Beta-Carotene

No. People convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, but cats cannot, so it should not be counted as a vitamin A source for them.

Beta-carotene is an orange plant pigment. FDA lists it as a color additive that may be used in foods generally at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice, and it can come from natural sources or be made synthetically. Research on cat nutrition has long shown that cats cannot turn carotene into vitamin A the way dogs and people can. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about its diet.

Source: govinfo.gov

Beta-carotene is mostly added for its yellow to orange color, and sometimes as an antioxidant. It also shows up naturally in ingredients like carrots and sweet potatoes. It does not cover a cat's vitamin A needs, because cats lack the ability to convert it into vitamin A. Cat foods that meet AAFCO nutrient profiles get their vitamin A from a separate added source.

Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Yes. Cats need preformed vitamin A from their diet because they cannot make it from plant carotenoids such as beta-carotene. Classic research on the domestic cat as an obligate carnivore describes this need alongside dietary needs for taurine and arachidonic acid. Complete cat foods add vitamin A directly so they meet the AAFCO minimum.

Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

It can be either. FDA's color additive rule says beta-carotene may be prepared synthetically or obtained from natural sources, and FDA lists it among colors exempt from batch certification, the group that does not include the FD&C dyes. Pettings lists it as a natural color. The label usually does not say which form was used.

Source: govinfo.gov

Pettings gives beta-carotene 3 out of 5 and lists it as a natural color. It appears on 15 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It scores higher than synthetic dyes because it comes from a plant pigment and no harm is known at typical amounts. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.