The Italian food manufacturer, Farmina Pet Foods, produces several brands of food for dogs and cats and supplies its products to 40 countries: they are represented not only in Europe, but also in North and South America, and in some countries of the African continent. Not so long ago, in 2012, this feed manufacturer launched sales in Russia.
History of Farmina Pet Foods
Officially the country is Italy. Back in 1965, Italian businessman F. Russo created an enterprise that produced feed for large and small livestock and poultry (chickens, ducks, geese). Thirty-four years later, his son began expanding the company's activities, deciding to produce ready-made food for dogs and cats, for which he merged the family business called Russo Feed with the British company Farmina Pet Foods.
To create original food formulas, the owners of the united Farmina Pet Foods hired employees from the veterinary university in Naples and enlisted the cooperation of the SCIVAC veterinary association. According to the company, all food is tested by the pets of employees and those owners who have given their consent before being introduced into the market.
Who produces food under the Farmina brand?
Farmina (“Farmina”) is a well-known Italian family company developing food and various nutritional supplements for pets. was founded back in 1967, and now supplies its products to more than forty countries around the world. It has several brands of dry food that are popular among four-legged pet owners and breeders. The company's products are made from high-quality raw materials produced in Italy, Denmark and France.
The company's enterprises are located in different parts of the world: Italy, Brazil and Serbia (it is from Serbia that products enter the Russian market). The products appeared in our country in 2012, the official supplier of the product is FARMINA PET FOODS LLC.
This company conducts scientific work in the field of pet nutrition; it often organizes seminars and international conferences on various veterinary issues. In 2017, together with the portal Ptichka.ru, it organized a photo competition “Farmina: our happy pets.”
Any product has its logo
Production of Farmina feed
All Farmina products are made from Italian raw materials in three factories: one of them is located in the manufacturers’ homeland, another in the nearby Serbian Republic and the last one overseas, in Brazil. The manufacturer insists that even there they use products and preparations brought from Italy.
It is noteworthy that at its factories Farmina Pet Foods has installed a more advanced twin-screw extrusion technology, which increases feed absorption by 25% compared to the previous single-screw one.
Fats and vitamin mixes using the Long Life Vitamins technology are added to feed after extrusion, which allows you to preserve all their beneficial properties. And to prevent these additives from crumbling and eroding, another know-how is used - Vacuum Coater (“vacuum coating”), which ensures the penetration of useful substances into the granules.
Advantages and disadvantages of feed
The products cover almost the entire pet food market. Each brand is designed for its own buyer with its own level of requirements and income. But we can highlight the qualities inherent in the entire range.
Table: comparative characteristics of the company's feed
pros | Minuses |
High quality components | The product appeared on the market not long ago, so it is not widely distributed in retail trade. |
A large number of supplements and vitamins beneficial to the animal’s body | Relatively high price of the product |
Grains are completely excluded from grain-free food | When analyzing the composition of feed, a slightly underestimated fiber content is highlighted |
Large selection of dietary foods | The manufacturer does not always indicate the percentage of components, even for the main nutritional components |
Feed produced under the Farmina brand
The company's products are of good quality and balanced components. A large assortment allows you to choose the food that suits your pet for regular feeding.
In total, Farmina has five lines of dry cat food:
- Natural & Delicious (N&D);
- Cimiao;
- Matisse;
- Fun Cat;
- Vet Life.
They all differ in the components from which they are made, the effect on animal health and market value.
Photo gallery: Farmina food lines
Cimiao super premium dry food is intended for both kittens and adult cats, including those with health problems
Economy class dry food Fun Cat is intended only for adult cats Matisse premium dry food is a complete food for kittens and adult cats (a separate type is provided for sterilized animals)
Vet Life Cat dry food has more than ten varieties and is recommended for the dietary nutrition of cats with various diseases
The N&D line is holistic
All products, starting with economy class food, are not only of high quality and use of natural products, but also necessarily include a large number of vitamin and mineral components necessary for the healthy life of pets.
