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Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food

Our Final Verdict

We give Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak dog food a rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food is a collection of high-protein, grain-free recipes from the Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food line. Available in most pet supply stores as well as online, Rachael Ray’s pet products are above-average in quality and are generally more affordable than other popular brands like Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, and Royal Canin. If you have an athletic or working dog with grain allergies, Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food might be an option for you:

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At a Glance: The Best Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food Recipes:

Rating Image Product Details
Our favorite
Winner
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Natural Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Natural
  • Free of corn
  • soy
  • and wheat
  • Affordable for a specialized diet
  • Whole meat is the first ingredient
  • Second place
    Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Grain-Free Raw Bites Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Grain-Free Raw Bites
  • Grain-free diet
  • Fortified for athletic dogs
  • With freeze-dried raw pieces
  • Third place
    Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Natural Wetlands Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Natural Wetlands
  • Protein-packed
  • With fiber-rich veggies
  • Chicken is the first ingredient
  • Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Natural Northern Woodlands Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Natural Northern Woodlands
  • With protein-rich duck
  • Turkey is the first ingredient
  • Help support healthy organs
  • Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Grain-Free Wetlands Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Grain-Free Wetlands
  • Features real meat
  • Raw bites of chicken
  • No by-product meals
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    Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food Reviewed

    About Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Products

    Celebrity chef and TV personality Rachael Ray launched Rachael Ray Nutrish line of pet products in 2008, looking to change the way we feed and care for our pets. Inspired by her Pit Bull, Isaboo, Ray wanted to provide pet owners with high-quality products at a lower cost than other big names and premium brands. Today, Rachael Ray’s Nutrish has dozens of products available, from different dog food to collars and other accessories.

    Rachael Ray Nutrish products are manufactured by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, who is owned by the manufacturing giant, J. M. Smucker. Based in Pennsylvania, Ainsworth and Smucker both manufacture multiple different brands of dog food. One potential issue with Rachael Ray Nutrish’s manufacturing practices is due to some outsourcing to Thailand; however, all Nutrish dry food is manufactured and processed in the United States.

    Which Types of Dogs Is Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food Best Suited For?

    Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak dog food is best suited for working, athletic, and high-energy dogs that need an additional boost in protein and nutrition. Peak dog food is completely grain-free. This can be a good or bad factor, depending on your dog’s nutritional needs and dietary restrictions.

    dog eating rachael ray nutrish dog food

    Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

    If your working dog has allergies to multiple protein sources, you may have better results with Purina Pro Plan Sport All Life Stages Active 27/17 Formula Dry Dog Food. This recipe is free of corn, soy, and wheat, which are the most popular grain allergens. Check out Purina Pro Plan Sport here for more information.

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    Recall History

    Rachael Ray Nutrish has only been recalled twice, which is considerably lower than big names like Pedigree, Iams, and Blue Buffalo:

    • 2015: Several varieties of wet cat food from Rachael Ray Nutrish line were recalled due to dangerously high levels of Vitamin D.
    • 2019: The FDA sent out a massive recall list of over 16 different brands, including Rachael Ray Nutrish. The recall is based on recent studies that linked grain-free diets to heart conditions in dogs.

    Although not a recall, we feel the need to mention that Rachael Ray Nutrish and Ainsworth Pet Products were sued by a customer in 2018. The lawsuit claimed that one of the ingredients was an herbicide that could be fatal to pets. The company made a statement that they will go through their ingredients but stood by their high standards of quality ingredients.divider 10

    Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

    Calorie Breakdown:

    rachel ray nutrish peak
    ** We selected Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Open Range Recipe to represent the other products in the line for this review **

    Whole Meat: Great

    In every Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak recipe, the first or second ingredient is whole meat. Whole meat is essential for your dog’s health and should always be one of the top five ingredients. There is a concern that whole meat greatly reduces in size after cooking, but it is still a vital ingredient for top nutritional well-being for your canine. If your current dog food doesn’t have a single whole meat ingredient listed, that can be in indication of poor nutritional value.

     Meat Meals: Great

    Meat meals are high-protein sources that, unlike whole meats, don’t reduce in size due to their processed state. While meat meals sound terrible, they’re quite nutritious and don’t include the less appealing parts of the animal. Chicken meal, one of the most popular of the meat meals, is made with the flesh, meat, and some bones of the chicken. The chicken meal never contains beaks, skulls, or intestines of the chicken, which are usually in chicken by-products.

    dogs getting burger bite treats

    Potatoes/Peas: Potential issue

    In 2019, the FDA sent out a mass recall for dog food brands that sold grain-free varieties. Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak is a grain-free dog food that uses potatoes and peas, which both have been listed as a possible cause of heart conditions. Potatoes, peas, and legumes are a popular choice for grain-free diets as sources of carbohydrates. If you think your dog may need a grain-free diet, talk to your veterinarian about the benefits and the risks.

     Multiple Protein Sources: Potential Issue

    Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak dog food is a high protein dog food, but it uses multiple different protein sources. This can be a potential issue if your dog has protein allergies, so Peak may not be the best option. If your dog is fine with multiple protein sources, then this is not a potential concern when buying this food.

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    Reviews of the 2 Best Rachael Ray Nutrish Peak Dog Food Recipes

    1. Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Grain-Free Natural Open Range

    Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Grain-Free Natural Open Range Recipe

    Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Grain-Free Natural Open Range Recipe is a specialized grain-free diet that is high in protein for active dogs. It’s made with high-quality ingredients, with whole meat as the first ingredient. It’s completely free of corn, soy, and wheat, so it’s great for dogs with grain allergies. PEAK is also on the affordable side for specialized diets, often lower in price than premium brands. However, it does have multiple protein sources, which can be a concern for dogs with protein-based allergies.

    Pros
    • Whole meat is the first ingredient
    • Free of corn, soy, and wheat
    • Affordable for a specialized diet
    Cons
    • Multiple protein sources

    2. Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Grain-Free Raw Bites Recipe

    Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Natural Grain-Free Raw Bites Open Range Recipe

    Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Natural Grain-Free Raw Bites Open Range Recipe is the savory version of the Open Range Recipe. It’s made with bits of freeze-dried raw meat for flavor and additional nutrition, so your picky dog may enjoy this version more than the original. The PEAK Raw Bites Open Range Recipe is also a grain-free diet with no preservatives, maintaining the high-quality standards of the brand. It’s also fortified for athletic and working dogs, giving them the extra nutrition for a long day out in the field. As with the original recipe, it does have multiple protein sources, which can cause allergic reactions in dogs with protein-based allergies.

    Pros
    • Made with freeze-dried raw pieces
    • A grain-free diet with no preservatives
    • Fortified for athletic dogs
    Cons
    • Multiple protein sources

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    What Other Users Are Saying

    Rachael Ray Nutrish is growing in popularity, often being listed as one of the better brands to purchase. Here are some things that are being said about this dog food line:

    • HerePup – “…all of these ingredients are selected with care and with the backing of the nutrition experts at Nutrish.”
    • Dog Food Guru – “…we think this is good food and most dogs should do well on it.”
    • Amazon – As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.

    Conclusion

    Rachael Ray Nutrish PEAK Dog Food is an alright dog food at a budget price. While it’s not the best quality, it’s not made with fillers and preservatives that value and low-budget brands often have. If your working dog needs a grain-free, nutrient-rich diet without breaking the bank, this dog food can be an ideal option.

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