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Essence vs Taste of the Wild

Essence is branded by Pets Global, Inc. and made by third-party contract manufacturers, and Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Foods (owned by Schell & Kampeter, Inc.), and both make food for cats and dogs. On KibbleLab, Essence and Taste of the Wild both average 8.5 out of 10. Taste of the Wild's maker dates to 1970, while Essence's launched in 2010.

Essence and Taste of the Wild compared

Essence Taste of the Wild
Manufacturer Pets Global, Inc. Diamond Pet Foods
Parent company Independent Schell & Kampeter, Inc.
Founded 2010 1970
Headquarters Valencia, California, USA Meta, 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 Missouri
Products listed 13 23
Serves Cats & dogs Cats & 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 23)
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

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Essence vs Taste of the Wild: how they compare

Scores

Essence and Taste of the Wild average the same KibbleLab score, 8.5 out of 10, across 13 and 23 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. Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Foods, owned by Schell & Kampeter, Inc., based in Meta, Missouri, USA, founded in 1970.

Standards and range

Neither meets WSAVA's published manufacturer criteria. KibbleLab lists 13 Essence foods and 23 Taste of the Wild foods.

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Common Questions

Which scores higher on KibbleLab, Essence or Taste of the Wild?

Essence and Taste of the Wild average the same KibbleLab score, 8.5 out of 10.

Who makes Essence and Taste of the Wild?

Essence is a brand of Pets Global, Inc.. Its food is made by third-party contract manufacturers in United States. Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Foods, which is owned by Schell & Kampeter, Inc.

Which brand has more products on KibbleLab?

Taste of the Wild has 23 products in the KibbleLab database, compared with 13 for Essence.

Where is each brand based?

Essence is based in Valencia, California, USA. Taste of the Wild is based in Meta, Missouri, USA.

Have Essence or Taste of the Wild been recalled?

Neither Essence nor Taste of the Wild 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 Taste of the Wild .

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.