Table: composition of dry food N&D (“N D”) holistic class
Type of feed | Product Features | Guaranteed nutritional composition | Amount of vitamins (per 1 kg of feed) | List of microelements (per 1 kg of feed) | What is included in the food |
Grain-free | The grain-free food recipe takes into account the diet of carnivores prone to allergies or with sensitive digestion. They contain 70% components of animal origin, and 30% are plant and mineral additives; no grain ingredients. Taking into account the varied taste preferences of pets, the company’s specialists have developed the following types of products:
|
|
|
| Depending on the type of food, the main ingredients may be:
The list of other components is the same:
|
Low grain | All foods of this type are intended for adult cats; they contain a small amount of cereal products:
These grains are perfectly digestible by animals. Flavor varieties available:
|
| B6 (8.1 mg) has been added to the list of vitamins available in grain-free food. | In addition to the already existing microelements, the addition of aloe vera (1000 mg) and green tea extract (100 mg) was introduced to improve the organoleptic properties of the product. Natural antioxidants are also added. | The main ingredients, depending on the taste of the food, are:
Other ingredients:
|
Grain-free food based on pumpkin | There is an option for pets prone to obesity, with a reduced calorie content and an increased amount of fiber, which significantly improves intestinal function. This is food for adult cats with the following flavors:
| Nutrient content (data for food for sterilized animals is given in parentheses):
| Added vitamin B3 - 150 mg | Same supplements, except L-carnitine | Depending on the taste, the food contains 30% fresh meat (quail, herring, duck, venison) and 28% dehydrated meat (food for sterilized cats has 2% more of these components). The list of other ingredients is the same as the grain-free food, with the exception of minor changes:
|
Food with a reduced protein and fat content for adult cats, containing quinoa (a pseudocereal, a source of vegetable protein). | Adding quinoa to your diet reduces cholesterol levels and has a positive effect on heart function. The following flavor varieties are available:
|
| The list of vitamins is the same as in pumpkin food | The list of microelements is the same, but the amounts of some components have changed:
And also for different types of feed, the amount of microelement additives, expressed as a percentage, changes. | All flavors contain 8% quinoa seed extract and other main ingredients as follows:
Other ingredients:
|
Table: cost of dry food N&D
Weight of packing | Grain-free | Low grain | With pumpkin | With quinoa |
300 g | From 350 rub. | From 260 rub. | From 460 rub. | About 500 rub. |
1.5 kg | From 1300 rub. | From 950 rub. | From 1500 rub. up to 1700 rub. | From 1700 rub. |
5 kg | From 3400 rub. | From 2600 rub. up to 3500 rub. | ||
10 kg | From 6100 rub. | From 5500 rub. up to 6500 rub. |
Cimiao Line
The Kimiao line of food is declared on the official Farmina website as super premium food, but it does not contain fresh meat, but contains corn gluten. Therefore, this brand rather occupies an intermediate position between super-premium and simply premium. The food has a good composition of components, and is also attractive because it takes into account the differences in the development of the body of cats of different breeds at different periods of their life.
