The scores
Petcurean Now Fresh Grain-Free Adult: B (78/100) — Good. Three fresh proteins (turkey, salmon, duck); no meat meals by design; solid superfood panel.
Fromm Gold Adult: B (84/100) — Good, upper tier. Fresh meat plus named meat meals; multi-species protein lineup; long track record.
How the ingredients compare
The top five ingredients:
Petcurean Now Fresh: De-Boned Turkey, Potatoes, Peas, Whole Dried Egg, Potato Flour
Fromm Gold: Duck, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal
Fromm leads with a fresh-meat-plus-meat-meal combination in the first three slots — duck, chicken meal, chicken. That gives you both the palatability of fresh meat and the concentrated protein density of meal-form (which is roughly 3x denser per unit weight). Now Fresh opens with fresh turkey, then immediately pivots to potatoes and peas — the protein contribution drops sharply after the first ingredient because Now Fresh doesn't use meals.
Fromm's carb base is grain-inclusive whole grains (pearled barley, oatmeal), avoiding the legume-heavy grain-free approach Now Fresh uses (peas, potato flour, pea fiber, lentils). For DCM-conscious owners, Fromm's grain-inclusive structure sidesteps the ongoing FDA conversation entirely.
Where Fromm pulls ahead
Higher animal-protein density per cup: Chicken meal at position two contributes roughly 3x more concentrated protein than fresh-meat-only formulas can achieve. Dogs eating Fromm get more meat-derived protein per serving than dogs eating Now Fresh at comparable calorie levels.
Grain-inclusive, legume-light: Fromm Gold uses whole grains (barley, oatmeal, brown rice) rather than the pea-and-potato-starch stack that shows up in Now Fresh. This avoids the DCM-adjacent concern that continues to circle grain-free legume-heavy formulas.
Long track record: Fromm has been a family-owned Wisconsin manufacturer since 1904 — over a century of feeding history. Now Fresh is a more recent brand (launched by Petcurean in 2011). Both are reputable, but Fromm's longer data runway is a real consideration. Shop on Amazon →
Where Petcurean Now Fresh holds its own
Fresh-meat-only philosophy, if that's what you want: Some owners specifically prefer formulas that don't use any meal-form proteins, viewing "Deboned Turkey" as inherently higher quality than "Turkey Meal." That's not technically accurate (meal is a legitimate protein source, not a by-product), but it's a consistent consumer preference. Now Fresh delivers on that philosophy; Fromm doesn't.
Cottage cheese inclusion: An unusual and genuinely useful addition that contributes calcium and casein protein. Fromm Gold doesn't include it.
Deeper fruit and vegetable panel: Apples, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, pomegranate, papayas, bananas, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, squash, broccoli, tomato — Now Fresh's produce list is longer and more varied than Fromm Gold's. For owners who value whole-food inclusions, that matters. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
Fromm Gold is the stronger formula on the KibbleIQ scoring rubric — higher animal protein density, grain-inclusive carbs that sidestep DCM concerns, and a 100+ year track record. Petcurean Now Fresh is a defensible B-tier pick if you specifically prefer fresh-meat-only formulas and value a deeper produce panel. The six-point gap is meaningful but not dramatic; both are legitimate premium choices at similar price points. Read our full reviews of Petcurean Now Fresh and Fromm for the complete breakdown.