Liver Flavor

Liver flavor is a concentrated flavoring made from animal liver and added in small amounts so food tastes like liver. The label does not say which animal it came from. AAFCO's rules allow a flavor to be named when a listed ingredient provides it. No authority we found flags liver flavor at the levels used in dry food. Ask your veterinarian if your cat has allergies or another medical condition.

Source: aafco.org

Liver flavor is added because many cats like the taste of liver. A light coating helps dry kibble smell and taste more appealing, which matters with picky eaters. It is used in small amounts. It is a taste ingredient, not a meaningful source of the vitamins found in whole liver.

The label does not say. Plain "liver flavor" can come from chicken, pork or other animal liver, and the source can vary. FDA requires a common or usual name, and makers can use the generic name when they do not specify the species. A label that reads "chicken liver flavor" tells you the source, which helps owners who track proteins for an allergic cat.

Source: fda.gov

Yes. FDA rules require every ingredient to appear on a pet food label by its common or usual name, in descending order by weight. Flavorings used in small amounts usually land near the end of the list. Their position tells you they make up a small share of the food.

Source: fda.gov

Pettings gives liver flavor 2 out of 5 and lists it as a flavoring. It appears on 17 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It sits in the middle of our scale because it adds taste rather than nutrition, and the source animal is not named. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.