Artificial and Natural Flavors
Our ingredient score: 0 / 5 · Artificial flavor · How We Score
This label line means the food contains flavorings made in a lab as well as flavorings from natural sources, without naming either. Artificial flavors are added to make a food taste or smell more appealing; they add no nutrition. Because neither the artificial nor the natural part is named, it is not possible to tell from the label what they are made of. On Pettings, artificial flavors count toward the Avoid List.
Common Questions
Do artificial flavors add anything to a cat food?
Only taste and smell. They are added to make the food more appealing and add no nutrition.
Are artificial flavors bad for cats?
Artificial flavors are lab-made flavoring compounds, and on this label line they are mixed with natural flavors without either one being named. AAFCO lists artificial flavors among ingredients that do not fit its definition of natural, and notes that its definition does not state that natural ingredients are safer than synthetic ones. No authority we found sets a cat-specific concern at typical levels. Ask your veterinarian if your cat has allergies or another medical condition.
Source: aafco.org
What does "artificial and natural flavors" mean on cat food?
It means the food contains a blend of flavorings, some made through chemical synthesis and some taken from plant or animal sources. The label does not say what any of them are made from. Makers add flavor blends like this so a cat finds the food more appealing. The phrase tells you about taste, not about the protein sources in the recipe.
What is the difference between natural and artificial flavors in pet food?
The difference is how the flavor is made. AAFCO defines natural as coming solely from plant, animal or mined sources, processed by methods such as extraction or fermentation, and not produced by a chemically synthetic process. Artificial flavors are made by chemical synthesis, so AAFCO says they do not qualify as natural. The term describes processing, not nutrition.
Source: aafco.org
Can flavorings hide an allergen in cat food?
They can, which is why veterinarians are careful with flavored products during allergy testing. The Merck Veterinary Manual says chewable or flavored heartworm and flea medications generally contain beef, pork or soy protein whether or not the label lists it, and that flavored supplements and toys should be avoided during an elimination diet trial. An unnamed flavoring in a food raises the same question. Your veterinarian can help pick a diet for a cat with suspected food allergy.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
How does Pettings score artificial and natural flavors?
Pettings gives artificial and natural flavors 0 out of 5 and lists it as an artificial flavor. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Artificial flavors count toward our Avoid List because they add no nutrition and the label hides their makeup. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Artificial and Natural Flavors Compare
Artificial and Natural Flavors is on the label of 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.