Nulo: Facts, Recalls & Verified Foods
Nulo is made by Apax Partners, founded 2010 — it scores green on 2 of 5 WSAVA-aligned criteria we track (1 red, 2 undisclosed), no FDA recalls on record, and 0 of the 33 Nulo foods we've verified carry an AAFCO feeding-trial statement.
· 33 Nulo food labels checked
The scorecard
WSAVA-aligned criteria
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association's nutrition guidelines suggest questions to ask any pet food maker before you buy. Here are this brand's answers, each with its source, or marked undisclosed when we could not confirm one.
2 of 5 criteria confirmed yes · 1 confirmed no · 2 undisclosed. Undisclosed is common, especially for smaller brands — it means we couldn't confirm an answer from a public source, not that the answer is unfavorable.
Names two full-time PhD nutritionists: Dr. Greg Aldrich (Ph.D. Nutrition, Univ. of Illinois) and Dr. Heather Mendoza (Ph.D. Grain Science/Pet Food Science, Kansas State). Qualified by PhD, not by ACVN/ECVCN veterinary diplomate.
source & quote
view source →
FAQ references a 'network of premium pet food facilities' and 'manufacturing partners,' indicating third-party co-manufacturers rather than company-owned plants.
source & quote
view source →
No feeding-trial AAFCO statement found on the 33 labels we’ve verified for this brand, and no company-wide claim was found either. Most pet foods are only "formulated to meet" AAFCO profiles (a paper calculation) rather than fed to real animals in trials — this is common, not necessarily a red flag.
no ingredient or finished-product testing described.
1 PubMed paper (animal/pet filtered) list Nulo Pet Foods in an author address; we checked 1 and 1 really name the company. A floor, not a total.
source
These five checks come from WSAVA's guidelines on selecting pet foods — not our own opinion score. WSAVA does not approve or list brands. See how all 50 brands we track answer WSAVA's questions → · Our methodology →
The company
Who makes Nulo
Ownership and history, each sourced independently — private-label and co-packed brands often hide the actual manufacturer behind the name on the bag.
Parent company
Apax Partners
source
view source →
Founded
2010
source
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Headquarters
Austin, Texas, USA
source
view source →
The cost
What Nulo costs, against everything else we have priced
The median Nulo dry food we have priced works out at $2.31 per 1,000 kcal, against $2.11 for the median dry food we have priced — so it sits roughly level with the market. Cost per 1,000 kcal is the only basis that survives different bag sizes and moisture levels; per pound this comparison would mean nothing. On composition the gap is usually smaller than the price gap implies: 44.4% dry-matter protein against a median of 32.2%.
Nulo foods by cost per 1,000 kcal
| Food | Form | Protein (DM) | Cost / 1,000 kcal | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats & Turkey Recipe for Dogs | dry | 30.0% | $1.69 | Check price |
| FreeStyle Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Turkey Recipe for Dogs | dry | 35.6% | $2.25 | Check price |
| FreeStyle Chicken & Cod Recipe for Cats | dry | 44.4% | $2.31 | Check price |
| FreeStyle Salmon & Peas Recipe for Dogs | dry | 33.3% | $3.17 | Check price |
| FreeStyle Senior Alaska Pollock & Sweet Potato Recipe for Cats | dry | 42.2% | $3.83 | Check price |
What Nulo actually puts in its food
The ingredients this brand reaches for most across its 33 verified foods, counted once per recipe. Each links to what the ingredient is, what the evidence says, and how common it is industry-wide.
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Taurine (supplemental)
In 31 of 33 Nulo foods (94%).
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Prebiotics (chicory root / inulin, FOS)
In 28 of 33 Nulo foods (85%).
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Flaxseed (ALA omega-3)
In 19 of 33 Nulo foods (58%).
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Mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin E)
In 18 of 33 Nulo foods (55%).
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Rosemary extract
In 18 of 33 Nulo foods (55%).
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Yucca schidigera extract
In 18 of 33 Nulo foods (55%).
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Guar Gum
In 16 of 33 Nulo foods (48%).
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Named Meat/Poultry Meal (e.g., Chicken Meal, Lamb Meal)
In 15 of 33 Nulo foods (45%).
The safety record
FDA recall history
From the FDA's Animal & Veterinary recall list, last checked 2026-11-11, plus older FDA notices we added by hand. Nulo recall page →
The FDA's online recall list is complete for recent years but leaves out many notices from before about 2023. We add older FDA recall notices by hand when we find them.
The labels
What we've verified from Nulo's labels
Computed directly from the official-label data we've extracted for this brand — never estimated.
Foods verified
33
3 dog · 30 cat
Feeding-trial validated
0
of 33 (0%)
Formulated to meet
31
AAFCO paper calculation
Label transparency
58%
avg. fields disclosed
The foods
Foods from Nulo we've verified
Every one links to its own Verified Label — guaranteed analysis, AAFCO statement, and (where priced) cost per day.