Tomato Pomace
Our ingredient score: 2 / 5 · Hulls, bran or pulp · How We Score
Tomato pomace is the skins, seeds and pulp left over from making tomato juice and tomato paste. It adds fiber to the food, along with an antioxidant called lycopene that gives tomatoes their color. It is an industrial by-product with limited nutritional value. If used in large amounts, it raises the food's fiber content unnecessarily; tomato skin is also the part that holds the most pesticide residue. No harm is known at the small amounts used in food.
Tomato Pomace also appears on labels as Dried Tomato Pomace.
Common Questions
Is tomato pomace just filler?
It is an industrial by-product with limited nutritional value. Used in large amounts, it raises the food's fiber content unnecessarily.
Is tomato pomace safe for cats?
Tomato pomace is the skins and seeds left after tomatoes are made into juice and paste, then dried and ground for feed. It adds fiber and lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, and is used in small amounts. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that dogs and cats have no dietary requirement for fiber. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
Why is tomato pomace in cat food?
Tomato pomace is added as a fiber source. It is a by-product of tomato processing, so it costs little, and it contains a mix of fiber from the skins and seeds. It also brings lycopene, the red pigment of the tomato. Its nutritional value beyond fiber is limited, and it is used in small amounts.
What is lycopene and do cats need it?
Lycopene is the red carotenoid pigment in tomatoes. Cats have no known dietary requirement for it. Unlike beta-carotene, lycopene is not a precursor of vitamin A, and cats cannot use beta-carotene for vitamin A anyway. Lycopene acts as an antioxidant in laboratory tests, but there is little research on what dietary lycopene does in cats.
Why is it called dried tomato pomace?
Pomace is the solid residue left after pressing fruit for juice, the same word used for grape and apple leftovers in winemaking and cider. Tomato pomace is dried before it goes into pet food so it can be stored without spoiling, which is why labels say dried tomato pomace. Pettings lists it under that label name.
How does Pettings score tomato pomace?
Pettings gives tomato pomace 2 out of 5 and lists it under hulls, bran or pulp. It appears on 6 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It adds fiber and lycopene but has limited nutritional value, and in large amounts it raises fiber without a clear need. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Tomato Pomace Compare
Tomato Pomace is on the label of 6 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.