Scanned by Randall Saunders · April 12, 2026
Field Trial Field Trial Adult Complete Nutrition Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavors
0/100
Grade F — Avoid at All Costs
📦 Product Overview
BrandField Trial
TypeDog Food - Dry/Kibble
Life Stageadult
Size4.4 lbs (1.99 kg)
AAFCO Compliant✅ Yes
Label states 'Field Trial Adult Complete Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.' This is formulation-based compliance, not feeding trial verified. Crude protein at 21% as-fed meets the 18% DM minimum for adult dogs.
☠ Rendering / 4D Animal Warning
This food contains TWO unspecified rendered ingredients: 'Meat and Bone Meal' and 'Animal Fat.' These are among the lowest-tier rendered ingredients in existence. They can legally contain material from 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled), euthanized shelter animals, roadkill, zoo animals, and restaurant grease trap waste. The FDA confirmed pentobarbital (the euthanasia drug) in pet foods containing these exact ingredient types. The rendering process does not eliminate drug residues. There is no way to know what species or what condition of animal is in this food.
🧪 Ingredient Breakdown
🟡Ground Whole Grain Corn
Corn is a common allergen, high glycemic, GMO risk, and aflatoxin risk. Listed first — this is a corn-based food, not a meat-based food.
−1 pts
❌Meat and Bone Meal
Unspecified rendered waste. 'Meat and Bone Meal' can legally contain 4D animals — dead, dying, diseased, disabled. FDA has confirmed pentobarbital (euthanasia drug) in foods using this ingredient. This is the #2 ingredient and the primary protein source. Completely unacceptable.
−3 pts
🟡Corn Protein Meal
Corn gluten meal equivalent — cheap plant protein used to inflate crude protein numbers on the guaranteed analysis. This is not real meat protein.
−1 pts
❌Animal Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
Unspecified 'Animal Fat' — rendering tank fat from unknown species. Can include fat from euthanized shelter animals, roadkill, or any 4D source. The tocopherol preservation is the only positive here.
−3 pts
🟡Soybean Meal
Common allergen, GMO concern, estrogenic compounds. Another cheap plant protein inflating the protein number.
−1 pts
🟡Wheat
Common allergen for dogs. Another grain filler.
−1 pts
🟡Corn Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles
Ethanol production byproduct. Cheap filler with some protein but primarily a waste product from the corn ethanol industry.
−1 pts
🟡Ground Whole Grain Wheat
Second wheat ingredient — allergen risk doubles. Manufacturer is splitting wheat into two entries to push them lower on the list.
−1 pts
❌Wheat Middlings
Milling waste — the sweepings from the flour mill floor. Animal feed grade filler with minimal nutritional value. Third wheat ingredient.
−3 pts
🟡Chicken By-Product Meal
Named source (chicken) but by-product meal — rendered heads, feet, intestines, undeveloped eggs. At least it's named, but it's this far down the ingredient list, meaning there's very little actual chicken-derived protein in this food.
−1 pts
✅Rice
Listed generically as 'Rice' — likely white rice given no 'brown' qualifier, but giving benefit of doubt as it's far down the list.
✅Salt
Electrolyte source. Acceptable in small amounts.
⚠Chicken Flavor
Vague flavoring. Source never fully disclosed. May be animal digest rebranded. The product name says 'Chicken' but the chicken contribution is a distant flavor additive.
−2 pts
🟡Chicken By-Product Meal (second mention)
Appears to be listed again or is part of the flavoring complex. Penalized again per rules.
−1 pts
⚠Natural Flavor
Source never disclosed. 'Natural Flavor' in pet food is often animal digest by another name.
−2 pts
✅Potassium Chloride
Potassium supplement. Standard.
✅Calcium Carbonate
Calcium supplement. Standard.
☠️Caramel Color
Contains 4-MEI, a known carcinogen. There is zero nutritional reason to dye dog food brown. This is purely cosmetic and puts dogs at unnecessary cancer risk.
−8 pts
✅L-Lysine
Essential amino acid supplement. Indicates the food's protein sources are so poor they need amino acid supplementation — a red flag about protein quality.
☠️Artificial Color (Yellow 5)
Artificial dye linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and allergic reactions. Banned in some countries. Absolutely no reason to put this in dog food.
−8 pts
☠️Artificial Color (Red 40)
Artificial dye linked to cancer. Banned in several European countries. Dogs are colorblind to red. This is pure marketing deception targeting the human buyer.
−8 pts
☠️Artificial Color (Blue 2)
Artificial dye linked to brain tumors in animal studies. Another completely unnecessary cancer-linked ingredient.
