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Ingredient file // Ingredient

Apples

The fruit of the apple tree, used fresh or dried with the seeds removed.

Apples

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 5 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

19%

475 of the 2,508 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 31 brands. 371 dry dog food, 38 wet dog food, 35 dog food topper.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 15. In the top five of 30 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

60%

Listed before the salt in 60% of foods. In the rest it is under about 1% of the recipe.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.82
All foods $3.23

Median of the cheapest bag price across 308 priced foods, 18% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

15%

of the foods that list it are from Instinct. 31 brands use it in total.

What it is

Why it turns up in dog food

  • Provide pectin fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants at very low calorie cost. The flesh is safe and useful, while the seeds are removed in commercial processing.

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Instinct 70
  2. Wellness 65
  3. Merrick 50
  4. Hill's 26
  5. Horizon 26
  6. Go! Solutions 24
  7. Now Fresh 22
  8. Open Farm 20
  9. Earthborn Holistic 19
  10. Fromm 18

Plus 21 more brands.

Amazon best sellers that list it

  1. #4 Hill’s Science Diet ght Small & Mini Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
  2. #25 Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Small & Mini Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
  3. #52 Wellness Complete Health Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food
  4. #59 The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Beef Recipe Whole Food Clusters Dry Dog Food
  5. #60 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
  6. #62 Fromm Four-Star Beef Frittata Veg® Recipe Dry Dog Food
  7. #71 Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Turkey & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food
  8. #73 Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Small Paws Chicken Meal, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Flaxseed 43%
  2. Peas 42%
  3. Chicken Meal 40%
  4. Chicken Fat 39%
  5. Chicken 38%
  6. Sweet Potatoes 25%
  7. Potatoes 24%
  8. Natural Flavor 23%
  9. Carrots 22%
  10. Brown Rice 20%
  11. Oatmeal 17%
  12. Turkey Meal 17%

On the shelf

Foods that list it

475 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.

Cesar Simply Crafted Adult Chicken Dog Food Topper90.9% proteinCesar Wholesome Bowls Chicken, Apple & Sweet Potato Wet Dog Food68.8% proteinFromm Nutritionals Digestive Pâté Dog Food Topper31.8% proteinGo! Solutions Digestive Health Turkey Meal Mixer Dog Food Topper47.4% proteinGo! Solutions Hip + Joint Support Pork Meal Mixer Dog Food Topper42.1% proteinGo! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Salmon Meal Mixer Dog Food Topper61.1% proteinGo! Solutions Weight Control Turkey Meal Mixer Dog Food Topper42.1% proteinInstinct Raw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe for Seniors Frozen Dog Food40.0% protein
Show 58 more Wellness CORE Beef, Venison & Lamb Wet Dog Food54.5% proteinHalo Holistic Cage-Free Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Puppy Dry Dog Food31.9% proteinGo! Solutions Weight Management + Joint Care Salmon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinWellness Complete Health Venison & Salmon Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinHalo Holistic Cage-Free Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food29.7% proteinHalo Holistic Grain Free Cage-Free Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food29.7% proteinCarna4 Easy-Chew Venison Dry Dog Food32.2% proteinCarna4 Standard Duck Dry Dog Food32.2% proteinCarna4 Easy-Chew Fish Dry Dog Food32.2% proteinCarna4 Easy-Chew Goat Dry Dog Food32.2% proteinCarna4 Easy-Chew Lamb Dry Dog Food32.2% protein4health with Wholesome Grains Adult Salmon and Potato Formula at Tractor Supply Co Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinCarna4 Standard Chicken Dry Dog Food32.2% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Beef Coated in Bone Broth Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinFromm Gold Nutritionals Digestive Support Low Fat Pâté Complete Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinThe Honest Kitchen Turkey & Autumn Veggies Butcher Block Pâté Wet Dog Food47.7% proteinNulo FreeStyle Paté Small Breed Beef & Lamb Recipe Wet Dog Food45.5% proteinOpen Farm Pasture-Raised Lamb Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinSolid Gold Leaping Waters Grain Free Fish Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Premium Quality Salmon Recipe Dog Food Topper28.9% proteinFromm Nutritionals Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Whole Oats Recipe Dry Dog Food26.7% 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% proteinWellness Complete Health + Turkey & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food32.2% 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% proteinEarthborn Holistic Grain Free Classics K95 Chicken Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinEarthborn Holistic Grain Free Classics K95 Duck Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinEarthborn Holistic Grain Free Classics K95 Lamb Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinEarthborn Holistic Grain Free Classics K95 Turkey Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinEarthborn Holistic Grain Free Classics K95 Beef Wet Dog Food43.2% proteinRachael Ray Nutrish Gentle Digestion Chicken, Pumpkin & Salmon Paté Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinRachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken & Apple Recipe Whole Health Blend Premium Paté Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinWellness Core Paté Whitefish, Salmon & Herring Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinGo! Solutions Carnivore Chicken, Turkey + Duck Stew Wet Dog Food52.8% proteinWellness Complete Health Paté Puppy Chicken & Salmon Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinWellness Core Turkey & Chicken Liver Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinSolid Gold Barking at the Moon Beef Wet Dog Food43.2% proteinSolid Gold Mighty Mini Turkey Wet Dog Food41.7% proteinSolid Gold Mighty Mini Chicken Food for Toy & Small Dogs Wet Dog Food41.7% proteinOpen Farm Digestive Health Wild Pollock Recipe Dog Food Topper31.1% proteinThe Honest Kitchen Pumpkin Pour Overs Chicken Dog Food Topper30.0% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Beef Recipe For Seniors Dog Food Topper26.7% proteinThe Honest Kitchen Pumpkin Pour Overs Salmon Dog Food Topper30.0% proteinThe Honest Kitchen Slow Cooked Chicken One Pot Stew Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinHill’s Prescription Diet k/d + Derm Complete Rice & Egg Recipe Dry Dog Food12.2% proteinHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Pollock Meal & Insect Recipe Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Northern Catch Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free New York Style Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Carolina Skillet Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Mediterranean Wet Dog Food38.6% proteinAcana Wholesome Grains Healthy Grains, Sea to Farm Puppy Recipe Dog Food Topper31.8% proteinInstinct Raw Boost RawBoost+ Shakers Grass-Fed Beef Recipe Dog Food Topper40.4% proteinBlue Natural Veterinary Diet GI Low Fat Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinNulo FreeStyle Paté Small Breed Chicken, Salmon & Pumpkin Recipe Wet Dog Food45.5% proteinMerrick Grain Free Thanksgiving Day Chicken & Turkey Wet Dog Food44.4% protein

On labels as

Other names for this

Manufacturers do not all use the same wording. These all mean the same thing.

Fresh Apples Whole Apples
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. Back to the wiki

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