Fromm vs. Acana: Pros & Cons of Each Brand

  • By: Andrew
  • Time to read: 11 min.

This post contains affiliate links.

Are you trying to decide whether Fromm or Acana will be a more suitable brand for your pet? Are you unsure about what the costs and benefits of each brand are?

Fromm and Acana are both great pet food brands. Some pros of Fromm are that it is family operated, offers more options, and is less expensive than Acana. Some pros of Acana are that it hasn’t been recalled, and its ingredients offer more nutrients and are biologically appropriate for your pet.

Below, you will discover the differences between Fromm and Acana, as well as the pros and cons of each brand.

About the Companies

Next, you will read about Fromm and Acana’s different company structures and the main things each company values.

Fromm

Fromm is a family-owned-and-operated company. Currently, it is run by members of the Nieman family who have been connected with the Fromms through marriage and business since the 1800s. Their family is responsible for developing the first canine distemper vaccine in the 1930s.

The company is based in Wisconsin where all of their pet food is made. All operations are overseen by the Nieman family, so they are able to ensure that the quality and safety of their pet food is always being held up to the highest standard.

If I can say one thing about Fromm, it’s that they value safety.

Fromm has an Approved Supplier Program, which makes sure all of the ingredients they put in their pet food are unaltered until they arrive at Fromm’s plant. Everything that is brought to the plant is sampled before it is unloaded to make sure the ingredients are completely safe for your pet to consume.

Fromm goes the extra mile, and samples all of their dry pet food for pathogenic bacteria in an outside lab before each product is shipped. The lab has to give them the “ok” before they put any pet food on the shelves.

When it comes to their canned pet food, they monitor the temperatures, pressures, and cook time to make sure that the food is getting to a safe thermal temperature. Next, they test sample cans from each batch to make sure they are sterile. After this final step, the food is packaged and released.

Acana

Acana is owned by Champion Petfoods, which is an award-winning pet food manufacturer.

Acana focuses on making pet food, that is:

  • Biologically appropriate. Meaning, they try to copy the quantity, freshness, and type of meat that dogs and cats have evolved to enjoy. So they want the food to be very similar to what your dogs and cats ancestors would have eaten!
  • Never outsourced to other companies. Acana prepares all of its pet food in-house in their kitchen located in Kentucky. They oversee the preparation, where the ingredients come from, the cooking, and more to make sure your pet receives safe and high-quality food.
  • Contain fresh regional ingredients. Acana’s partners with local farmers to obtain wholesome ingredients that are sustainably raised, fished, and harvested.

Unlike other pet food companies, Acana doesn’t freeze and thaw out its food several times or dehydrate the food then rehydrate it later.

Instead, they provide food that is truly fresh or raw.

They define fresh food as food that is refrigerated to preserve its freshness. This meets the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standard for “fresh food.” Their raw food is similar to their fresh, except these foods are frozen instead of refrigerated to preserve their nutrients.

Using these methods of preservation helps assure that your pet is getting wholesome and healthy ingredients as opposed to old and stale ingredients that have been in and out of the freezer multiple times!

Acana has a Quality Assurance Department who tests finished products to make sure they are safe for your pet to consume. They also do a pathogen test on the products before they are shipped.

Nutrition: Which Brand Is Better for My Pet?

In the next section, we are going to compare Fromm and Acana dry dog and cat food. While Fromm also offers wet dog and cat food, Acana only offers dry, so we’ll only focus on the differences between these products for comparison purposes.

Dry Dog Food

Listed below are the average amounts of protein, fat, and fiber in dry dog food from Fromm and Acana.

Dry Dog Food

Fromm

Acana

Crude Protein

28.7%

36.0%

Crude Fat

16.6%

18.8%

Crude Fiber

6.7%

6.5%

Importance of Protein for Dogs

Protein is a crucial part of a dog’s diet. It is important for healthy functioning and helps build and repair body tissues and muscles in your pup’s body. It is also necessary for producing certain hormones and enzymes and for keeping your dog’s immune system in tip-top shape.

When shopping for pet food, the source the protein comes from (ie, animal, plant, etc.) and its position on the ingredients list are both important factors to consider.

High-quality sources of protein include chicken, beef, eggs, lamb, fish, and meat meals.

Meat meals are an especially nutritious protein source. They are dehydrated forms of meat that give you all of the meat’s protein without any added water or fat. So basically, meat meals are concentrated forms of protein, like a protein shake for dogs.

