The scores
Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural Grain-Free: B (77/100) — Very Good. Turkey meal + chicken meal leading the formula delivers concentrated named-protein density, and tapioca + sweet potato fills the carbohydrate slot without legume stacking.
Inception Chicken Recipe: B (78/100) — Very Good. Fresh chicken + chicken meal first, then oats + millet as the ancient-grain base with chicken fat for energy density. Pet Food Experts’ in-house brand with aggressive ingredient-quality positioning.
How the ingredients compare
The top five ingredients:
Earthborn Primitive Natural: Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sweet Potato
Inception Chicken Recipe: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oats, Millet, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
Earthborn leads with two named meals (turkey + chicken), which is a deliberate formulation choice that delivers roughly 2× more post-extrusion protein per ingredient slot than fresh meat in the same position. Meal-heavy formulas score differently from fresh-meat-heavy formulas by design — the meal represents dense, dehydrated protein already; fresh meat represents roughly 80% moisture that evaporates during kibble manufacturing. Inception reverses the approach, using fresh chicken in position one (the consumer-facing labeling convention) and chicken meal in position two (the post-extrusion density contributor).
On carbohydrates, Earthborn is grain-free (tapioca + sweet potato), while Inception is grain-inclusive with oats + millet. The FDA DCM investigation (2018–2022) flagged grain-free legume-heavy formulas; Earthborn Primitive Natural’s use of tapioca and sweet potato — rather than peas, lentils, or chickpeas — places it on the safer side of the grain-free conversation. Inception’s ancient-grain base (oats + millet) is unambiguously in the grain-inclusive-safe category.
Further down, Earthborn adds blueberries, cranberries, carrots, peas, pacific whiting meal, salmon oil, and a vitamin/mineral premix rich in chelated minerals. Inception adds chickpeas, pea starch, dried yeast, pork meal, salmon oil, flaxseed, and a premix featuring probiotics + prebiotic fibers. Both hit the expected B-tier markers — named marine-oil source for omega-3, whole-food inclusions for phytonutrients, chelated minerals for bioavailability.
Where Earthborn Holistic pulls ahead
Meal-heavy protein density: Turkey meal + chicken meal leading a formula delivers higher digestible protein per serving than the fresh-chicken-first convention. For active or working dogs, the post-extrusion protein density matters more than ingredient-list optics.
Grain-free without legume stacking: Earthborn Primitive Natural uses tapioca + sweet potato as its carbohydrate base rather than the legume stack (peas + lentils + chickpeas) flagged in the FDA DCM investigation. Owners who want grain-free nutrition without the cardiologist concern have a clean option here.
Single-facility manufacturing: Earthborn is made by Midwestern Pet Foods in Evansville, Indiana, with direct supply-chain control. Inception is manufactured under contract with multiple partners, which is standard industry practice but reduces the manufacturer’s hands-on QC visibility. Shop on Amazon →
Where Inception holds its own
Fresh chicken in position one: Inception matches the consumer-facing labeling convention most buyers expect (fresh named protein first), which makes the ingredient story easier to explain and easier to trust at point of purchase.
Ancient-grain carbohydrate stack: Oats + millet is a cleaner, lower-glycemic grain base than many rice-based mid-tier formulas. For dogs with no DCM risk who would otherwise do well on grain-inclusive kibble, Inception’s ancient-grain approach is a meaningful upgrade over corn + wheat-based budget brands.
Pet specialty distribution: Inception is widely stocked at independent pet retailers (Pet Food Experts distributes it nationally), which often means better QC at the retail level and fresher stock rotation than discount channels. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
If you want a high-protein grain-free formulation without legume stacking, Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural is the right pick. If you prefer a grain-inclusive ancient-grain approach with fresh chicken leading the formula, Inception Chicken Recipe delivers that — and edges Earthborn by one point. Both are B-tier formulations from brands investing in ingredient quality above their price tier. The one-point spread is fine-tuning rather than a meaningful quality gap. See our best dog food for active dogs guide for more options in the working-breed range.