Dried Cheese Powder

Dried cheese powder is a dairy ingredient added to some cat foods for flavor. Cornell Feline Health Center notes that many cats are lactose-intolerant and can develop digestive problems if fed dairy products. In dry food, cheese powder is used in small amounts. If your cat has a sensitive stomach, a dairy allergy or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Dried cheese powder is cheese that has been dried and ground into a fine powder. Cat food makers add it mainly for taste, often coated on or mixed into kibble. It also brings some milk protein and fat, but in the small amounts used it is a flavoring more than a protein source.

A cheese flavor claim does not require much cheese. AAFCO's flavor rule says a product does not need a large amount of an ingredient that only provides flavor, as long as a listed ingredient provides it. The word flavor must be printed as clearly as the flavor name. So a cheese flavored food may contain only a small amount of cheese powder.

Source: aafco.org

Yes, dairy is one of the food allergens reported in cats. Tufts veterinary nutritionists list chicken, beef, dairy and egg as the most commonly reported food allergies in dogs and cats, with fish also common in cats. Most allergic pets react to animal proteins, and milk protein is one of them. A veterinarian can confirm an allergy with an elimination diet trial.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives dried cheese powder 2 out of 5 and lists it under dairy. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The score reflects that it is used mainly for flavor and that many adult cats make little lactase. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.