Ingredient file // Ingredient
Papaya
The fruit of the papaya tree.
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 33 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
3%
76 of the 2,473 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 10 brands. 65 dry dog food, 6 dog food topper, 4 wet dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 27. In the top five of 2 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.
0
1st
1
2-3
1
4-5
4
6-10
20
11-20
50
21+
Top five
List position, heaviest first
Above the salt
Listed before the salt in 52% of foods. In the rest it is under about 1% of the recipe.
Price per lb
Foods with it
$3.37
All foods
$3.25
Median of the cheapest bag price across 54 priced foods, 4% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
29%
of the foods that list it are from Now Fresh. 10 brands use it in total.
What it is
Why it turns up in dog food
- Carries papain, a protein-digesting enzyme, along with vitamin C and beta carotene.
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Amazon best sellers that list it
Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Flaxseed 62%
- Peas 62%
- Chicken Fat 46%
- Potatoes 45%
- Dried Plain Beet Pulp 42%
- Chicken Meal 38%
- Oatmeal 29%
- Dried Egg 29%
- Pumpkin 28%
- Canola Oil 28%
- Pea Flour 22%
- Natural Flavor 22%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
76 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Wellness Core Bowl Boosters Functional Topper Immune Health Dog Food Topper2.5% proteinWeruva Dogs in the Kitchen Puppy Beef & Rice Formula in Gravy Wet Dog Food37.5% protein
Show 58 more
Now Fresh Good Gravy Beef Coated in Bone Broth Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Premium Quality Salmon Recipe Dog Food Topper28.9% proteinNow Fresh Large Breed Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinNow Fresh Small Breed Puppy Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Large Breed Adult Beef Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Lamb & Pork Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Salmon Small Breed Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Trout, Salmon & Herring Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinGo! Solutions Digestive Health Chicken + Duck Pâté Dog Food Topper34.1% proteinGo! Solutions Digestive Health Chicken + Lamb Stew Dog Food Topper38.9% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Chunky Chicken Stew Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Beef Recipe For Seniors Dog Food Topper26.7% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free New York Style Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Savory Beef Stew Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinAbound All Life Stages Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food28.4% proteinWellness CORE Digestive Health Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food33.3% proteinAbound All Life Stages Superfood Blend Salmon, Egg & Pumpkin Dry Dog Food29.5% proteinAbound Grain Free All Life Stages Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinWellness Core Digestive Health Age Advantage Chicken Brown Rice Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinGo! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Senior Recipe Dry Dog Food35.6% proteinGo! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food37.8% proteinGo! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food40.0% proteinDiamond Care Weight Management Formula for Adult Dogs Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinDiamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinDiamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Adult Dog Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food35.6% proteinDiamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinDiamond Naturals Light Adult Dog Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food20.0% proteinDiamond Naturals Senior Dog Chicken, Egg & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinDiamond Naturals Large Breed Adult Dog Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinDiamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinDiamond Naturals Large Breed Adult Dog Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food25.6% proteinDiamond Naturals Adult Dog Beef Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinDiamond Naturals Adult Dog Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food25.6% proteinDiamond Naturals Skin & Coat Formula All Life Stages Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinCanidae All Life Stages Less Active Formula Canidae Platinum Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, & Fish Meals Dry Dog Food25.0% proteinCanidae All Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food25.6% proteinCanidae All Life Stages Multi-Protein Formula Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, and Fish Meals Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinWellness Core Bowl Boosters Functional Toppers Digestive Health Dog Food Topper38.9% proteinWellness Core Digestive Health Whitefish & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food33.3% proteinWellness Core Digestive Health Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food36.7% proteinWellness Core Digestive Health Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food33.3% proteinStella Chewy’s Stella’s Solutions Digestive Boost Grass-Fed Beef Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food37.9% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Large Breed Senior Recipe Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Large Breed Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Food Recipe Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Senior Recipe Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Red Meat Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Small Breed Fish Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Red Meat Recipe for Adult Dogs Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Fish Recipe for Adult Dogs Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Senior Dog Food Recipe Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Adult Dog Food Recipe Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Grain-Free Puppy Dog Food Recipe Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinHolistic Select Puppy Health Large & Giant Breed Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinHolistic Select Adult Health Large & Giant Breed Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinHolistic Select Puppy Health Grain-Free Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food35.6% proteinOn labels as
Other names for this
Manufacturers do not all use the same wording. These all mean the same thing.
An ingredient on its own tells you very little.
What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh
the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down.
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