Nutro

Nutro scores in the mid-range on Chowmark. Founded in 1926 and owned by Mars Petcare since 2007, Nutro is one of the older pet food brands in the US market. Mars acquired Nutro Products from a private equity firm for a reported $2.3 billion, making it part of the same portfolio as Royal Canin, Pedigree, Iams, Eukanuba, and Whiskas.

The brand has recorded two lifetime recalls. The most notable was a 2009 recall of multiple Nutro cat food products due to excessive Vitamin D levels — a similar issue to the 2019 Hill's Science Diet recall, though smaller in scale. Pet owners should verify the exact dates and scope of both recalls against the FDA database.

Nutro does not meet WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines as an independent brand. Mars Petcare's nutritional oversight applies across the portfolio, but Nutro does not independently publish peer-reviewed research or publicly list board-certified veterinary nutritionists on its formulas. Formulas are AAFCO-compliant.

Nutro's positioning is "clean ingredients" — the brand markets its formulas as free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives, with non-GMO ingredients in some lines. The Natural Choice and Ultra lines use named meat sources as the first ingredient. The Wholesome Essentials line is the more accessible price tier.

The bottom line: Nutro is a solid mid-market brand with a clean recent safety record and a genuine commitment to ingredient transparency. It is not WSAVA-compliant, but it is a better-than-average choice for pet owners who want cleaner ingredient lists at a mid-market price point.