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Ingredient file // Flavor

Pork Broth

Pork flavor and moisture, with limited nutrition

Pork broth is liquid made by cooking pork bones, other parts or muscle in water. It adds moisture and savory flavor to dog food. Most of its poured weight is water, so its place on the ingredient list says little about the food's pork protein.

Pork Broth
What it is
Liquid separated after pork bones, other parts or muscle are cooked in water.
Made from
Pork bones, parts or muscle
Main job
Moisture and pork flavor
Typical amount
Varies by recipe; can replace some added water
Watch for
Pork allergy or seasoned kitchen broth
Not the same as
Pork bone broth

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 105 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

1%

24 of the 2,523 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 9 brands. 22 wet dog food, 1 dry dog food, 1 dog food topper.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 2.5. In the top five of 23 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $2.72
All foods $3.23

Median of the cheapest bag price across 3 priced foods, 16% below the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

46%

of the foods that list it are from Nutro. 9 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Pork cutting leaves bones and attached tissue that processors can cook to recover soluble protein and flavor. The liquid can go into pet food, while removing water before drying reduces processing volume.5,6,8

  1. 01 // Source Pork tissue Bones, attached parts or muscle provide the material that gives the broth its pork identity.
  2. 02 // Process Cooked in water Heat moves soluble proteins and flavor compounds from the tissue into the surrounding liquid.
  3. 03 // Process Fat and solids removed In the studied process, workers skimmed fat and foam before separating the broth from remaining solids.
  4. 04 // Process Concentrated if needed Removing water reduces the volume handled when a processor wants to make dried broth.
  5. 05 // Output Pork broth The liquid, or broth dried for later use, is added to a pet food recipe.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

90

% protein

AAFCO's minimum crude protein share of broth solids. The liquid itself is mostly water, so this figure does not describe a bowl of broth.

Crude protein 92.4-93.2%5
Crude fat 3.5-4.7%5
Ash 2.6-2.8%5

These calculated dry matter ranges come from experimental dried pork and beef broths reported together, not a pork-only specification. The same study's liquid broths contained up to 4% solids before concentration.5

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Adds cooking moisture

    In canned food, liquid broth can take the place of some added water. That water helps make a moist food, while the broth also contributes pork-derived solids.6,8

  2. 02

    Brings savory flavor

    Cooking pork tissue releases amino acids and aroma compounds into water. Manufacturers use that liquid for flavor, although a controlled dog trial has not isolated pork broth's effect on appetite.5,8

  3. 03

    Uses remaining tissue

    Extracting bones and attached tissue gives processors a saleable use for material left after cutting. Concentrating broth reduces the volume handled before drying.5

How much In canned food, liquid or dried broth can replace some added water; the amount depends on the recipe.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.

  1. Brands say

    Broth adds water to the meal

    Evidence

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

    Broth's water becomes part of the food. In a brand-funded, 10-dog study, a moist diet yielded 523 g of total daily water intake versus 434 g for kibble. That comparison did not test pork broth specifically.1,8

  2. Brands say

    Pork broth makes dogs eat more

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Cooking pork creates flavor compounds, but no controlled dog trial isolated broth. A 12-beagle trial found pork meat and chicken meat diets similarly palatable. Pork broth may appeal to a dog, but an appetite boost is untested.3,5,8

  3. Brands say

    Collagen in pork broth repairs joints

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A funded, blinded trial in 31 dogs found gait improvements after 12 weeks of purified porcine collagen peptides. That measured product was not broth, and pork broth has no tested joint dose or demonstrated repair effect.2,10

  4. Brands say

    Pork broth improves gut health

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A broth brand reports microbiome changes after 4 weeks in 33 dogs. Its before-and-after report describes no comparison group or clinical gut outcome, and it does not isolate pork broth. It cannot demonstrate better digestion.9,10

  5. Owners say

    Pork is unsafe for dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a 12-beagle feeding trial, pork meat and chicken meat diets had similar palatability and nutrient digestibility. That study did not test broth, but it gives no basis for a blanket pork warning. Pork allergy is a real exception.3,4

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It supplies moisture and pork flavor, useful jobs in wet food. Its solids contain protein, but the liquid's high water content means a prominent place on the ingredient list does not equal a large serving of pork meat.5,6,8

  2. Q02

    Does broth mean pork bones?

