Orijen

Guardian 8 Formula

Moderate

About This Product

Guardian 8 Formula by Orijen is a cat food product that scored 5/10 on our ingredient safety scale. This is a below-average score, suggesting several ingredients that pet owners may want to be aware of. We analyzed 30 ingredients in this formula and found no major safety concerns.

Goal Compatibility

Sensitive Stomach

10/10

Weight Management

7/10

Grain-Free

10/10

Puppy/Kitten

6/10

Senior Pet

5/10

All Natural

10/10

Full Ingredient List

#1Poulet frais

#2saumon cru

#3dinde crue

#4hareng entier cru

#5maquereau entier cru

#6abats de poulet frais

#7foie de dinde cru

#8œufs frais

#9poulet déshydraté

#10dinde déshydratée

#11hareng déshydraté

#12foie de poulet déshydraté

#13œufs déshydratés

#14lapin cru

#15lentilles rouges entières

#16haricots pinto entiers

#17lentilles vertes entières

#18pois chiches entiers

#19haricots entiers

#20pois entiers

#21amidon de pois

#22miscanthus moulu

#23huile de goberge

#24gras de poulet

#25citrouille entière fraîche

#26courge musquée entière fraîche

#27varech séché

#28racine de chicorée

#29pommes entières fraîches

#30carottes entières fraîches

How We Score Pet Food

Our safety score uses a position-weighted formula: ingredients listed first (higher concentration) receive more weight in the calculation. Each ingredient is scored 1-10 based on published veterinary research and regulatory data. The final product score reflects the overall ingredient quality, with penalties for known carcinogens, artificial preservatives, low-quality fillers, and artificial colors.

What to Look For in Cat Food

• Named protein first — "Chicken" or "Salmon" is better than "Meat by-products"
• Minimal fillers — Avoid corn gluten meal, wheat middlings, soy flour as top ingredients
• No artificial preservatives — BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are linked to health concerns
• No artificial colors — Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2 serve no nutritional purpose
• Taurine listed — Essential amino acid cats cannot produce themselves

Disclaimer

PetFoodScored provides ingredient safety information for educational purposes only. We are not veterinarians. Always consult your vet before making dietary changes for your pet. Our scores are algorithmic assessments, not veterinary medical advice.