Dried Citrus Pulp

As a fiber source. Like beet pulp, it helps form stool and feeds gut bacteria.

Dried citrus pulp is the peel and pulp left after oranges or other citrus fruits are juiced, then dried and ground. It is used as a fiber source, partly soluble, in a similar way to beet pulp, and it is added in small amounts. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that there is no dietary requirement for fiber in dogs and cats. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Dried citrus pulp is the solid residue of citrus juice production. After oranges and similar fruits are pressed, the leftover peel, pulp and seeds are dried and ground into a meal. It is widely used in cattle feed. In cat food it shows up rarely, as a fiber ingredient that adds little energy, and part of its fiber is soluble.

It is a fiber ingredient used in small amounts. Citrus pulp adds little energy, so it is there for fiber, which helps form stool and feeds gut bacteria. Whether that counts as filler depends on how much is used. Its position on the ingredient list, which AAFCO requires from most to least by weight, shows how prominent it is in a given food.

Source: aafco.org

No. Citric acid is a purified acid used as a preservative or acidifier, and today it is mostly made by fermentation, not squeezed from fruit. Dried citrus pulp is the solid fruit residue left after juicing, used for its fiber. Both may appear on the same label, but they do different jobs and Pettings scores them separately.

Pettings gives dried citrus pulp 1 out of 5 and lists it under hulls, bran or pulp. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It is a by-product of juice production that adds fiber and little else. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.