Dried Apples

Fruit processors dry apples to make pieces and powder that store more easily than fresh fruit. Commercial lines use washed and trimmed apples; fruit rejected for fresh sale supplied the apples in a dog study.^1,2,7

1. 01 // Source Apples Processors use commercially grown fruit; the dog study used whole Fuji apples rejected for human sale.
2. 02 // Process Clean and cut Commercial fruit is washed, trimmed and cut, often after peeling and coring.
3. 03 // Process Remove water The cut fruit is dried; researchers instead ground whole apples before drying them on heated drums.
4. 04 // Output Dried apples Pieces, dice or powder are supplied for mixing into pet food and treats.

1. 01

   Adds fermentable fiber

   Apple fiber includes pectin. In a dog trial, dried whole apples changed fecal fermentation markers, though the researchers measured no clinical health benefit.¹

2. 02

   Supplies fruit carbohydrate

   Drying removes water while leaving the fruit's sugars in a compact ingredient. A label shows where apples rank by weight, not how much sugar they add.^5,6

3. 03

   Uses economical drying

   Hot air drying is relatively inexpensive, and drying gives fruit rejected for fresh sale another outlet. Suppliers offer apple pieces and powder at commercial scale.^1,2,6,7

4. 04

   Adds fruit label appeal

   A fruit supplier promotes apples for their appeal on pet food packaging. That marketing value does not tell an owner whether the finished food is well formulated.⁷

How much One dog study tested diets containing 3, 6 and 9% dried whole apple; a bag does not disclose its recipe's amount.^1,5

1. Brands say

   Dried apples bring fiber to kibble

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   The ground whole apples tested in a dog study contained 232.3 g/kg total dietary fiber on a dry matter basis. That is a real fiber contribution, though a bag does not disclose its apple dose or fiber contribution.^1,5,9

2. Brands say

   Dried apples improve a dog's gut health

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a 30 day comparison involving 16 adult dogs, a diet with 9% dried apple raised fecal butyrate and changed some bacterial groups. Those are gut markers, not proof of better health at a commercial food's undisclosed dose.^1,5,9

3. Brands say

   Apple antioxidants protect dogs from disease

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A laboratory analysis identified 30 phenolic compounds in dried apple slices, while another found that oven drying reduced measured antioxidant capacity. Neither study fed dogs or tested disease outcomes. Protection from apple in kibble is unproven.^2,3,7

4. Owners say

   Sweet dried apples make kibble tastier

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a paired preference test, dogs showed no significant preference for the diet with 9% dried apple over the control. The fruit contains sugar, but that tested recipe did not appeal more to dogs.¹

5. Owners say

   Dried apples fix loose stools

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Dogs in the feeding trial ate diets with up to 9% dried apple, yet stool scores did not improve. A little dried apple on a kibble label is not a tested treatment for diarrhea.¹