Ingredient file // Other
Natural Color
A visual change with an undisclosed source
Natural Color says a coloring preparation was added, but it does not identify the substance. Its job is to change how the food looks. The label gives no basis for treating it as a nutritional benefit for your dog.
- What it is
- An added coloring preparation whose specific substance and source are not identified by this label term.
- Made from
- An undisclosed coloring material
- Main job
- Changes the food's appearance
- Typical amount
- Not published for this unnamed preparation
- Watch for
- The label does not identify the colorant
- Not the same as
- Naturally colored ingredients
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 519 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
5 of the 2,595 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All wet dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 20. 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 75% of foods.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Artemis. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Color suppliers make preparations from different raw materials, sometimes by extracting pigment and sometimes by making a powder. A pet food maker adds a preparation to adjust appearance. This label does not reveal which process or material was used.4,6,8
- 01 // Source Unspecified material The label does not identify the raw material, so its origin cannot be determined from the bag.
- 02 // Process Color prepared Suppliers offer extracted pigments in liquid and powder forms; the method for this unnamed preparation is unknown.
- 03 // Process Mixed into food The manufacturer adds the preparation to adjust the food's shade or reduce visible color variation.
- 04 // Output Colored food The finished food has an adjusted appearance, while this label term leaves the added substance unnamed.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
N/A
No dry matter composition is defensible: the label does not identify the substance that would need to be analyzed.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adjusts the shade
FDA lists correcting natural color variation and offsetting color loss during processing or storage among the reasons manufacturers add color. That changes appearance, not the food's stated nutrient profile.6
-
02
Appeals to the buyer
Owner studies found that color affected ratings of dry dog food appearance. The studies did not test this unnamed additive or show the same effect in wet food.2,3
-
03
Supports source positioning
Suppliers market extracted colors to pet food makers. FDA says certified synthetic colors are generally less expensive, so choosing another color is not a demonstrated cost saving.6,8
How much One supplier recommends 0.1 to 1.0% for several pet food color preparations; the amount of this unnamed preparation is not published.8
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
Color makes dog food more appealing to owners
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In one study, 120 consumers judged the appearance of 30 dry dog foods, and color affected their ratings. A second study also linked color with owner liking. Neither isolated an added pigment or tested wet food.2,3
-
Brands say
Colored food tastes better to dogs
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A test with 32 dogs compared 2 complete dry diets. It did not compare colored and uncolored versions of one food, so the dogs' preference cannot be credited to pigment.1
-
Owners say
Natural color is safer than synthetic color
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
FDA applies the same premarket safety standard to certified and certification-exempt colors. AAFCO says natural does not imply safer. Without the substance's identity, this label cannot support a safety comparison.6,7
-
Brands say
Natural color adds useful nutrients
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A supplier recommends 0.1 to 1.0% for several color preparations, but that range does not identify what this food contains. No nutrient analysis or dog feeding result for its unnamed colorant supports a nutritional claim.4,8
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
Not quiteIt has a job: changing appearance. That job serves the presentation of the food. Since the substance is unnamed and no nutrient analysis is supplied, do not count it as a source of protein, fiber, or vitamins.4,6
-
Q02
What does Natural Color contain?
Not disclosedThe term names no pigment or raw material. FDA lists several kinds of permitted color additives, and a supplier offers both powders and liquids. Ask the manufacturer for the exact substance used in this food.4,6,8
-
Q03
Is that label wording acceptable?
FDA objectsFDA policy objects to declaring an added color as natural color because readers could mistake it for color already present in the food. Its animal food guidance describes clearer declarations, including color added or a specific colorant name.4,5
-
Q04
Does my dog care about color?
Unproven hereOwner studies measured people's reactions to dry food appearance. A 32-dog preference test compared complete diets and did not isolate color. Neither result shows that this additive changes your dog's choice.1,2,3
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Water 100%
- Dried Egg Product 100%
- Tapioca Starch 100%
- Carrots 100%
- Fish Broth 80%
- Ocean Fish 80%
- Pea Protein 80%
- Peas 60%
- Chicken 40%
- Lamb 20%
- Duck 20%
- Chicken Broth 20%
Our read // On the bag
Ask for the substance behind the color
Treat Natural Color as an appearance ingredient. The words do not tell you what was added, how much was used, or whether it offers nutrition. Judge the food by its named ingredients and nutritional adequacy statement. If the colorant's identity matters to your dog, ask the manufacturer for its exact name.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 New Perspective in Consumer Sensory Science: Acceptance and Preference Testing of Dry Dog Food
- 2 Acceptability of Dry Dog Food Visual Characteristics by Consumer Segments Based on Overall Liking: a Case Study in Poland
- 3 Consumer Acceptance of Dry Dog Food Variations
- 4 GFI #223 Small Entity Compliance Guide Declaring Color Additives In Animal Foods
- 5 CPG Sec 587.100 Label Declaration of Certification-Exempt Color Additives
- 6 Color Additives in Foods
- 7 Natural
- 8 Natural Colours for Pet food