Kimiao food has three types of packaging (400 grams, 2 kg, 15 kg), each type of food is represented by its own packaging color
Table: composition of Cimiao dry food
Name of food | Nutritional value of the product | Nutritional supplements (per 1 kg) | Vitamins (per 1 kg) | Composition of the product |
Cimiao Kitten (food for kittens up to twelve months). The packaging is dark green. | General composition of the product at 7% humidity:
| Microelements:
| Vitamins:
| Main ingredients:
Additional components:
|
Cimiao Chicken Adult Maintenance (food for adult cats with chicken flavor). The packaging is dark brown. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| Microelements:
| Vitamins:
| Main ingredients:
The additional components are the same as in the line above. |
Cimiao Fish Adult Maintenance (food for adult cats with fish flavor). The packaging is dark blue. | The general composition of the product is the same as with chicken. | The list of microelements and vitamins completely coincides with the previous type of food | The composition differs only in the number of dried components:
| |
Cimiao Light (food for pets prone to weight gain). The packaging is dark olive color. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| The content of some organic substances that affect immunity and general health has been changed:
| The amount of some vitamins has been increased:
| Compound:
|
Cimiao Senior (food for animals over ten years old). The packaging is dark yellow. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| Increased content of choline chloride (2600 mg) and amino acids:
| The amount of vitamins is the same as in the previous food | The list of ingredients is the same, with the addition of green tea and grape seed extracts. |
Cimiao Neutered Male (for sterilized cats). Blue packaging. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| The amount of choline chloride is 2400 mg, there is no L-lysine and L-cystine, L-carnitine is 300 mg. Increased content of microelements:
| The amount of vitamins is the same | The list of ingredients is the same as Cimiao Light food |
Cimiao Neutered Female (for sterilized cats). Pink packaging. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| The amount of vitamins and nutritional supplements is the same | The list of ingredients is similar to the previous one | |
Cimiao Hairball (food for eliminating hairball problems - with high fiber content). The packaging is dark turquoise. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| The list of supplements is the same as for adult cats, with minor changes:
| The content of vitamins A (18000 IU) and D3 (1200 IU) is reduced. | The list of ingredients is similar to the previous one |
Cimiao Delicious (for cats with sensitive digestion). The packaging is light olive color. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| Compared to the previous food, the amount of DL-methionine (4900 mg) and L-carnitine (350 mg) has been changed, L-lysane is absent | Vitamin content is the same as Cimiao Light | The list of ingredients is similar to the previous one |
Cimiao Persian (food for Persian cats). The packaging is dark purple. | General composition of the product at 8% humidity:
| The quantity of the following elements has been changed:
| Vitamin content is the same as Cimiao Light | The list of ingredients is similar to the previous one |
Matisse line (“Matisse”)
The Matisse line is a premium class food. It does not contain wheat, has several different flavors, and is well balanced in composition (food for kittens is provided). This brand represents not only dry food, but also wet food.
The Matisse line includes both dry and wet food
Table: composition of Matisse dry food
Name | Nutritional value of the product | Composition of the product | Mineral and vitamin supplements (per 1 kg) |
Matisse Kitten (food for kittens up to twelve months, pregnant and lactating cats). The packaging is dark blue. | General composition of the product at 7% humidity:
| Main products:
Other components:
| Vitamins and microelements:
|
Matisse Chicken & Turkey (food for adult cats with poultry flavor) Blue packaging. | The general composition of the product at a humidity of eight percent:
| Main products:
Other components:
| Vitamins and microelements (per kilogram):
|
Matisse Salmon & Tuna (food for adult cats with fish flavor). The packaging is dark blue. | The general composition of the product is the same as Matisse Chicken & Turkey | Main products:
Other components:
| Nutritional supplements like Matisse Chicken & Turkey |
Matisse Chicken & Rice (food for adult cats with chicken flavor). The packaging is dark burgundy. | The general composition of the product is the same as the previous food | Main products (in percent):
Other components:
| Nutritional supplements, same as previous food |
Matisse Neutered (food for sterilized cats). The packaging is light gray. | General composition of the product at a humidity of 9%:
| Main products:
Other components:
| The quantity of the following components has been changed:
Added starch - 18.5%. |
Cost of dry food "Matisse":
- 400 g - from 250 rubles;
- 1.5 kg - from 770 rub.;
- 10 kg - from 3400 rub.
Matisse wet food line
produces only premium wet food under the Matisse brand. The company offers three varieties of this product with different tastes:
- Pieces in sauce. Nutritional composition: protein - at least 5.5%, fat - 4%, fiber - 0.5%. Added vitamins A, D3 and E. Calorie content - 74 kcal/100 g. Can weight - 450 g, it is designed for the daily feeding requirement for a medium-sized cat. Available flavors: beef;
- beef and chicken;
- chicken;
- beef and turkey with vegetables.
- beef;
Mousses are complete food for cats without dyes or preservatives.
- chicken;
Matisse pates are presented as canned food in metal cans weighing 400 grams
Currently, only mousse of all types is available for sale, its cost starts from 30 rubles.