    Not necessarily

    The AAFCO definition permits bones, other parts or muscle. A label saying pork broth does not reveal the mix. Pork bone broth is a more specific product name, though its preparation is not separately standardized.6,8

  3. Q03

    Why is broth listed before pork?

    Wet weight

    Ingredients are ranked by weight as they enter the recipe. Liquid broth carries substantial water and can rank above pork while adding less dry matter. Judge the finished food's protein and calories alongside the full ingredient list.5,11

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Nutro 11
  2. Fromm 3
  3. Zignature 3
  4. NutriSource 2
  5. Eukanuba 1
  6. Nature's Logic 1
  7. Health Extension 1
  8. Cesar 1
  9. Tiki Dog 1

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Tapioca Starch 50%
  2. Animal Plasma 50%
  3. Peas 46%
  4. Chicken Broth 46%
  5. Carrots 42%
  6. Pork 42%
  7. Chicken 42%
  8. Chicken Liver 33%
  9. Dried Egg Product 29%
  10. Beef 25%
  11. Potatoes 25%
  12. Beef Liver 25%

On the shelf

Foods that list it

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

Cesar Puppy Filets in Gravy Puppy Food, Chicken Recipe Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinFromm Four-Star Diner Favorites Bella’s Beef Barkundy Stew Wet Dog Food38.9% proteinFromm Four-Star Pork & Peas Recipe Dry Dog Food32.2% proteinFromm Four-Star Shredded Pork in Gravy Entrée Wet Dog Food43.8% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Carolina Skillet Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog Food39.3% proteinNutriSource Harvest Selects Northern Feast Wet Dog Food43.2% proteinNutriSource Woodlands Select Wet Dog Food43.2% protein
Show 16 more Eukanuba Adult Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Dinner , case of 12 Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinZignature Original Food Pork Formula Wet Dog Food43.2% proteinZignature Inception Pork Recipe Food Can Wet Dog Food29.5% proteinZignature Essence LIR Ranch Recipe Food Can Wet Dog Food45.5% proteinNutro Roasted Turkey, Potato & Pea Stew Recipe Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Tender Chicken, Carrot & Pea Stew Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinNutro Meaty Lamb, Green Bean & Carrot Stew Recipe Wet Dog Food55.6% proteinNutro Roasted Turkey, Sweet Potato & Green Bean Stew Wet Dog Food55.6% proteinNutro Simmered Beef & Potato Stew Recipe Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Chunky Beef, Tomato, Carrot & Pea Stew Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinNutro Puppy Tender Beef, Pea & Carrot Bites in Gravy Recipe Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Savory Lamb & Vegetables Stew Recipe Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Puppy Tender Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pea Recipe Bites in Gravy Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Tender Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pea Stew Recipe Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Natural Choice Beef Recipe Cuts in Gravy Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinTiki Dog Aloha Petites Flavor Booster Pork Bisque Dog Food Topper40.0% protein

Our read // On the bag

Read it as moisture with pork flavor

When pork broth sits high on a wet food list, remember that ingredients are weighed before cooking and broth brings plenty of water. Look for named meat nearby, then assess the food's protein and calories. Do not count broth as a joint or gut supplement.

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Feeding fresh food and providing water ad libitum is clinically proven to exceed calculated daily water requirements and impact urine relative supersaturation in dogs Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2025 // Journal
  2. 2 The oral intake of specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP) improves gait and quality of life in canine osteoarthritis patients: a translational large animal model for a nutritional therapy option PLOS ONE, 2024 // Journal
  3. 3 Nutritional assessment of pork versus chicken as primary protein sources in canine diets Journal of Animal Science and Technology, 2025 // Journal
  4. 4 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats BMC Veterinary Research, 2016 // Journal
  5. 5 EXISTENTIAL BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN HYDROTHERMAL AND MASS-SELECTIVE PROCESSING OF SECONDARY ANIMAL RAW MATERIAL International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 2015 // Book
  6. 6 Official Feed Terms, Common or Usual Ingredient Names and Ingredient Definitions AAFCO, 2025 // Regulator
  7. 7 Garlic and Onion (Allium spp) Toxicosis in Animals Merck Veterinary Manual, 2024 // Book
  8. 8 Let’s take stock (or broth) PetfoodIndustry, 2025 // Industry
  9. 9 The Biome Broth Study Boil and Broth, n.d. // Industry
  10. 10 WET NOSE Pork Bone Broth for Dogs & Cats Wet Nose, n.d. // Industry
  11. 11 Ingredients - Making Pet Food AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
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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