Chicken Liver Flavor

Chicken liver flavor is a concentrated flavoring made from chicken liver and used in small amounts to make food taste like liver. AAFCO's labeling rules allow a flavor to be named when a listed ingredient provides it. No authority we found raises a specific concern at typical amounts. A cat with a chicken allergy or other medical condition should have its food chosen with a veterinarian.

Source: aafco.org

It is added for taste. Liver has a strong flavor that many cats like, so a small amount of chicken liver flavor helps dry food appeal to picky eaters. Because it names chicken, the label tells you the source animal. It is not meant to be a main source of protein or vitamins.

No. Chicken liver as an ingredient is the organ itself, which can make up a real share of the recipe. Chicken liver flavor is a concentrated flavoring used in small amounts. AAFCO only requires that a listed ingredient provide the named flavor, with no minimum percentage, while a name like "with chicken liver" requires at least 3% of the food.

Source: aafco.org

This is a question for your veterinarian, since even small amounts of a protein can matter for an allergic cat. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists chicken among the most common food allergens in cats, after beef and fish. It also says diagnosis depends on a strict elimination diet trial, during which flavored products are avoided.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives chicken liver flavor 2 out of 5 and lists it as a flavoring. It appears on 7 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Naming the animal is a plus, but flavorings add taste rather than nutrition, so the score stays in the middle. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.