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Ingredient file // Fat or oil

GLA Safflower Oil

A concentrated omega-6 oil with limited skin proof

GLA safflower oil comes from genetically engineered safflower seed and is refined for use in food. It gives kibble a concentrated source of an omega-6 fatty acid. Dog studies of itchy skin used GLA alongside fish oil, so they cannot show what this oil does alone.

What it is
Refined safflower seed oil made to contain a high concentration of the omega-6 fatty acid GLA.
Made from
Genetically engineered safflower seeds
Main job
Concentrated GLA source
Typical amount
Up to 0.3% under specified adult dry food conditions
Watch for
Skin claims based on mixed oils
Not the same as
Ordinary safflower oil

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 63 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

2%

41 of the 2,595 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All dry dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 27. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

0%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 100% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $4.83
All foods $3.23

Median of the cheapest bag price across 35 priced foods, 50% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

100%

of the foods that list it are from Royal Canin. 1 brand use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Oilseed processors extract this oil from safflower engineered to produce GLA in its seeds. Pressing leaves some oil in the seed cake, so processors extract that remainder and combine the oils before refining.3,4,5

  1. 01 // Source GLA safflower seed The engineered seeds produce GLA, unlike the conventional safflower oils compared in the manufacturer's analysis.
  2. 02 // Process Press and extract An expeller presses the crushed seeds; a solvent extracts oil left in the pressed seed cake.
  3. 03 // Process Refine and blend Processors refine the oil, then may blend in high-oleic safflower oil to set the GLA concentration.
  4. 04 // Output Refined GLA oil The deodorized oil arrives as a concentrated fat ingredient for measured addition to dry food.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

35-45

% GLA

The permitted GLA range is measured by oil weight. This ingredient is almost entirely fat, so oil weight closely approximates dry matter.

Gamma-linolenic acid 35-45%3
Oleic acid 35%5
Linoleic acid 12.2%5
Palmitic acid 7.1%5
Stearic acid 2.1%5

The single values come from the manufacturer's analyzed oil, while the GLA range is the animal food specification. Blending with high-oleic safflower oil changes the fatty acid mix. The additive must be at least 99.5% crude fat.3,5

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Delivers concentrated GLA

    Manufacturers add it to put a measured amount of GLA into dry food. Conventional safflower oils had no measurable GLA in the manufacturer's comparison.3,5

  2. 02

    Keeps the oil dose small

    The manufacturer's comparison shows more GLA in this oil than in evening primrose or borage oil. Less oil supplies the same GLA target, though its price advantage is unknown.5

How much The US limit is up to 0.3% in a specified dry adult maintenance food; formulas with different calories or feeding rates require adjustment.3

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.

  1. Brands say

    It supplies more GLA than regular safflower oil

    Evidence

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

    The animal food specification requires 35 to 45% GLA by oil weight. In the manufacturer's fatty acid comparison, both conventional safflower oils measured 0.0% GLA. This is a distinct oil source, although the bag does not disclose its amount.3,5

  2. Brands say

    It relieves dogs' itchy allergic skin

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A controlled trial found less itching on a diet containing GLA and EPA, but another trial of borage oil plus fish oil found no significant difference in its main steroid-use comparison. Neither isolated GLA safflower oil.1,2

  3. Brands say

    It gives any dog a healthier coat

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a small atopic dermatitis trial, 54% of owners on a GLA and EPA diet reported better skin and coat, versus 31% of controls. Those dogs had skin disease, and the study cannot credit this oil alone or predict a benefit for healthy dogs.1

  4. Owners say

    Genetic engineering makes this oil unsafe

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    The seed is genetically engineered, but FDA permits the refined oil at up to 0.3% in a specified dry adult maintenance dog food. Its origin alone does not show harm. That permission does not cover unlimited doses or growth foods.3

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It supplies GLA, a fatty acid with a defined purpose in the recipe. At its permitted inclusion level, it is a small, targeted addition rather than a major source of fat or calories.3

  2. Q02

    Is regular safflower oil the same?

    No

    The manufacturer's comparison measured no GLA in conventional safflower oils. This version comes from seed engineered to make GLA and may be blended to meet a specific concentration range.3,5

  3. Q03

    Will it replace fish oil?

    No

    GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid. The dog skin trials paired a GLA source with fish oil, so their results do not show that GLA safflower oil can take fish oil's place.1,2,3

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Royal Canin 41

Amazon best sellers that list it

  1. #80 Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Adult 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. Natural Flavor 100%
  2. Chicken Fat 98%
  3. Brewers Rice 95%
  4. Wheat Gluten 80%
  5. Chicken By-Product Meal 76%
  6. Corn 71%
  7. Dried Plain Beet Pulp 71%
  8. Corn Gluten Meal 66%
  9. Brown Rice 49%
  10. Wheat 39%
  11. Fish Oil 34%
  12. Vegetable Oil 32%

Our read // On the bag

Read it as a small GLA addition

Expect GLA safflower oil low on the ingredient list: its permitted use in dry adult food is small. Read the named fats around it to understand the recipe's broader fat sources. If the bag promises itch relief or a shinier coat, treat that as unproven for this oil alone.

Sources

What we read

Checked September 1, 2026.

  1. 1 A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multicenter study on the efficacy of a diet with high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and gamma-linolenic acid in the control of canine atopic dermatitis Veterinary Dermatology, 2004 // Journal
  2. 2 A randomized, controlled study to evaluate the steroid sparing effect of essential fatty acid supplementation in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis Veterinary Dermatology, 2004 // Journal
  3. 3 21 CFR § 573.492 Gamma-linolenic acid safflower oil U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025 // Government
  4. 4 Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000652 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2016 // Government
  5. 5 GRAS Notification for GLA Safflower Oil in Conventional and Medical Foods Arcadia Biosciences, filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2016 // Industry
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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