Fromm Dog Food Review, Recalls & Ingredients Analysis in 2024

Fromm (Fromm Family Pet Foods) is a premium brand of dog food, which has been around for more than a century – honestly!

Let’s find out more about this family-owned business, and have a look at some of its top recipes from its most popular line of dog food.

My List of the Best Fromm Dog Food Options in 2024:

Who manufactures Fromm?

Family-owned over 5 generations, Fromm has been going for over 100 years – since all the way back to 1904 – and has stayed in the family since. They produce their dry pet foods in their own plant in Wisconsin, while their canned food is produced in a plant in South Dakota.

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They pride themselves on the fact that they use ingredients that are sourced in the USA and that they formulate the pet foods themselves. Indeed, the president and owner of Fromm, Tom Nieman, who inherited the company from his grandmother in 1983, is also the cook!

Overview of Fromm

Fromm Dog Food claim to take a holistic approach to manufacturing dog food; they formulate their dog foods with the aim to make high-quality recipes that offer dogs complete and balanced nutrition for each life stage and lifestyle.

Their recipes include high levels of real meat and fish, farm-fresh produce, fruit and vegetables, and local Wisconsin cheese.

Fromm Recalls history

• In March 2016, Fromm Family Pet Foods voluntarily recalled their 12 oz. cans of the new Gold canned dog food pates. After the company’s own analysis, they found the food contained elevated levels of Vitamin D, which could cause a reduction in appetite in dogs who had been eating this food over a long period of time. While there were no reports of dogs getting sick, Fromm decided to recall the food “out of an abundance of caution.” They recommend that if you have these 12 oz. cans, which were shipped to distributors between December 2015 – February 2016, you do not feed them to your dog.

What formulas does Fromm have?

Fromm has 3 different lines of dog food: Fromm Gold Nutritionals; Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals; and Fromm Family Classic.

Listed below are the formulas each line has:

Fromm Gold Nutritionals:

Fromm Gold comes in three categories: Fromm Heartland Gold, Fromm Gold Coast, and the original Fromm Gold.

Fromm Gold (made with duck, chicken, & lamb)

• Gold Puppy/Gold Large Breed Puppy
• Gold Adult/Gold Small Breed Adult/Gold Large Breed Adult
• Gold Weight Management
• Gold Reduced Activity & Senior

Fromm Heartland Gold (grain-free & red meat)

• Heartland Gold Puppy/Heartland Gold Large Breed Puppy
• Heartland Gold Adult/Heartland Gold Large Breed Adult

Fromm Gold Coast (grain-free & ocean fish)

• Gold Coast Weight Management

Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals:

• Beef Frittata Veg
• Chicken A La Veg
• Duck & Sweet Potato
• Game Bird
• Hasen Duckenpfeffer
• Lamb & Lentil
• Pork & Applesauce/Pork & Peas
• Salmon A La Veg/Salmon Tunalini
• Surf & Turf
• Whitefish & Potato

Fromm Family Classic:

• Adult/Mature Adult

Fromm’s Top 5 Dog Food Products

In this review, I am going to focus on Fromm Gold, as it seems to be their most popular range. Below I have reviewed 5 of their top foods, recommending for what type of dog I think it is suitable.

Overview of Ingredients in Fromm Gold Recipes

Protein

In all of Fromm Gold’s regular recipes, the first 3 ingredients are named, protein-rich meat sources: duck, chicken meal, and chicken. While chicken meal may sound like a questionable ingredient, it is actually just the dry rendered product of chicken flesh and skin and very high in protein.

Their recipes also contain further meat sources, including menhaden fish meal, lamb, and dried whole egg, the latter of which is a very easily digestible protein, making it very nutritious for your dog.

In the grain-free variety, Fromm Heartland Gold, the first 2 ingredients are named meats (beef and pork meat meal), and it also includes nutrient-rich pork liver.

Fat

Fromm uses named, quality sources of fat, including chicken fat, pork fat, salmon oil, and flaxseed, all of which are great sources of omega fatty acids for your dog’s skin and coat health.

Carbs

In the regular Fromm Gold recipes, the carbohydrates come from oatmeal, pearled barley, and brown rice. These are good quality sources, as they are whole grains, which are high in fiber and vitamins and minerals such as iron and magnesium.

