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Merrick vs Royal Canin

Merrick is made by Merrick Pet Care (owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare), and Royal Canin is made by Royal Canin (owned by Mars, Incorporated), and both make food for cats and dogs. On KibbleLab, Royal Canin averages 9.0 out of 10 across its scored foods, compared with 8.8 for Merrick. Royal Canin meets WSAVA's published criteria for evaluating a manufacturer, while Merrick does not.

Merrick and Royal Canin compared

Merrick Royal Canin
Manufacturer Merrick Pet Care Royal Canin
Parent company Nestlé Purina PetCare Mars, Incorporated
Founded 1988 1968
Headquarters Amarillo, Texas, USA Aimargues, Gard, France
Manufacturing Whether a brand makes its own food in-house or has it produced by an outside contract manufacturer or co-packer.
In-house In-house
Made in United States France
Manufacturing region Texas Gard
Products listed 118 269
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 Yes
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 .
8.8 (avg of 118) 9.0 (avg of 160)
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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Merrick vs Royal Canin: how they compare

Scores

Royal Canin scores higher on KibbleLab, averaging 9.0 out of 10 across 160 scored foods, compared with 8.8 across 118 for Merrick. Scores apply the same criteria-based rubric to every food, drawn from published veterinary science.

Who makes them

Merrick is made by Merrick Pet Care, owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare, based in Amarillo, Texas, USA, founded in 1988. Royal Canin is made by Royal Canin, owned by Mars, Incorporated, based in Aimargues, Gard, France, founded in 1968.

Standards and range

Royal Canin meets WSAVA's published manufacturer criteria, while Merrick does not. KibbleLab lists 118 Merrick foods and 269 Royal Canin foods.

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Common Questions

Which scores higher on KibbleLab, Merrick or Royal Canin?

Royal Canin scores higher: it averages 9.0 out of 10 across 160 scored foods, compared with 8.8 for Merrick. Scores reflect published veterinary science.

Who makes Merrick and Royal Canin?

Merrick is made by Merrick Pet Care, which is owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare. Royal Canin is made by Royal Canin, which is owned by Mars, Incorporated.

Which brand has more products on KibbleLab?

Royal Canin has 269 products in the KibbleLab database, compared with 118 for Merrick.

Where is each brand based?

Merrick is based in Amarillo, Texas, USA. Royal Canin is based in Aimargues, Gard, France.

Do Merrick and Royal Canin meet WSAVA criteria?

Royal Canin meets WSAVA's published criteria for evaluating a manufacturer; Merrick does not, based on public information. WSAVA publishes criteria; it does not certify or endorse brands.

Have Merrick or Royal Canin been recalled?

Neither Merrick nor Royal Canin 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: Merrick and Royal Canin .

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.