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In The Kibble
My dogs
BRAND

Zignature

Owned by Pets Global, Inc.Since 2012Valencia, CA

RECIPES REVIEWED
46
AVG PROTEIN, DM, KIBBLE
31.9%
AVG STARCH, KIBBLE
35%
FDA RECALLS
None since 2012
LINES
Original 29 Essence 6 Inception 6 Select Cuts 5
THE LINES

Zignature Lines, Reviewed

4 lines

Zignature sorts its food into four lines. Original is the largest, with 18 kibbles and 11 wet foods, all grain-free and mostly built on one named meat such as lamb, venison, goat or kangaroo. Every Original recipe lists peas or lentils. Essence, Inception and Select Cuts show no peas, lentils or potato on the label. Select Cuts is kibble only; the other lines offer both kibble and wet food.

Among the kibbles, Essence averages 37.2% protein and 20.2% estimated starch as fed, with two meats or fish per recipe plus quinoa. Original averages 29.6% protein and 35.2% starch, and Select Cuts, which includes oats with millet or barley, averages 26.1% and 36.2%. The catalog kibble average is 26.9% protein and 37.4% starch. Inception kibble averages 20.3% protein and 42.2% starch, with grains such as oats and barley and one animal protein per recipe: chicken, pork or fish.

Original

18 kibble · 11 wet food
Protein
29.6%
Fat
14.2%
Starch
35.2%
Kcal / cup
398

Average kibble, as fed

Zignature Original is a grain-free line of 18 kibbles and 11 wet foods, most built on a single named meat such as turkey, lamb, pork, venison, goat or kangaroo. Every recipe lists peas or lentils, and the kibbles average 29.6 percent protein as fed.

A good fit for: Owners seeking one named meat such as goat, kangaroo or venison; Owners wanting kibble above the 26.9 percent catalog protein average

Read the Original review

Essence

3 kibble · 3 wet food
Protein
37.2%
Fat
23.5%
Starch
20.2%
Kcal / cup
441

Average kibble, as fed

Zignature Essence is a six-recipe line of kibble and cans, each built on two meats or fish, with no peas, lentils or potato on any label. Its kibbles include quinoa and show more protein and less estimated starch than the average kibble in our catalog.

A good fit for: Owners wanting kibble with 32.5% to 41% protein; Owners avoiding peas, lentils and potato on the label

Read the Essence review

Inception

3 kibble · 3 wet food
Protein
20.3%
Fat
14.2%
Starch
42.2%
Kcal / cup
392

Average kibble, as fed

Zignature Inception is a grain-inclusive line of three kibbles and three wet cans, each built on one animal protein: chicken, pork or fish. Every recipe uses grains such as oats and barley, and none contains peas, lentils or potato.

A good fit for: Owners who want grain-inclusive food with no peas or lentils; Dogs fed one animal protein: chicken, pork or fish

Read the Inception review

Select Cuts

5 kibble
Protein
26.1%
Fat
16.1%
Starch
36.2%
Kcal / cup
392

Average kibble, as fed

Zignature Select Cuts is a five-recipe kibble line where every recipe includes grain, led by oats with millet or barley, and none lists peas, lentils or potato. Proteins span trout and salmon, lamb, turkey and kangaroo, plus a mixed-protein puppy recipe.

A good fit for: Owners who want grain-inclusive kibble with no peas or lentils; Owners rotating between fish, lamb, turkey and kangaroo recipes

Read the Select Cuts review
WHICH LINE FITS

Choosing Between The Zignature Lines

  • Grain-free food built on one named meat: Original
  • Kibble with the most protein and least estimated starch: Essence
  • Grain-inclusive kibble and cans with one animal protein: Inception
  • Grain-inclusive kibble with fish, lamb, turkey or kangaroo: Select Cuts
  • A smaller kibble piece for small dogs: Original

All recipes

46 foods matched · newest first
Zignature Select Cuts 5 recipes · See all
DEEP DIVE

Inside The Zignature Range

Across 46 recipes we review

Protein is close to the average kibble we review (31.9% on a dry matter basis).

Starch is lower than average, at 35% of the food as fed.

100% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).

76% of recipes are grain-free.

NUTRITION

How The Range Measures Up

this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review

Protein, dry matter 32% 22% to 46%
15%site avg 30%50%
Fat, dry matter 17% 11% to 28%
5%site avg 18%30%
Starch, as fed 35% 19% to 43%
10%site avg 37%60%
Kcal per cup 401 376 to 447
250site avg 395600

Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out

INGREDIENTS

What Goes In The Bowl

Fish 39% 34%
Turkey 26% 20%
Lamb 22% 14%
Pork 20% 11%
Duck 11% 8%
Chicken 9% 56%
Venison 4% 2%

Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.

Ingredients Some Owners Avoid

By-products 0% 13%
Artificial colors 0% 1%
Chemical preservatives 0% 9%
Corn 0% 15%
Wheat 0% 13%
Soy 0% 10%

These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.

