AAFCO Natural and Compliant Pet Food Colors

Color adds value for pet parents, indicating nutrients and quality

Academic research has shown that color liking in dog kibble is the feature most highly correlated with owner and pet overall liking and therefore purchase intent (Di Donfrancesco, Brizio et al. 2014). Sensient’s own online consumer research extended these findings to determine that pet owners find multi-colored kibble to be the best representation of a highly nutritious recipe. Different shades indicate to caring pet parents the presence of proteins and other superfood ingredients in a healthy pet kibble or treat. Pet suppliers can meet consumer demands with cat- and dog-safe food coloring and AAFCO-approved pet food ingredients. Color isn’t limited to cats and dogs, of course-highly colored products across the pet store cater to other domesticated animals like rabbits, birds, iguanas, guinea pigs, fish, and more.

Sample Bold, Pet-Friendly Colors Here

What do developers need to consider when working to find high-performing, safe ingredients for dog treats, canned cat food, and pet kibble?

Here are several different factors to keep in mind:

Ask A Color Expert For Advice

Target Shade: Red

Meaty reds are perfect for pet food. Natural red sources from fruit and vegetable juices like anthocyanins and beet juice are excellent for brands seeking clean-label, recognizable color ingredients. Improved stability and concentration from optimized solutions like Sensient’s UberBeet™ portfolio, including SupraRed™ and Magna Ruby™ can make meaty reds even more achievable in harsh processing conditions like extrusion. Red carotenoids like paprika, beta carotene, and lycopene further extend the red and pink range possible with good overall stability. Carmine is considered AAFCO-natural and is widely used in the pet food industry for incredibly stable red hues under extremely harsh processing conditions. Red iron oxide also offers excellent stability but may not comply with ingredient “no-no” lists.
READ MORE

Request a Sample

AAFCO Natural and Compliant Pet Food Colors

Pet owners around the world increasingly expect naturalness and better-for-pets food and treats, just as they expect “healthier” options in their own diets.

What do developers need to consider when working to find high-performing, safe ingredients for dog treats, canned cat food, and pet kibble?

Here are several different factors to keep in mind:

Color experts can help guide developers to select natural pet food color ingredients that fit the project’s criteria, condition’s, and cost-in-use targets.

Ask A Color Expert For Advice

Learn more by watching these webinars:

Let our technical color experts help you find an answer quickly!

Related Articles

AAFCO Natural and Compliant Pet Food Colors

Pet owners around the world increasingly expect naturalness and better-for-pets food and treats, just as they expect “healthier” options in their own diets.

What do developers need to consider when working to find high-performing, safe ingredients for dog treats, canned cat food, and pet kibble?

Here are several different factors to keep in mind:

Color experts can help guide developers to select natural pet food color ingredients that fit the project’s criteria, condition’s, and cost-in-use targets.

Ask A Color Expert For Advice

Learn more by watching these webinars:

Let our technical color experts help you find an answer quickly!

Related Articles

Subscribe for the latest colorful insights!