Good dog foods will list at least one or two high-quality protein sources within the first few ingredients. They also will have at least 20-25% crude protein.

Crude Protein: Fromm vs. Acana

Both Fromm and Acana provide at least this level of crude protein in their dog foods. However, Acana, on average, provides 7.25% more protein than Fromm.

Both brands include high-quality protein sources within the first few ingredients.

Some of the protein sources Acana uses include deboned chicken and turkey, rainbow trout, beef, and more. Some of the protein sources used by Fromm are chicken, chicken meal, beef, and more, depending on which product you buy.

Importance of Fat for Dogs

Fats are very important for dogs. They provide them with energy, keep their coats shiny, and are important for reproduction.

Fats are also essential because they promote the normal development and function of various cells, muscles, and tissues in your dog’s body.

When you are buying dog food, you should consider the fat content. According to Pet MD fats should make up 10-15% of your dog’s diet.

Typically dog foods will use animal fats and oils from plants to add fat. Some common sources include fish, flaxseed, and canola oils. Dog foods that include tallow or lard as their fat source should be avoided.

Crude Fat: Fromm vs. Acana

Both Acana and Fromm use quality fat sources, such as pollock oil and salmon oil in their dry dog food.

However, Acana dog food provides your dog with 2.29% more fat than Fromm. While this isn’t a huge difference, it is still significant.

Importance of Fiber for Dogs

Fiber is an important nutrient for your dog’s digestive tract. It can be naturally fermented into fatty acids, which help prevent too much bad bacteria from forming in your dog’s intestine and other parts of the body. Fiber may also reduce the risk of your dog getting colon cancer and can help your pup overcome diarrhea and constipation.

Crude Fiber: Fromm vs. Acana

The difference between the fiber in Fromm and Acana dry dog food is insignificant.

Dry Cat Food

The average protein, fat, and fiber content of Fromm and Acana dry cat foods are compared in the table below.

Dry Cat Food

Fromm

Acana

Crude Protein

37.3%

40%

Crude Fat

18.7%

22.2%

Crude Fiber

5.8%

3.9%

Importance of Crude Protein for Cats

Protein is essential for cats. Cats need protein more than most other species, including humans and dogs, since protein is their primary energy source.

Since protein is so important for cats, it plays many roles in their bodies, including maintaining many of their anatomical structures. Also, a cat’s immune system needs a lot of protein for proper functioning.

When searching for adequate cat food, the first step is to make sure the food displays an AAFCO statement of “nutritional adequacy.” This statement means that the food at least provides the minimum amount of protein and other ingredients that your cat requires.

Make sure to look at the ingredients in your cat food. You’ll want to get a brand that uses animal-based products, such as eggs, meat, dairy, and fish, as the primary protein source instead of plant-based sources, such as soybeans or corn gluten meal. Animal proteins provide cats with the protein and the amino acids they need, whereas plant-based sources don’t provide all of the amino acids, so they have to be supplemented.

Crude Protein: Fromm vs. Acana

Acana and Fromm differ slightly in the protein content their cat foods offer. Acana products offer about 2.69% more protein than Fromm.

However, both Acana and Fromm use animal-based products as the primary protein source in their cat food. Acana offers three sources, including poultry, fish, and red meat. Fromm offers 13 different sources, including chicken, duck, salmon, turkey, whitefish, and more. So, both brands use quality protein sources that will fulfill your cat’s nutritional needs.

Importance of Fat for Cats

Fat’s are a very important part of your furry friend’s diet. While they aren’t your cat’s primary energy source like protein, they are still essential for your cat’s health.

Fats keep your cat’s skin and coat shiny and healthy. Deficiencies in Omega-3 fats can cause abnormalities of the nervous system, leading to anything from vision problems to impaired learning. Omega-6 fats are also important for cats and have important physiological effects in their bodies.

Crude Fat: Fromm vs. Acana

On average, Acana cat food provides more fat than Fromm.

Does Either Brand Include Controversial Ingredients?

Both Fromm and Acana include ingredients that are considered to be “controversial,” meaning the impact of these ingredients on your dog’s health is disputed.

