Acana Grasslands Grain-Free Cat Food New Formula Review

Acana Grasslands grain-free cat food updated its formula in 2020. In this review, I’ll check if those changes improved the recipe compared to the previous version.

Acana produces cat food in both Canada and the USA, using locally sourced ingredients for each market. Here, we’ll focus on the new 2020 formula made in Kentucky.

Nutritional Key Features

• Grain-free recipe.
• 75% small animal ingredients (before cooking).
• 37.5% fresh or raw meats.
• Proteins: free-run duck, chicken, turkey, and quail.
• 25% carbs from fruits and vegetables.
• All meats and produce are locally sourced in the USA.
• Provides all essential amino acids for cat health.
• No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
• Added probiotics for healthy digestion.
• Very limited synthetic supplements (Choline, Zinc, Copper).
• Omega-3 and Omega-6 for skin and shiny coat.

The formula includes the following meats variety:

⇒ Duck: Meat, meal, liver, cartilage (Kentucky farms).
⇒Chicken: Meat, meal, liver, and heart (Kentucky farms).
⇒ Eggs: Fresh from local Kentucky farms.
⇒ Turkey: Meal, meat, freeze-dried liver (Kentucky farms).
⇒ Catfish Meal
⇒ Free-run quail: Fresh from South Carolina farms.

What Does It Mean Fresh And Raw Meats?

Fresh meats mean the meats are refrigerated as the sole method of preservation. Raw meats are the same fresh meats but they are frozen at the peak of freshness to preserve nutrients. In the Acana Grasslands recipe, half of the total animal protein ingredients come from fresh and raw meats.

Acana Grasslands New USA 2020 Formula Ingredients:

Deboned Duck, Deboned Chicken, Eggs, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Catfish Meal, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Duck Fat, Deboned Turkey, Pea Starch, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Quail, Pollock Oil, Natural Chicken Flavor, Duck Meal, Lentil Fiber, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Duck Liver, Duck Cartilage, Freeze-Dried Turkey Liver, Choline Chloride, Whole Cranberries, Whole Pumpkin, Collard Greens, Carrots, Apples, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Taurine, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Copper Proteinate, L-Carnitine, Dlmethionine, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

Guaranteed Analysis New Formula

Crude protein (min.), 36% – Crude fat (min.) 18% – Moisture (max.) 10% – Crude fiber (max.) 4% – Dietary starch 15% (max.) – Sugars (1.2%) – Calcium (min.) 1.9% – Phosphorus (min.) 1.3% – Magnesium (min.) 0.1% – Taurine (min.) 0.1% – Omega-6 fatty acids* (min.) 3% – Omega-3 fatty acids* (min.) 0.8% – DHA* (min.) 0.15% – EPA* (min.) 0.1%

Previous 2016 Acana Grasslands formula (discontinued).

Ingredients

Deboned lamb, deboned duck, whole eggs, lamb meal, catfish meal, goat meal, whole green peas, red lentils, pinto beans, rainbow trout, lamb fat, chickpeas, green lentils, whole yellow peas, herring oil, quail, duck meal, lentil fiber, natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe, lamb liver, lamb kidney, duck giblets (liver, heart, kidney), duck cartilage, dried kelp, whole pumpkin, whole butternut squash, kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, carrots, apples, pears, freeze-dried lamb liver, freeze-dried duck liver, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude protein (min.), 35% – Crude fat (min.) 20% – Moisture (max.) 10% – Crude fiber (max.) 4% – Calcium (min.) 1.8% – Phosphorus (min.) 1.3% – Omega-6 fatty acids* (min.) 3% – Omega-3 fatty acids* (min.) 0.7% – DHA* (min.) 0.15% – EPA* (min.) 0.15.

Changes in Acana Grasslands 2020 USA Formula vs 2016 Recipe

The following changes have been made in the new 2020 recipe produced in Kentucky, USA.

Changes in Main Ingredients:

• Deboned lamb → deboned duck (good): Duck meat provides monounsaturated fats with oxidation resistance, better flavor and shelf life (source). Also, raw lamb has more water; after cooking it loses more weight than duck, so with duck the protein percentage shown is more accurate.
• Deboned lamb → deboned chicken: Both are good proteins; chicken, as a small prey, is closer to the natural feline diet (including organs).
• Whole eggs → eggs (great): Avoids shell fragments.
• Lamb meal → chicken meal (not so good): Both are concentrated protein sources, but lamb is less allergenic.
• Catfish meal → turkey meal (good): Preferable to place fish lower in the list.
• Goat meal → catfish meal: Catfish provides fatty acids and very low mercury; note that fish can create addiction.
• Whole green peas → whole red lentils (good): Lentils have less phosphorus and carbohydrates than peas, although peas provide more fiber.

