Ingredient file // Plant protein
Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate
Concentrated plant protein, with unproven health perks
Alfalfa nutrient concentrate is the dried protein curd separated from pressed alfalfa juice. It adds plant protein and pigments to dog food, with much less crude fiber than alfalfa meal. Its advertised health benefits have not been tested in dogs.
- What it is
- A dried concentrate of protein and pigments separated from the juice of freshly cut alfalfa.
- Made from
- Freshly cut alfalfa
- Main job
- Plant protein and pigments
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Health claims without dog trials
- Not the same as
- Dehydrated alfalfa meal
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 22 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
5%
117 of the 2,533 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 3 brands. 116 dry dog food, 1 wet dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 21. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.
Above the salt
Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 64% of foods.
Price per lb
Median of the cheapest bag price across 106 priced foods, 10% below the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
91%
of the foods that list it are from Blue. 3 brands use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Feed processors press freshly cut alfalfa to separate green juice from fibrous pulp. Heating the juice gathers its protein and pigments into a curd. Drying that curd creates a feed ingredient.1,4,5
- 01 // Source Fresh alfalfa Freshly cut leaves and stems arrive at a processing plant before their protein and pigments deteriorate.
- 02 // Process Pressed for juice Chopped alfalfa passes through a press, leaving much of its fibrous material behind.
- 03 // Process Heated and separated Heat gathers proteins and attached pigments into a curd, which is separated from the remaining liquid.
- 04 // Output Dried concentrate The curd is dried into a protein-rich feed ingredient that retains plant pigments.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
56.9
% protein
The feed table average is mostly protein. It contributes to a food's crude protein figure, though a bag does not disclose how much it contributes.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds plant protein
The dried curd raises the recipe's crude protein total. Its effect on the finished food depends on how much the manufacturer adds.3,7
-
02
Supplies plant pigments
The concentrate retains xanthophylls. A supplier lists their content, but the sheet does not measure their visible effect in finished dog food.6
-
03
Uses a widespread crop
Alfalfa is widely grown for feed, and extracting its juice creates another use for the crop. A trout feed study did not analyze production costs.2,4
How much No dog food inclusion rate was located; rat diets used 1.5% and 3%, while trout diets tested up to 20%.1,2
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Adds protein without adding meat
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Feed table samples average 56.9% crude protein on a dry matter basis. That protein counts toward a food's total, but the ingredient list does not reveal how much concentrate the recipe contains.3,7
-
Brands say
Gives pet food natural green color
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
An accessible supplier sheet lists 961 ppm xanthophylls as fed. The concentrate contains pigments, but no cited test measured their visible effect after dog food processing. A specific kibble color promise goes too far.6
-
Brands say
Its antioxidants protect your dog
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
The concentrate contains plant pigments, but a 28-day rat trial measured growth, blood chemistry and colon physiology, not protection from disease. No dog trial demonstrates an antioxidant health benefit from this ingredient.1,4,6
-
Brands say
Improves a dog's gut health
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a 28-day rat trial, concentrate did not change fermentation in the cecum and reduced the colon's protective mucus layer. Rats cannot settle a dog claim, but these findings do not support a gut health promise.1
-
Owners say
Alfalfa concentrate triggers lupus
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
The concern comes largely from alfalfa seeds and sprouts. A safety review measured 4.3 mg/kg of the suspected compound in concentrate, and a mouse study found no lupus marker response. Neither shows a dog risk.4
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoIt supplies concentrated plant protein and pigments, so it has a job. Pressing leaves much of the crude fiber behind. Its presence alone says little about the food because the label gives no inclusion amount.3,5,6,7
-
Q02
Could it replace meat?
Not by itselfA trout study tested it as a partial fishmeal replacement. That does not show it can replace animal protein in a complete dog diet. Judge the food's protein sources and full nutrient analysis together.2,3
-
Q03
Is it the same as alfalfa meal?
NoAlfalfa meal is dried plant material. Nutrient concentrate comes from pressed juice after much of the fibrous material is removed. Its higher protein and low crude fiber reflect that separation.3,5
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Amazon best sellers that list it
- #1 Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #5 Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #27 Blue Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #30 Blue Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #35 Blue Life Protection Formula Small Breed Senior Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #51 Blue Wilderness Adult Chicken plus Grains 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
- Peas 74%
- Chicken Meal 59%
- Pea Starch 58%
- Natural Flavor 56%
- Chicken Fat 50%
- Pea Protein 50%
- Oatmeal 49%
- Dried Tomato Pomace 45%
- Flaxseed 45%
- Chicken 44%
- Barley 43%
- Brown Rice 41%
Our read // On the bag
Count it as plant protein, then move on
Read its position alongside the food's main protein sources. Low on the list, it makes a smaller contribution of plant protein and pigment. High on the list, check the food's full nutrient analysis more closely. Treat antioxidant and gut health promises as unproven in dogs.
Sources
What we read
Checked September 1, 2026.
- 1 Growth Performance, Biochemical Blood Indices, and Large Intestine Physiology of Rats Fed Diets with Alfalfa Protein-Xanthophyll Concentrate
- 2 Impacts of alfalfa nutrient concentrate on pellet physical attributes, growth performance, metabolism and nutritional quality of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
- 3 Alfalfa, protein concentrate
- 4 Opinion on the safety of ‘Alfalfa protein concentrate’ as food
- 5 Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 3, § 2771 - Alfalfa Products
- 6 Technical Data Sheet ANC
- 7 What’s in the Ingredients List?