Fun Cat line
The Fan Ket brand belongs to economy class food, but it contains a fairly large percentage of protein of animal origin. Beet pulp, included in the list of its components, contributes to the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. For its class, this food is a good product. This brand offers only two flavors:
- chicken (composed of 25% chicken meal and 10% meat meal);
- fish (this food also contains 25% chicken meal, 8% fish meal and 5% meat meal).
The food also contains:
- wheat flour;
- corn;
- chicken fat;
- animal proteins;
- beet pulp.
The list of added vitamins is the same as that of other dry foods, but with a reduced content. Nutritional composition:
- protein - 27%;
- fat - 10%;
- fiber - 2.7%.
Two types of packaging:
- 2.4 kg - from 500 rubles;
- 20 kg - from 3100 rub.
Vet Life line
Experts have developed a number of dietary foods under the Vet Life brand for complete nutrition of cats suffering from various diseases. The composition of these foods includes the same ingredients as the Kimiao food, but specially selected additives are aimed at solving pet health problems.
There are many reviews about the positive effect of such a diet on the health of pets, although you can switch to such a diet only after consulting a veterinarian.
The following types of dietary feeds of this line are offered:
- Vet Life Cat Hairball - helps remove hair from the intestines;
- Vet Life Cat Diabetic - recommended for diabetes mellitus, as it is aimed at controlling glucose levels;
- Vet Life Cat Gastrointestinal - intended for nutrition during inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract;
- Vet Life Cat Neutered Male - designed for neutered cats;
- Vet Life Cat Neutered Female - intended for sterilized cats;
- Vet Life Cat Obesity is a weight loss food;
- Vet Life Cat Renal - provides dietary nutrition for renal and heart failure;
- Vet Life Cat Struvite - designed to dissolve struvite uroliths;
- Vet Life Cat Struvite Management - intended for the treatment and prevention of relapses of struvite urolithiasis and idiopathic cystitis;
- Vet Life Cat UltraHypo - recommended for food allergies and/or food intolerances;
- Vet Life Cat Hepatic - used for chronic liver failure;
- Vet Life Cat Cardiac - supports heart function in chronic heart failure.
Cost (depending on the type of feed):
- 400 g - from 280 rub. up to 420 rubles;
- 2 kg - from 800 rub. up to 1900 rub.;
- 5 kg - from 2200 rub. up to 4500 rub.
Video: a veterinarian about the food produced by the company
Features of holistic food
Farmina presents high-quality dry food belonging to the “holistic” category. In addition to food intended for healthy animals, there is food for pets with health problems. For example, Farmina presents food for cats with urolithiasis, suffering from intestinal disorders, for pets with diabetes or overweight, and so on. The catalog shows the main types offered for sale.
All feed components are fully tested. This is necessary in order to ensure decent quality food. We recommend taking a look at the Natural&Delicious Farmina food line (denoted by the abbreviation N&D). This is Farmina food intended for dogs. Belongs to the holistic category. What does it mean? The composition includes only those elements that are of natural origin. The brand sells food that provides complete nutrition. This food is great for four-legged animals that have problems with the digestive system. This series is close to the natural menu of pets.
What other products for cats does it produce?
Under the VIT-ACTIVE brand, the company produces a number of vitamin complexes to maintain the health of pets. This series includes:
- “Cat Health Formula” is a vitamin and mineral complex that fully meets the needs of healthy and active pets;
- vitamins for neutered cats and female cats - contain substances aimed at preventing urolithiasis;
- complex for cats over seven years old;
- vitamins for kittens;
- vitamins for pregnant and lactating cats;
- the “Cat Hair Health” complex not only helps improve the condition of the skin and coat, but also ensures that physiological needs for vitamins and minerals are met.
If you feed your pet natural food, then it is necessary to add vitamins to the diet. In ready-made food, vitamins are already included in the composition and can be included separately in a cat’s diet only on the recommendation of a veterinarian.
Vitamin complexes should be given to your pet only after consultation with a veterinarian
Farmina N&D dog food review
Farmina: food for dogs of small and large breeds
There are several types of ND diets for dogs available in pet stores. You can order it online in an online store with home delivery.
