Cobalt Carbonate
Our ingredient score: 3 / 5 · Mineral · How We Score
Cobalt is a mineral found in the structure of vitamin B12. In ruminants such as cows and sheep, gut bacteria make B12 from cobalt. In cats, however, this process does not work; a cat has to get B12 ready-made, and B12 is already added to pet foods. That is why cobalt has no real role in cat food. It is used in trace amounts, and no harm is known at these levels.
Common Questions
Do cats need cobalt in their diet?
Not really. Cats cannot use cobalt to make vitamin B12, so they need B12 ready-made, and pet foods already add it.
Is cobalt carbonate safe for cats?
Cobalt carbonate is a cobalt salt that FDA lists under 21 CFR 582.80, its GRAS list of trace minerals added to animal feeds. Cobalt is the metal at the center of vitamin B12. Cats get their B12 already formed, mainly from animal products, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Ask your veterinarian about any supplement for a cat with a medical condition.
Source: ecfr.gov
Why is cobalt carbonate in cat food?
Cobalt carbonate is mostly a feed ingredient for cattle and sheep, whose rumen microbes use cobalt to make vitamin B12. In a cat food it adds a small amount of cobalt. It is rare in cat foods and usually appears as part of a general mineral premix.
Is cobalt the same as vitamin B12?
No, but they are linked. Vitamin B12 contains a cobalt atom at its center, which is why it is called cobalamin. Cats use B12 already formed in their food, mainly from animal products, rather than building it from cobalt. Cobalt by itself does not replace dietary B12 for a cat.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
Is cobalt carbonate approved for animal feed?
Yes. FDA lists cobalt carbonate among the cobalt source compounds in 21 CFR 582.80, which covers trace minerals added to animal feeds. The same section lists other cobalt salts such as cobalt sulfate. Cobalt carbonate is very rare in cat food; it appears on just one dry food we track.
Source: ecfr.gov
How does Pettings score cobalt carbonate?
Pettings gives cobalt carbonate 3 out of 5 and lists it as a mineral. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Our How We Score page explains how ingredient scores are set. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Cobalt Carbonate Compare
Cobalt Carbonate is on the label of 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.