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Ingredient file // Fruit or vegetable

Tomatoes

A tomato accent with unproven health claims

Tomatoes on a dog food label identify tomato fruit material, but do not tell you whether it went in fresh or dried. Tomato can add flavor and color. The label alone cannot show a meaningful digestive or lycopene benefit.

Role in the food Does a job
Tomatoes
What it is
Tomato fruit material used in a recipe; the ingredient name alone does not disclose its processing form.
Made from
Tomato fruit; preparation varies by supplier
Main job
Flavor and color accent
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Garden plants and unripe fruit
Not the same as
Dried tomato pomace

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 28 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

4%

109 of the 3,105 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 23 brands. 71 dry dog food, 32 wet dog food, 3 frozen dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 18. In the top five of 9 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

39%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 61% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $2.68
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 63 priced foods, 18% below the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

20%

of the foods that list it are from Now Fresh. 23 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Tomatoes come from produce harvests. Fruit that misses sale standards enters some feed markets, while ingredient suppliers also dry prepared tomatoes for pet foods. The name on a bag does not identify which route supplied its recipe.3,5,7

  1. 01 // Source Tomato harvest Fruit from a tomato crop may be sold fresh, processed for people or diverted into feed channels.
  2. 02 // Process Prepare fruit One pet food ingredient supplier sorts, washes, cores and trims tomatoes before drying them.
  3. 03 // Process Optional drying That supplier spray dries the prepared fruit and mills it into powder for pet food applications.
  4. 04 // Output Tomato ingredient Fresh fruit enters feed channels and powder is sold for pet food, but a bag may not disclose which form it uses.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

40-60

% carbs

Nonstructural carbohydrates in fresh tomato dry matter, mostly sugars. Fresh fruit adds far less dry material by weight because water dominates it.

Nonstructural carbohydrates 40-60%3
Neutral detergent fiber 24-37.1%2
Crude protein 12.4-20.8%2
Crude fat 0.2-2.8%2

These are fresh-fruit reference values, not a specification for the ingredient in any bag. The reported ranges come from few samples, and a dried product may differ after processing.2,3,7

Why it is in the bag

Mainly a flavor and color accent, amount undisclosed

  1. Main nutrition
  2. Supporting nutrient
  3. Does a job
  4. Mostly filler

Tomato's clearest job is flavor and color: lycopene makes it red, and a supplier sells spray-dried tomato for pet food. Fresh tomato is about 93 to 95% water, and labels rank ingredients by weight as added, so a fresh tomato listed fairly high may still leave few solids in the finished food. Dried powder brings more carbohydrate and fiber per gram. Labels do not give the amount, so treat any nutrient benefit as unproven.3,5,7,8

  1. 01

    Adds tomato color and taste

    Lycopene gives tomatoes their red color, and tomato material brings its characteristic taste. A supplier sells spray-dried tomato powder for pet food, but that does not show how much a recipe uses.7,8

  2. 02

    Supports a produce claim

    One brand promotes tomato fiber, vitamins and lycopene on its product page. Its ingredient list gives no tomato amount, so those claims cannot tell an owner the nutritional contribution.5,8

  3. 03

    Finds a use for surplus

    Cull fruit that misses produce standards enters feed markets. Fresh tomatoes spoil quickly and cost more to transport because of their water; drying offers suppliers another route. A bag does not reveal its source.3,7

How much No standard tomato inclusion rate is published in these sources; an ingredient list gives order, not the tomato percentage.5

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

    Tomato fiber improves a dog's digestion

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Fresh-fruit samples contained 24 to 37.1% neutral detergent fiber on a dry basis. A brand promises better digestion, but those composition figures are not a dog feeding trial or evidence of a benefit at its undisclosed inclusion rate.2,5,8

  2. Brands say

    Lycopene in tomatoes protects dogs from disease

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a 28-day study, 6 dogs absorbed purified lycopene. Researchers measured blood and tissue levels, not disease prevention. The study did not feed tomatoes or test a dog food amount.1,8

  3. Owners say

    Tomatoes in dog food are poisonous

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    ASPCA's plant-toxicity listing calls ripe fruit non-toxic. Feedipedia places tomatine in unripe fruit and green plant parts. Neither source supports treating ripe tomato fruit used in food as poisonous.3,6

