, but as of date, Blue Buffalo has a clean record.
Highlights of the Two Brands
In case you have missed something, here are a few main points about both brands.
Fromm
- Around for over a century
- Linked to heart disease by the FDA
- Family-owned business
- Hands-on and thorough production process
- Has a single recall from 2016
Blue Buffalo
- Launched relatively recently in 2003
- No recalls
- Natural diet and multi-protein recipes
- Heightened levels of fats and carbohydrates
The Winner: Blue Buffalo
Despite coming out a century later and being a new brand, Blue Buffalo takes the cake here.
Blue Buffalo comes out on top because it uses wholesome ingredients and because Fromm subjects dogs to health risks that any loving pet parent cannot ignore.
Blue Buffalo does better than the AAFCO standards and implements feeding trials to concur on how dog food affects our beloved animals’ health.
Here are some pros and cons that may give you a better picture of Blue Buffalo
Pros
- No recalls
- Run-by animal lovers
- Designed to strengthen and nourish
- High-quality ingredients
Cons
- Some controversial ingredients
- High levels of fats and carbs
FAQ’s
Where does Blue Buffalo source its ingredients from?
Blue Buffalo mainly gets its ingredients from American sources. It has been confirmed that no ingredients come from China.
Is Blue Buffalo grain-free?
All and any Blue Buffalo products are completely grain-free. You may see the use of legumes in some recipes.
Are there any recipes by Blue Buffalo that are chicken-free?
Blue Buffalo Basics is a product line that uses no chicken, chicken meal, or chicken fat.
Last Words
How long a dog food company has been in business has little effect on the quality of the dog food, as can be seen in the case of Fromm pet food.
Older food companies might be reluctant to follow new standards and practices even though they might favor a dog’s health. Blue Buffalo has been consistent with their promises and has yet to slip up in terms of quality.
Ankita is a passionate pet lover and head of content at Pet Food Brands. With her extensive knowledge and research, she provides pet owners with top-quality information on dog food and nutrition. Her dedication to improving the lives of dogs makes her a leading voice in the industry.
