Natural Balance

A TV Star, a Drummer, and a Tennis-Playing Vet

Natural Balance has one of the most unlikely founding stories in the pet food world. In 1989, Dick Van Patten — the actor best known for playing Tom Bradford on the hit TV series "Eight Is Enough" — was a guest on John Davidson's talk show. Over lunch, he hit it off with Joey Herrick, the show's band drummer, who happened to be a passionate dog rescuer. The two bonded over a shared belief that commercial pet food was failing animals. Van Patten then consulted his tennis partner, a veterinarian, who told him bluntly: truly good pet food should contain no fillers, no corn, no wheat, no soy, and no by-products. That conversation became a company. Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance launched out of Burbank, California, with oven-baked recipes and quirky flavour names like Irish Stew and Chinese Take-Out. Business was slow at first, but the brand rode the early wave of the natural pet food movement and grew into a nationally recognised name. Van Patten remained the face of the brand until his death in 2015 at age 86 — his quote "help me help animals" is still printed on every bag.

The Brand That Invented Limited Ingredient Diets

Natural Balance's most lasting contribution to the pet food industry is the Limited Ingredient Diet, or L.I.D. — a concept the brand pioneered in the early 2000s before most competitors had even heard the term. The idea was straightforward: strip a recipe down to a single animal protein and a single carbohydrate source, eliminating the common allergens and fillers that trigger food sensitivities in dogs and cats. The original L.I.D. formulas used combinations like duck and potato, venison and sweet potato, or salmon and chickpea — novel proteins paired with limited starches. This approach was years ahead of its time and became the template that dozens of competitors later copied. Today, the L.I.D. line remains Natural Balance's flagship and best-selling range, available in both grain-free and grain-inclusive options for dogs and cats. The brand also developed Zoological Formulas — specialised nutrition used to feed carnivores, birds of prey, and reptiles in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, lending credibility to its nutritional science claims.

Five Owners in 34 Years

If Natural Balance's founding story is charming, its ownership history is dizzying. Van Patten and Herrick ran the company independently until 2013, when Del Monte Foods acquired it for $337.5 million. Del Monte then rebranded itself as Big Heart Pet Brands in 2014. In 2015, J.M. Smucker bought Big Heart for $5.8 billion — bundling Natural Balance alongside Kibbles 'n Bits, Meow Mix, and Milk-Bone. Under Smucker, Natural Balance was a premium brand lost inside a portfolio dominated by budget products, and many loyal customers felt the quality slipped. In 2021, Smucker sold Natural Balance to Nexus Capital Management, which ran it as a standalone business. Then in 2023, Natural Balance merged with Canidae under L Catterton's investment, forming Ethos Pet Brands. Manufacturing is now being integrated into Canidae's Brownwood, Texas facility. Each ownership change brought formula adjustments, packaging redesigns, and shifting retail availability — a pattern that has frustrated long-time buyers who remember the original Van Patten-era recipes.

Where Natural Balance Stands Today

Under the Ethos Pet Brands umbrella, Natural Balance is being actively revitalised. At Global Pet Expo 2025, the brand unveiled over 50 new and refreshed products, including Health Protection — a new dry and wet food line with 6-in-1 health support, prebiotics, and live probiotics — and Ultra Protein, a 40% protein cat food formulated with organ meat. The core L.I.D. line continues alongside Original Ultra, the brand's everyday premium range. Natural Balance's recall history includes a 2007 melamine incident, a 2012 salmonella scare, and smaller voluntary recalls in between — a record consistent with most legacy brands of its size and age, though not spotless. The honest assessment: Natural Balance's best years may have been behind it during the Smucker era, but the Ethos merger has injected fresh investment, new product development, and access to Canidae's in-house manufacturing. For pet owners who remember what Natural Balance used to be, it is worth a second look — particularly the L.I.D. and the new Health Protection lines. Just know you are buying a brand in active transition, and checking individual formula ingredient lists matters more than ever.