LIFE STAGE
  • All Life Stages7
  • Puppy3
BREED SIZE
  • All Breeds41
SPECIAL DIETS
  • Grain-free (no wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats)35
Zignature Essence LIR Landfowl Recipe Dry Dog Food MOST PROTEIN Zignature Essence LIR Landfowl Recipe Dry Dog Food 45.6% dry matter Zignature Essence LIR Ocean Recipe Dry Dog Food LEAST STARCH Zignature Essence LIR Ocean Recipe Dry Dog Food 19% as fed Zignature Select Cuts Trout & Salmon Meal Formula with Super Grains Dry Dog Food FEWEST CALORIES Zignature Select Cuts Trout & Salmon Meal Formula with Super Grains Dry Dog Food 376 kcal per cup
THE COMPANY

About Zignature

Owner
Pets Global, Inc.
Ownership
Subsidiary of a private company
Founded
2012
Headquarters
Valencia, CA

Who Makes It

Zignature is a dog food brand owned by Pets Global, Inc., an independently owned, family-run company in Valencia, California that also makes Fussie Cat. The brand is known for limited-ingredient, meat-first recipes built around single or novel proteins such as kangaroo, which the company says are aimed at dogs with food sensitivities. 1, 2, 3

Where It Is Made

Zignature products are made in the United States at facilities in Brainerd and Perham, Minnesota, and Mitchell, South Dakota, and some ingredients come from France, New Zealand and Australia. Pets Global works with outside manufacturers, and a 2021 class action settlement required it to audit its suppliers' manufacturing plants every year for five years. 3, 4

History

Pets Global was founded in 2010, and Daniel Hereford launched Zignature in 2012. The brand is named after Ziggy, Hereford's boxer, who had food allergies. In December 2025 Pets Global folded its separate Essence and Inception brands into Zignature as the Zignature Essence and Zignature Inception lines. 1, 5, 6

Worth Knowing

Zignature has no recorded product recalls. In June 2019 the FDA named Zignature in its investigation of diet and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), listing 64 reports, the second highest of any brand, although the FDA said report counts alone do not show that a product caused the disease. Pets Global settled a class action over "grain free" and "chicken free" labeling in 2021 without admitting wrongdoing. 3, 7, 4

  1. pets-global.com/about-us
  2. petage.com/pets-global-celebrates-anniversary-with-industry-recognition-retailer-support-product-innovation
  3. dogster.com/dog-nutrition/zignature-dog-food-review
  4. truthaboutpetfood.com/zignature-settlement-agreement-includes-required-compliance-of-regulations
  5. articles.hepper.com/zignature-dog-food-review
  6. petsplusmag.com/zignature-introduces-new-zignature-essence-and-zignature-inception-lines
  7. fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

RECALL HISTORY // ZIGNATURE

No Recalls In Our Record Since 2012

Our log holds FDA dog food recall notices from 2012 on, so this is not a guarantee that Zignature has never had one. See the recall log

NEWS & PRESS

What Zignature Has Announced

APR 9, 2026
NEW PRODUCT New Puppy Formula from Zignature Addresses Demand for Targeted Early-Life Nutrition

Zignature added a Puppy Formula with Super Grains to its Select Cuts line, made with lamb and whitefish, oats, millet, barley and goat milk, for release in spring 2026. Pet Age

MAR 19, 2026
NEW PRODUCT Zignature Launch Expands Limited-Ingredient Leadership into Freeze-Dried Entrées Category

Zignature announced seven freeze-dried entrées for spring 2026: six single-protein recipes and the multi-protein Zssential Recipe. The company says they can be fed as a complete meal, a topper or a treat. Pet Age

DEC 17, 2025
LAUNCH Zignature Introduces New Zignature Essence and Zignature Inception Lines

Pets Global moved its Essence and Inception dog foods under the Zignature name, with 12 new dry and wet recipes. Inception was reformulated as a grain-inclusive line at a lower price point. Pets+ Magazine

NOV 25, 2025
CORPORATE Pets Global Celebrates Anniversary with Industry Recognition, Retailer Support, Product Innovation

Pets Global, which owns Zignature, marked its 15th anniversary and won Pet Age's Power 50 award for the second year running. The article also recaps its 2025 launches, including the Select Cuts Kangaroo Formula. Pet Age

JUL 16, 2025
NEW PRODUCT A Novel Approach to Dog Nutrition: Zignature Launches "Select Cuts Kangaroo Formula"

Zignature launched a Select Cuts with Super Grains dry recipe that uses Australian kangaroo as its only animal protein, with oats, millet and barley. Zignature

All Zignature news →

HEAD TO HEAD

Zignature Compared With Other Brands

Zignature vs Orijen Zignature vs Acana
LINE VS LINE

Zignature Lines Compared

Zignature Original vs Zignature Select Cuts

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