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The short answer: Authority edges out Wholehearted by one point — B (78/100) against Wholehearted’s B (77/100). Both are Petco-exclusive private labels in the same store aisle, both lead with chicken plus chicken meal, and both come in well below name-brand premium pricing. Authority wins on grain-inclusive whole-food architecture (brown rice, oatmeal); Wholehearted counters with a grain-free chicken-and-pea profile. For most dogs, Authority is the safer pick. For grain-sensitive dogs, Wholehearted is the right grain-free alternative on the same shelf.

The scores

Authority Adult Chicken & Rice: B (78/100) — Good. Chicken plus chicken meal opens, then brown rice and oatmeal for the carbohydrate base, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols, fish oil for omega-3s, and supplemental taurine. Petco’s longer-running private label.

Wholehearted Grain-Free All Life Stages Chicken & Pea Recipe: B (77/100) — Good. Chicken plus chicken meal opens, then a tighter pea stack (peas, pea starch, pea protein), tapioca starch, and supplemental taurine. Petco’s newer grain-free private label.

How the ingredients compare

The top five ingredients:

Authority: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Rice, Oatmeal

Wholehearted: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Pea Starch, Pea Protein

The architectures rhyme. Both lead with whole chicken (fresh, water-in muscle meat) followed immediately by chicken meal (the protein-dense rendered form). The split happens at position three: Authority pivots to whole grains (brown rice, ground rice, oatmeal), while Wholehearted pivots to the pea-fraction stack (whole peas, pea starch, pea protein). That single architectural choice is the one-point story.

The rubric treats whole-grain carbohydrate sources slightly more favorably than fractionated legume protein concentrates. Brown rice and oatmeal are intact whole grains delivering fiber, slow-release starch, and naturally-occurring B vitamins. Pea protein is an isolated protein concentrate that the rubric flags as a protein-density inflator — technically legitimate but a leaner contributor to whole-food nutritional density than the equivalent named-meat content. Wholehearted’s three-form pea stack (whole peas + pea starch + pea protein) is also a documented FDA DCM-investigation pattern in genetically predisposed breeds.

Further down the lists, Authority adds chicken fat (mixed tocopherols), natural flavor, dried beet pulp (fiber), flaxseed (plant omega-3), fish oil (marine omega-3 with EPA + DHA), and supplemental taurine. Wholehearted adds chicken fat (mixed tocopherols), tapioca starch (additional grain-free carb), natural flavor, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, and supplemental taurine — without a fish-oil entry. Authority delivers a more direct DHA/EPA source through fish oil that Wholehearted’s flaxseed-only omega-3 profile doesn’t match.

Where Authority pulls ahead

Whole-grain carbohydrate base. Brown rice, ground rice, and oatmeal deliver intact whole-grain fiber, slow-release energy, and naturally-occurring B vitamins. The rubric rewards whole grains over fractionated carb sources, and the FDA DCM investigation context favors grain-inclusive formulas for genetically predisposed breeds (Goldens, Dobermans, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels) where grain-free legume-heavy diets remain under scrutiny.

Marine omega-3 source. Authority carries fish oil in its top half — meaningful EPA + DHA from a marine source rather than the plant-derived ALA in Wholehearted’s flaxseed-only omega-3 profile. Dogs convert ALA to EPA/DHA inefficiently, so direct marine-source omega-3 is a measurable nutritional advantage for skin, coat, and inflammation.

Lower pea-fraction load. Authority avoids the pea-stack architecture entirely. For owners following the FDA DCM advisory or whose vet has flagged a predisposed breed, the absence of pea protein concentrates is a meaningful safety signal — not a guaranteed protection, but the simpler architecture removes the variable. Shop on Amazon →

Where Wholehearted holds its own

Grain-free for grain-sensitive dogs. Dogs with diagnosed grain sensitivity or grain allergy need the grain-free formula on the same Petco shelf, and Wholehearted is the pick. Tapioca starch and pea-based carbs deliver the energy without wheat, corn, rice, or barley. For the small population of dogs with documented adverse food reactions to whole grains, this is a real solution at a non-premium price.

All Life Stages formulation. Wholehearted is formulated to AAFCO All Life Stages standards, meaning it meets nutritional adequacy from puppyhood through adulthood without a switch. For multi-dog households or owners who want to feed one bag across life stages, that simplicity is operational value.

Chicken-first multi-protein focus without grains. Wholehearted’s formula is shorter and more focused than Authority’s — chicken, chicken meal, peas, and a clean grain-free finish. For owners who want the simpler, lower-ingredient-count grain-free pick on Petco’s shelf, Wholehearted delivers without paying name-brand grain-free pricing. Shop on Amazon →

The bottom line

If your dog tolerates grains and you’re shopping the Petco private-label aisle, Authority Adult Chicken & Rice is the one-point winner — B/78 with whole grains, fish oil, and a cleaner architecture. If your dog has documented grain sensitivity or you specifically want the grain-free Petco-exclusive option, Wholehearted Grain-Free Chicken & Pea at B/77 is the right pick on the same shelf. Both are solid B-tier picks at private-label pricing — the choice is whether you want grain-inclusive whole-food architecture or a grain-free pea-based formula. For higher-rated alternatives, see our best affordable dog food guide.