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Cesar · Classic Loaf in Sauce, Filet Mignon Flavor · Wet food, loaf in sauce · Adult maintenance
Judged the way wet food has to be judged, on a dry matter basis, this little tray is mostly meat: beef first, then liver, lung and heart, with protein converting to about 50% of dry matter. Small dogs reliably love the format, and the single serve tray keeps an opened portion from sitting in the fridge.
Two things cost it. The fat converts to about 22% of dry matter, which is rich for a small, indoor dog fed this as the whole diet. And the label adds colour, plus sodium nitrite to keep that colour, which exists purely for the human eye. Our additives signal scores that at zero, and it is the only zero in this round.
| Maker | Mars Petcare |
|---|---|
| Format | Wet food, loaf in sauce |
| Life stage | Adult maintenance |
| First 10 ingredients, in label order |
|
| Guaranteed analysis | Crude protein (min) 9% · crude fat (min) 4% · crude fibre (max) 1% · moisture (max) 82% |
| AAFCO adequacy | Formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance of adult dogs. |
| Price | Not listed in this round. We publish a price only when we have verified it from a dated listing, and we had not for this recipe when the label was read. |
| Signal | Points | What the label shows |
|---|---|---|
| First ingredient | 20 / 20 | Beef, a named whole meat, is the first ingredient. |
| Animal protein depth, first 10 ingredients | 9 / 15 | Four named animal ingredients in the first ten (beef, chicken liver, beef lung, chicken heart); points deducted for unnamed pork by-products. |
| Protein level for the life stage | 15 / 15 | 9.0% protein at 82% moisture converts to about 50% on a dry matter basis, the top band. Wet foods are converted so they can be compared with dry foods. |
| Fat level fit | 3 / 10 | 4.0% fat at 82% moisture converts to about 22% on a dry matter basis, above the ideal band: a rich food. |
| Whole foods versus filler-flagged ingredients | 10 / 10 | No flagged ingredients in the first ten; this is a meat loaf, not a grain based food. |
| Artificial colours and preservatives | 0 / 10 | The label lists Added Color, and the full label also lists sodium nitrite used for colour retention: two colour related items, and dogs gain nothing from either. |
| AAFCO adequacy basis | 7 / 10 | Formulated to meet AAFCO profiles for adult maintenance. |
| FDA recall history | 6 / 10 | One FDA posted recall event found (2016, this recipe's own flavour, in trays). |
| Price tier | Not scored | Not scored in this round: no verified price data yet. |
| Total | 70 / 100 | Scaled from 70 of 100 available points. The method is published in full on the dog food hub. |
The review above covers this brand's flagship recipe in full. We also read and scored 8 more Cesar recipes from their own labels, each with its own page, its own ingredient notes and the same rubric:
| Recipe | Score / 100 | Protein | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Delights Pot Roast with Spring Vegetables Dinner | 79 | 7% | Wet food |
| Wholesome Bowls Beef, Chicken, Carrots & Purple Potatoes | 78 | 9.5% | Wet food |
| Simply Crafted Chicken | 76 | 20% | Wet food |
| Classic Loaf in Sauce Turkey | 74 | 8.5% | Wet food |
| Classic Loaf in Sauce Dry-Aged Ribeye | 70 | 9% | Wet food |
| Classic Loaf in Sauce Beef | 70 | 9% | Wet food |
| Filets in Gravy Prime Rib | 58 | 8% | Wet food |
| Rotisserie Chicken Flavor & Spring Vegetables Garnish | 56 | 26% | Dry food |
2016: Mars Petcare recalled CESAR Classics Filet Mignon Flavor trays and variety packs in October 2016, in an FDA posted notice, over pieces of hard white plastic that entered during production and posed a choking risk. No injuries were reported.
The single event covered this recipe's own flavour in its tray format, and it is the only Cesar event we found in FDA records in our November 2026 check.
See the full dog food recall tracker for recent events across all brands.
Change foods gradually over about a week, mixing increasing amounts of the new food into the old, so the change does not upset your dog's stomach. Portion by calories, not by the look of the bowl: our feeding calculator works out a daily amount from your dog's weight. And because no ingredient list can answer what is safe for a dog to eat as a treat or a table scrap, check our Can Dogs Eat section before sharing food off your own plate.
Label read November 2026. Scores follow the rubric published on the dog food hub. This review is general information about a product label, not veterinary advice, and it is not a feeding trial: we score what a buyer can verify from the label and the public record.
Last updated: November 2026. Checked against the sources named on this page.