Skip to content

8,000+ pet foods rated. Your best match, free in 30 seconds.

Essence vs Nature's Recipe

Essence is branded by Pets Global, Inc. and made by third-party contract manufacturers, and Nature's Recipe is made by Post Holdings Pet Brands (owned by Post Holdings, Inc.). On KibbleLab, Essence and Nature's Recipe both average 8.5 out of 10. Essence makes food for cats and dogs, while Nature's Recipe covers dogs.

Essence and Nature's Recipe compared

Essence Nature's Recipe
Manufacturer Pets Global, Inc. Post Holdings Pet Brands
Parent company Independent Post Holdings, Inc.
Founded 2010 2023
Headquarters Valencia, California, USA St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Manufacturing Whether a brand makes its own food in-house or has it produced by an outside contract manufacturer or co-packer.
Contract manufacturer In-house
Made in United States United States
Manufacturing region South Dakota Not listed
Products listed 13 21
Serves Cats & dogs Dogs
Price tier A relative price guide, from $ (most affordable) to $$$$$ (most premium), based on the brand's typical retail cost.
$$$$$ $$
WSAVA guidelines The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) publishes criteria for evaluating a manufacturer: qualified nutritionists on staff, feeding trials, and published research. It does not certify or endorse brands.
No No
PSC accredited The Pet Sustainability Coalition is a nonprofit that accredits pet companies on their environmental and social impact, through third-party verification. It reflects sustainability practices, not food quality.
No No
Score The average KibbleLab score across this brand's scored foods, on a 0 to 10 scale. Foods are scored on published veterinary science. How scoring works .
8.5 (avg of 13) 8.5 (avg of 21)
Recalls on record We track the FDA's animal food recall listings back to January 2019 and publish every pet food recall automatically. A filing that isn't pet food may not appear here.
None None
Where to buy
Amazon
Amazon

Affiliate links · may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Essence vs Nature's Recipe: how they compare

Scores

Essence and Nature's Recipe average the same KibbleLab score, 8.5 out of 10, across 13 and 21 scored foods. Scores apply the same criteria-based rubric to every food, drawn from published veterinary science.

Who makes them

Essence is a brand of Pets Global, Inc., based in Valencia, California, USA, founded in 2010. Its food is made by third-party contract manufacturers in United States. Nature's Recipe is made by Post Holdings Pet Brands, owned by Post Holdings, Inc., based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, founded in 2023.

Standards and range

Neither meets WSAVA's published manufacturer criteria. KibbleLab lists 13 Essence foods and 21 Nature's Recipe foods.

Not sure which is right for your pet?

Sign in free to save favorites and compare foods side by side. Add KL+ to see Essence and Nature's Recipe scored for your pet's breed, age, and health focus.

Example foods

Common Questions

Which scores higher on KibbleLab, Essence or Nature's Recipe?

Essence and Nature's Recipe average the same KibbleLab score, 8.5 out of 10.

Who makes Essence and Nature's Recipe?

Essence is a brand of Pets Global, Inc.. Its food is made by third-party contract manufacturers in United States. Nature's Recipe is made by Post Holdings Pet Brands, which is owned by Post Holdings, Inc.

Which brand has more products on KibbleLab?

Nature's Recipe has 21 products in the KibbleLab database, compared with 13 for Essence.

Where is each brand based?

Essence is based in Valencia, California, USA. Nature's Recipe is based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Have Essence or Nature's Recipe been recalled?

Neither Essence nor Nature's Recipe has a recall on record in the KibbleLab database. We track the FDA's animal food recall listings back to January 2019 and publish every pet food recall automatically. A filing that isn't pet food may not appear here.

See the full profiles: Essence and Nature's Recipe .

More comparisons

KibbleLab provides informational content only. This is not veterinary advice. Always consult a qualified veterinarian before changing your pet's diet.

This is a neutral, factual comparison, not a ranking or an endorsement of either brand. KibbleLab may earn affiliate commissions through links. No one can pay for placement or a higher score.

Brand and manufacturer details are compiled from public sources and not independently verified; they may not reflect contract manufacturing or co-packing. Recall data is compiled from public FDA filings, and a filing may name the parent company rather than the brand. We track the FDA's animal food recall listings back to January 2019 and publish every pet food recall automatically. A filing that isn't pet food may not appear here.

KibbleLab scores and commentary are editorial opinions based on published data. Represent one of these brands? Request a correction. Anyone else can email us. See our Terms.