In Fromm Heartland Gold, the carbohydrates come from potatoes as well as pulses, including peas, lentils, and chickpeas. These pulses are all also excellent sources of carbohydrates, as they also contain protein, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals.

Antioxidants

All of Fromm Gold’s recipes contain dried tomato pomace (a mixture of tomato skins, pulp, and crushed seeds), celery, lettuce, and carrots, and alfalfa meal (ground alfalfa sprouts)*. While these ingredients all contain antioxidants that keep your dog’s immune system healthy, they are not among the highest antioxidant sources. Therefore, for me, Fromm Gold’s recipes are lacking in this department.

*According to Dog Food Advisor, this is a controversial ingredient that is more commonly found in horse feeds and plant fertilizers. However, according to veterinarian Dr. Becker, as long as it is not used as a meat replacement (which isn’t the case with Fromm Gold) and your dog is doing well on the food, there should be no concern.

Important Note About Fromm Gold for Dogs with Dairy Allergies

Each recipe contains cheese, which means Fromm Gold will not be suitable for dogs with dairy allergies.

Important Note About Fromm Gold for Dogs with Joint Diseases

Fromm also includes chicken cartilage in each recipe. This ingredient provides a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin, which provides support for your dog’s joints.

Unfortunately, however, since these are not recognized as essential nutrients by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, Fromm does not stipulate the quantity in their recipes.

Therefore, I cannot say which formula is better for dogs already suffering from joint problems, for whom higher amounts of these nutrients can be helpful.

#1 Fromm Gold Nutritionals Adult

This recipe has a moderately high fat content, so I think it is better suited to more active adult dogs, such as higher energy breeds like Pitbulls and Boxers. It can also be a good food for dogs with long coats, like Golden Retrievers, as they need a higher fat content to keep their coat healthy. It will not suit dogs who are overweight or prone to weight gain.

#2 Heartland Gold Adult

As this recipe has the same protein and fat levels as the recipe above, I recommend it for the same types of dogs. The difference here is that Heartland Gold Adult is grain-free, so it suits dogs who are allergic to grains. Nor does it contain chicken, so if your dog is allergic to this, she should be safe with this recipe.

Heartland Gold is also quite high in fiber. So, if your dog is prone to digestive problems such as diarrhea or constipation, this recipe may be a good choice.

#3 Fromm Gold Small Breed Adult

This formula is specifically designed for toy and small breed adult dogs, who need a food high in protein and fat to support their fat metabolism. The macronutrient balance here is ideal for active Shih Tzus and Chihuahuas.

As with the above recipes, the fat content will be too high for overweight or inactive dogs.

#4 Fromm Adult Gold Large Breed Dog Food

This recipe has been developed for large breed dogs. I think the protein-to-fat ratio suits typical (rather than active) large breed dogs such as Golden Retrievers as well as for giant breed dogs like Great Danes.

The downside to this recipe is that it is pretty high in carbohydrates, meaning that a dog who is prone to weight gain or who doesn’t do enough exercise may put on weight when eating this food.

#5 Fromm Gold Nutritionals Puppy Dry Dog Food

This formula is specifically formulated for puppies, who need a special diet as they are growing. For this reason, the protein and fat contents are higher than in the adult dog foods.

As the fat levels are pretty high here, I think this food suits active puppies, such as Boxers or German Shepherds, very well.

If your puppy is prone to upset tummies, your pup may need a food slightly higher in fiber.

What is the average price and how long will it last?

Fromm Gold is sold in 5 lb, 15 lb and 33 lb bags, while Fromm Heartland Gold is sold in 4 lb, 12 lb, and 26 lb.

For a 33 lb bag of Fromm Gold, the cost ranges from $80 – $100*, while a 26 lb bag of Fromm Heartland Gold costs in the region of $80.

*all prices in this post are given approximately by looking on average at 5 of the top online retailers. The final price can vary.

Check out the chart below which shows you how long a bag of 33 lb (14.96 kg) food will last you.

*I have used the Fromm Gold Adult recipe intake recommendations as an example (Fromm’s recommended daily intake varies minimally between each recipe).

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