−8 pts
✅Dried Peas
Minor ingredient this far down the list. Acceptable.
✅Dried Carrots
Token vegetable for marketing. Negligible amount this far down.
⚠Steak Flavor
Undefined flavoring. Source unknown. Third flavoring additive — this food relies on flavor chemicals instead of real meat.
−2 pts
✅Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid)
Standard vitamin premix. Required for AAFCO compliance.
✅Minerals (Copper Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite)
Standard mineral premix. Sodium selenite is the inorganic/cheaper form of selenium.
⚖ What's Good / What's Bad
Good
✅ Claims AAFCO formulation compliance for adult maintenance
✅ Preserved with mixed tocopherols (natural preservative for fat)
✅ Contains standard vitamin and mineral premix
✅ Made in the USA
✅ No artificial preservatives (BHA/BHT/Ethoxyquin) listed
Bad
❌ First ingredient is corn — not meat
❌ Meat and Bone Meal is the primary protein — unspecified rendered waste with pentobarbital contamination risk
❌ Unspecified Animal Fat — rendering tank fat from unknown species
❌ FOUR artificial colors including 3 cancer-linked dyes and carcinogenic Caramel Color
❌ Three separate wheat ingredients (wheat splitting to disguise total wheat content)
❌ Multiple cheap plant proteins inflating the crude protein number (corn protein meal, soybean meal)
❌ Three separate undefined flavor additives instead of real meat
❌ Wheat Middlings — literal mill floor sweepings
❌ L-Lysine supplementation confirms the protein sources are nutritionally incomplete
❌ Only chicken-derived ingredient (by-product meal) is buried in the middle of the list
❌ 21% protein likely inflated heavily by plant proteins — real animal protein contribution is minimal
🧬 Potential Cancer-Linked Ingredients
☠️
Caramel Color −8 pts — Contains 4-MEI, classified as a carcinogen. Zero nutritional purpose. Used to make kibble look more appealing to human buyers.
☠️
Yellow 5 −8 pts — FD&C Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) — linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and allergic reactions. Banned or restricted in multiple countries.
☠️
Red 40 −8 pts — FD&C Red 40 — linked to cancer and behavioral issues. Dogs cannot see red. This is purely cosmetic.
☠️
Blue 2 −8 pts — FD&C Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine) — linked to brain tumors in animal studies. No nutritional function whatsoever.
📊 Score Breakdown
Start score100 pts
Ingredient penalties−55 pts
❌ No named whole-meat protein in top 3 ingredients−20 pts
❌ Primary protein source is unspecified (Meat and Bone Meal)−15 pts
❌ Contains 'Meat and Bone Meal' — lowest-tier rendered ingredient−10 pts
❌ Artificial colors present (4 artificial colors)−8 pts
Final score0/100
💬 The Verdict
This is one of the worst dog foods available on the American market. The first ingredient is corn. The primary protein is unspecified Meat and Bone Meal — a rendered mystery mix with confirmed pentobarbital contamination risk. The fat comes from an unspecified 'Animal Fat' rendering tank. The protein numbers are inflated by corn protein meal and soybean meal. And to top it all off, the manufacturer added FOUR cancer-linked artificial colorants including Caramel Color, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 2 — ingredients that serve zero nutritional purpose and exist only to make the kibble look colorful to human buyers. Dogs are largely colorblind. This food prioritizes appearance and cost-cutting over animal health at every possible turn.
🧨 Final Verdict
Randall™ says: This food is the bottom of the barrel. Field Trial Adult Complete Nutrition is a corn-and-rendering-waste product dyed with four cancer-linked artificial colors. The name says 'Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavors' — and 'Flavors' is the operative word, because there is almost no real chicken in this food. The actual chicken-sourced ingredient (Chicken By-Product Meal) is buried behind corn, mystery meat, more corn protein, mystery fat, soybean meal, wheat, corn ethanol waste, more wheat, and wheat mill sweepings. The protein is overwhelmingly plant-based, and the manufacturer had to add synthetic L-Lysine because the amino acid profile was so poor it couldn't pass AAFCO without it. The inclusion of Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, and Caramel Color is unconscionable — these are known carcinogens being fed to animals who can't read a label or choose for themselves. This food is cheap for a reason. It costs less because it IS less. Sunshine Mills, the manufacturer, has been involved in multiple FDA recalls including aflatoxin contamination that killed dogs. There are significantly better options at every price point. Score: 0/100. Grade: F. Avoid at all costs.