I’m all for human grade raw dog foods. The Nosh Project at Petbarn is a big hit with consumers for that reason, but what do you need to know to make an informed decision on how good it is for your dog?
Read this review of course! Let’s take a good look!
The Nosh Project Reviewed!
What the marketing says
When you search Google for “The Nosh Project” this is the first you’ll see this:
Those few words really hit the spot in terms of marketing, and many Aussie dog owners will be instantly convinced this is a great product.
I have to say there’s a lot of good stuff going for this dog food, but there’s a little more to the story – keep reading and you’ll find out.
For now let’s focus on the benefits based on what we know so far:
- Human grade dog food – This is a huge plus in my book. There’s a lot to be said about “pet grade” ingredients in Australia, and a lot of dubious questions with the Australian standards in that respect. We’ve seen some horrible episodes with pet grade meats over the years, such as the horse meat scandal in 2021 where Maffra Knackery and other retailers in VIC were selling toxic horse meat, and the ABC 7.30 report in 2018 where we helped expose the truth with the Australian pet food industry. These events have led to Australian consumers, such as you and I, to favour “Human Grade” pet food products.
- Aussie ingredients – I lived in the UK half of my life, and Australia the other half (not counting a brief stint in the middle of the frozen Gobi desert). One thing which can be said for us Aussies is we’re very proud of who we are, and we love to support Australian products and produce. Aussie ingredients is such a big selling point when it comes to making a choice for our dogs.
- Developed by pet nutritionists – This really sounds impressive, and we implicitly trust professionals in the field to formulate the food which will keep our dogs active and healthy for years to come. You may be surprised, however, that I became a certified pet nutritionist (CPD Accredited) in less than a day.
Right, enough pre-amble. Let’s take a look at the ingredients.
What the ingredients really say
I’ll start by saying there are lots of reasons why you would choose The Nosh Project for your dog. It’s a good choice.
When writing a review such as this, with the aim of exposing the real truth about a dog food, it can sometimes come across as negative. Please don’t see it that way, but let the points I make sink in so you can make the right decision for you, your dog, and of course your budget.
What is the key point you must know about The Nosh Project
All of The Nosh Project recipes (or bowls) have a similar formulation. With each on you’ll find meat as the first ingredient. Note I say first ingredient rather than main ingredient. This ticks our box of meat is good for our dogs, as we all think of them as meat eaters.
However, the next ingredients matter, and the ones which follow are rice and potato. It is likely these two ingredients outweigh the meat ingredient, possibly 2 to 1. I’ll back this up with some calculations below under the “Analysis” section, but won’t bore you with maths here.
I consider rice and potato fine in moderation, but when fed in excess on a daily basis may not be the best for your meat-loving dog.
We read earlier The Nosh Project is formulated by pet nutritionists, but for what reason?
We must not forget products are designed to make a profit, which is the primary aim for all pet foods.
Some formulas favour the dog (often with a higher price tag) and some are designed to appeal to consumers for the price they can afford (which often means cheaper ingredients to target that price point).
Meat ingredients are expensive, and potato and rice are cheap. For your dog you want meat more than rice and potato.
Right, I think I’ve driven that point home enough. Lets focus on the benefits.
Let’s take stock and remember this dog food is human grade, which is a plus. We also find broccoli, carrots, and spinach, which are beneficial to your dog. It’s also great to see chicken liver which is excellent for dogs, and sadly not in many dog foods. Consider that a big plus.
Included are 27 vitamins, minerals, and DHA (an omega 3 fatty acid). These are all good, and also required to make The Nosh Project a “complete and balanced” dog food as per AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) requirements for adult maintenance or growth.
There are no added colours, preservatives, or flavourings, which is a really good point to end on.
Overall The Nosh Project as a human grade food should provide your dog with a safe and reliable meal. Keep in mind the formula more likely favours rice and potato over meat, but the benefit here is the price will more likely suit your budget. If that’s the case, consider feeding some fresh meats, organs, and tasty raw meaty bones alongside this dog food, which will serve to add nutrition and keep the costs affordable.
Compare the ingredients of The Nosh Project to any of those on the recommended raw dog food page and you’ll see the difference.
Where to buy
The Nosh Project dog food (and cat food) is most commonly found at Petbarn stores.
Ingredients
The ingredients of The Nosh Project dog food (Slow Cooked Chicken Bowl for Dogs):
Chicken breast, rice, potato, broccoli, carrots, spinach, chicken liver, Nourish 27 (vitamins, minerals & DHA), vegetable oil, psyllium husk and salt.
Analysis
To gain an idea of carbohydrates in The Nosh Project dog food we can use our method of calculation. Using the figures stated below we can assume composition after moisture and ash is removed will be 28.5% (100% – 70% moisture – 1.5% ash). Of this 8% (min) will be crude protein, 2.8% (min) will be crude fat, which would leave 17.7% carbohydrates (or perhaps a little less when we account for protein and fat as minimum percentages).
That may not sound a great deal of carbohydrates compared to dry foods, but we’re dealing with wet percentages here (a lot of moisture). Consider it another way, and the carbohydrates would be double that of protein, which further justifies our assumption the rice and potato outweigh the meat 2 to 1.
These are the analysis figures for The Nosh Project dog food (Slow Cooked Chicken Bowl for Dogs), listed as composition (average as fed):
| Protein | 8% (min) |
| Fat | 2.8% (min) |
| Crude Fibre | 0.5% (max) |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 17.7% (wet, accounting for 70% moisture and 1.5% ash) |
* May be estimated. Read how to calculate carbohydrates in a pet food.