Types of Farmina N&D dog food:
- Pumpkin Line is an ND food for small breed dogs up to 12 months of age. Made from lamb, pumpkin and blueberries.
- Pumpkin Line Farmina is food for puppies of medium breeds, as well as for large dogs. The composition also includes pumpkin, blueberries and lamb.
- Ancestral Grain Line with chicken and pomegranate for medium and large dogs - includes some grains: only spelled and oats.
- Ancestral Grain Line with lamb and blueberries for small dogs.
- Vet Life Natural Diet - Farmina with fish for dogs. This is a hypoallergenic diet: it contains herring and potatoes. Useful for allergies and skin diseases.
- Vet Life UltraHypo is a dietary ration that is useful for severe forms of food allergies. Made from hydrolyzed fish protein and fish oil, but no plant products.
A veterinarian should be consulted. After the examination, he will prescribe a suitable diet for the dog.
With chicken, pumpkin and pomegranate
Feed composition overview
Farmina dog food contains only the freshest, natural, high-quality products. They undergo simple, environmentally friendly processing, after which they retain all their beneficial properties.
Ingredients:
- lamb meat - 20% (fresh, boneless);
- dehydrated lamb meat - 20%;
- chicken fat;
- egg (whole, dehydrated);
- herring (both fresh and dehydrated);
- fish protein hydrolysate;
- fish fat;
- beet;
- carrot;
- peas;
- apples;
- blueberry;
- spinach;
- black currant;
- plantain;
- pomegranate;
- orange;
- turmeric;
- Brewer's yeast;
- calendula, green tea, aloe, rosemary - extracts;
- alfalfa;
- oats - 10%;
- spelled - 10%.
The product is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B9, C, D3, E, H, PP, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, as well as minerals: zinc, selenium, manganese, copper, iron, phosphorus, calcium .
Important! This food will supplement your pet's diet with antioxidants, prebiotics, fructooligosaccharides, mannanoligosaccharides, lutein, inulin, chondroitin, glucosamine, DL-methionine, L-carnitine, taurine.
With herring, pumpkin and orange
Table: which foods may be suitable to replace Farmina products
Brand name | What can be replaced | Reasons for selection |
N&D. Grain-free and low-grain dry food of the holistic class. | Grain-free food from Canadian manufacturer Orijen Cat |
|
Cimiao. Super premium dry food. | English food "Arden Grange" |
|
Matisse. Premium dry food. | Swiss food "Husse" | The list of ingredients for these two foods is largely the same. Differences:
|
Matisse. Wet food. | Premium wet food Happy Cat, produced in Germany | The composition of Happy Cat indicates the percentage of the main components:
But there are many vitamins and minerals. |
Fun Cat. Economy class dry food. | Russian-made Puffins food | It has a good composition for economy class. However, unlike “Fan Ket”, the content of components of animal origin is not indicated in it (this is typical for foods of this group). The total amount of protein is 26%, fat is 12%. Few vitamins and minerals added. |
Vet Life Cat. Dietary food for cats. | Hill's super premium food produced in the USA and the Netherlands | Offers a large selection of dietary food for pets. There is also food for healthy cats. The products are produced in dry and wet form. |
Photo gallery: food that can replace Farmina
Arden Grange is a super premium English food
Orijen Cat grain-free food belongs to the holistic class
Happy Cat food is premium class
Like any economy class food, Puffins has low nutritional values
Hill's cat food belongs to the super premium class and occupies quite high positions in the modern world market
“Husse” is a Swedish brand, but the Husse food supplied to our country is produced in Belgium
What varieties of Farmina food are available?
There are many options to choose from.
You can always choose the right one. The food is 100% suitable for your pet. Farmina produces food for different ages and breeds. There are both dry and wet food. They are created on the basis of natural meat (some varieties include certain types of fish: cod, herring). As a supplement, organic ingredients are used: potatoes, extract obtained from chicory. The listed components are natural fiber resources. They prevent the development of obesity. Pay attention to the appearance of Farmina food! The developers paid special attention to it. Each pad is carefully crafted.