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.