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used by Fromm:

  • Liver. Liver is generally considered to be healthy for dogs. Cats can have small amounts of liver as well. However, you need to be careful not to feed your pet’s too much liver since it is very high in Vitamin A and can lead to hypervitaminosis A which is very toxic for your pets.
  • White rice. In general, white rice is considered to be ok for dogs and is even recommended by some vets for when your dog has a stomach ache or diarrhea. However, if your dog is diabetic, you shouldn’t give him too much white rice because it has a high glycemic index that can cause his blood sugar level to rise.
  • Pea protein. Pea protein is a vegetable-based protein powder derived from yellow peas. In 2018 the American Veterinary Association released some research that suggests that peas may cause cardiomyopathy (AKA diseases that affect the heart muscle) in dogs.

Pea protein is also controversial because it is a plant-based protein source that has been found to not be as beneficial for dogs’ as animal-based protein sources.

  • Lentils. The same study by the American Veterinary Association that identified peas as a potential link to cardiomyopathy in dogs found that lentils may be linked as well.
  • Garlic powder. Garlic is considered to be toxic for dogs and cats. Studies have found that it kills red blood cells, which can cause anemia in your pet. Some dog treats from Fromm include garlic as a flavor-enhancer.
  • Dried tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is made from the skin, pulp, and seeds of ripe tomatoes. In the past, there was some concern that a substance called tomatine in tomatoes could have a toxic effect on your pet.

However, tomatine is mainly found in the green leaves and stems of tomato plants. There is very little present in ripe tomatoes. So, if your dog has a little dried tomato pomace or even an occasion ripe tomato, the general consensus is that he will be just fine. Plus, tomato pomace contains a lot of fiber, so it will help improve your dog’s stool!

If you’d like to see a complete list of all of the ingredients, Fromm includes in their foods, click here.

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used by Acana.

  • Whole peas. As mentioned above, peas may be linked to cardiomyopathy in dogs.
  • Red lentils. This ingredient may also be linked to cardiomyopathy.
  • Liver. If your pet eats too much, it can lead to hypervitaminosis A.

Cost: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

In the table below, you will find the average price per lb of dry dog and cat food from Fromm and Acana.

Food Types

Fromm

Acana

Dry Dog Food Price (per lb)

$2.35

$3.42

Dry Cat Food Price (per lb)

$3.85

$5.21

As you can see, Acana is more expensive than Fromm. However, as was discussed above, Acana’s pet foods usually include more nutrients. So you’ll have to decide whether getting more nutrients in your pet’s food is worth the extra expense!

Which Brand Has More Options Available?

Fromm takes first place when it comes to options. Overall, they have 108 product options, whereas Acana only has 38. Also, they have more variety in the products they offer than Acana.

Below is a table demonstrating the different products each company offers.

Product

Fromm

Acana

Dry Dog Food

32

26

Wet Dog Food

34

0

Dog Treats

12

5

Dog Supplements

2

0

Dry Cat Food

12

7

Wet Cat Food

16

0

Cat Treats

0

0

As you can see, Fromm offers some additional products that Acana doesn’t, including wet dog food, dog supplements, and wet cat food.

Has Either Company Had Recalls?

Back in March of 2016, Fromm recalled three of their wet dog food products for having “Incorrect Vitamins and Minerals.” The food was thought to have overly high levels of Vitamin D. While no pet owners reported that their pets experienced adverse health effects from this, Fromm recommended that no one feed their pet’s the affected products.

Acana has never been recalled.

However, in March of 2018, lawsuits were filed against Acana, claiming that they include harmful levels of arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, and BPA in their pet foods. Acana claims that this lawsuit is “meritless” and is based on “misinterpreted data.” As of 2020, the lawsuit has yet to be resolved.

Conclusion

Both Fromm and Acana are great pet food companies. They each include high-quality ingredients and do their absolute best to provide their customers with safe and wholesome pet food.

To conclude, we will go over the pros and cons of each brand.

Fromm Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Family owned and operated
  • Rigorously test their food to assure it is safe
  • Less expensive
  • Offers a wider variety of products

Cons:

  • On average, their food has fewer nutrients than Acana
  • Includes more controversial ingredients
  • They have been recalled once

Acana Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Their food is sustainably grown
  • Select ingredients that are biologically appropriate for cats and dogs
  • On average, Acana has more protein and fat in their pet food than Fromm
  • Acana has never been recalled

Cons:

  • More expensive
  • Has fewer options
  • Doesn’t offer wet dog or cat food

I hope this review of Fromm and Acana helps you select the pet food that is best for you and your furry friend!

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Sources

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