Guaranteed Analysis Changes:

• Protein: 35% → 36% (good)
• Fat: 20% → 18% (not ideal; cats need 20–24%)
• Calcium: 1.8% → 1.9% (better if lower)
• Omega-3: 0.7% → 0.8% (good; step up after 2016 drop)
• Taurine: 0.15% → 0.1% (not good)
• Now lists Magnesium, starch, and sugars:
  -Magnesium: low
  -Starch: low (vs. many foods at ~35%, source)
  -Sugars: 1.2% (low)

Analysis of First 5 Ingredients (New Acana Grasslands Formula)

• Deboned Duck (4★): Dense protein source, better than chicken or lamb.
• Deboned Chicken (3★): Good protein, but less once cooked due to water content.
• Eggs (4★): High-quality protein, shell-free.
• Chicken Meal (5★): Excellent concentrated protein.
• Turkey Meal (4★): Strong protein source, water removed.

Pros & Cons of Acana Grasslands Grain-Free Cat Food

PROS

• Grain-free: no soy, corn, wheat, tapioca → fewer allergies.
• No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives → cleaner nutrition.
• Preserved with Vitamin E → natural antioxidant.
• 75% small-animal ingredients (50% fresh/raw), eggs shell-free → high-quality protein.
• Free-run duck, chicken, turkey, quail → diverse protein sources.
• First 6 ingredients are animal proteins → strong nutrition even after cooking.
• Locally sourced (USA) → fresher ingredients.
• Coated with freeze-dried turkey liver → better taste for cats.
• 25% low-glycemic carbs, low 15% starch → steady energy.
• Carbs from local veggies/fruits → stable blood sugar, immunity, digestion.
• Grain-free + low-glycemic combo → helps prevent obesity/diabetes.
• Protein raised to 36% → supports lean muscle.
• Magnesium low (0.1% max) → supports urinary health.
• Lists all essential amino acids → complete nutrition.
• Few synthetics (Choline, Zinc, Copper) → nutrients mainly from food.
• Catfish = low mercury + fatty acids → safer omega source.
• Omega-3 increased by 0.1% → better skin and coat.

CONS

• Fresh/raw ingredients lose weight after cooking → lower % in final formula.
• Ash content missing in guaranteed analysis.
• Lamb replaced by chicken → both good proteins, but lamb is less allergenic.

Final Thoughts

The Acana Grasslands grain-free 2020 formula shows clear improvements over the 2016 version. Whole eggs were replaced with eggs free of shell fragments, and Omega-3 content was slightly increased. Deboned duck now leads the ingredient list, providing richer flavor and longer freshness thanks to its fat profile, which resists oxidation.

On the downside, chicken content increased while lamb decreased. Chicken is a solid protein source, but lamb tends to be less allergenic. Also, the ash content is still missing from the guaranteed analysis, an important value for urinary tract health.

A positive aspect is that this formula lists all essential amino acids, something very few brands do. This detail shows Acana’s effort to provide transparency in nutrition and reassure cat owners about the food’s completeness.

Bottom Line as a Cat Owner

After analyzing this food and feeding it to my own cat Sophie for more than a year, I can confirm the changes are not only good on paper but also in practice. Sophie maintained a stable weight, her coat became softer and shinier, and her digestion stayed regular with daily normal stools. Even though she is now 10 years old and the kibbles are a bit hard, she still eats them without issue.

Her veterinary blood work has remained healthy, with good kidney and thyroid values, which reassures me about the quality of the nutrition she’s getting. That’s why I placed Acana Grasslands within the top dry cat foods reviews on my site, where you can also see the recipes that didn’t make the cut. Here’s Sophie enjoying Acana Grasslands, you can even hear her purring while eating. For me, that’s the best proof of palatability:

I recommend Acana Grasslands formula for adult cats, especially as part of a mixed diet of wet and dry food. If you want to try it, you can get it on Chewy with fast shipping (1–3 days) and save 30% on your first Autoship. [Check it out ⇒ here.]