  4. Brands say

    Tomato vitamins strengthen dogs' immunity

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A brand credits tomato vitamins with immune benefits, yet lists tomato only within a vegetable mix and gives no tomato amount. Its product page reports no dog feeding trial measuring an immune response to that ingredient.5,8

  5. Critics say

    Tomatoes are just filler

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Fresh tomatoes contain carbohydrates and fiber, and suppliers sell dried tomato for pet food use. The exact contribution depends on preparation and amount, which the ingredient list does not disclose. Calling every tomato inclusion useless goes beyond that evidence.2,3,5,7

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Tomato material can add taste, color and some carbohydrate and fiber. Its benefit may be small, but the ingredient has a recipe role. Ask for the amount before treating it as a meaningful source of nutrients.2,3,5,7

  2. Q02

    Is it tomato pomace?

    Different ingredient

    Pomace is the peels, crushed seeds and residual pulp left after processing tomatoes for juice, paste or ketchup. A listing for tomatoes does not identify that separate ingredient, though it also does not tell you whether the tomato material was fresh or dried.4,5,7

  3. Q03

    Does a high listing mean much?

    It depends

    Ingredients are ranked by weight when added. Fresh tomatoes contain about 93 to 95% water, so their position can overstate the tomato solids left in dry food. Dried powder starts with much less water.3,5,7

  4. Q04

    Can I tell how much is included?

    No

    The ingredient list ranks materials by weight but does not give their amounts. A tomato name or picture cannot supply that missing percentage. Ask the manufacturer for the ingredient's form and inclusion rate if the claim matters to you.5,7

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Now Fresh 22
  2. Taste of the Wild 16
  3. Blue Seal 10
  4. Purina 6
  5. Health Extension 6
  6. Eukanuba 5
  7. Kirkland Signature 5
  8. Instinct 5
  9. Nutro 5
  10. Go! Solutions 4

Plus 13 more brands.

Amazon best sellers that list it

  1. #17 Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
  2. #86 Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Dry Dog Food
  3. #87 Iams Adult Healthy Weight 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. Peas 59%
  2. Flaxseed 47%
  3. Natural Flavor 39%
  4. Potatoes 35%
  5. Canola Oil 32%
  6. Chicken 28%
  7. Pea Flour 28%
  8. Chicken Fat 26%
  9. Carrots 20%
  10. Dried Egg 20%
  11. Sweet Potatoes 19%
  12. Salmon 19%

On the shelf

Foods that list it

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

Eukanuba Adult Beef & Vegetable Stew , case of 12 Wet Dog Food42.8% proteinEukanuba Adult Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner in Gravy , case of 12 Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinEukanuba Puppy Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner in Gravy , case of 12 Wet Dog Food43.4% proteinEukanuba Puppy with Lamb & Rice , case of 12 Wet Dog Food39.1% proteinNutro Chicken Entrée Paté with Tomatoes & Carrots Grain-Free Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinNutro Chunky Beef, Tomato, Carrot & Pea Stew Grain-Free Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinNutro Ultra Senior Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinPurina Beyond Alaskan Salmon Recipe Dog Food Topper87.5% protein
Show 54 more Purina Beneful Freshly Prepared Blends Lamb Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinPurina Beneful Kitchen Creations Lamb Veggies Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinNorthwest Naturals Nuggets; Bulk Meal Bars; Chubs Trout Recipe Frozen Dog Food25.0% proteinNorthwest Naturals Nuggets; Bulk Meal Bars Bison & Beef Recipe Frozen Dog Food45.2% proteinNorthwest Naturals Nuggets; Bulk Meal Bars; Chubs Lamb Recipe Frozen Dog Food46.7% proteinEdgard & Cooper Free-Run Chicken Adult Dog Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinEdgard & Cooper Tins Chicken & Turkey Adult Dog Grain-Free Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinWeruva Dogs in the Kitchen Classic Dog Cirque de la Mer Tuna & Veggies in Soup Wet Dog Food53.3% proteinWeruva Dogs in the Kitchen Classic Dog Jammin Salmon with Chicken & Salmon Wet Dog Food57.1% proteinPurina Beneful IncrediBites Small Breed Loaf with Real Beef Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinPurina Beneful IncrediBites Small Breed Loaf with Real Salmon Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinEukanuba Adult with Lamb & Rice , case of 12 Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Small Breed Senior Salmon Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Chicken Small Breed Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinKirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Small Breed Salmon & Lentil Grain-Free Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinNow Fresh Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinKirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinRachael Ray Nutrish Beef Stroganwoof Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinNow Fresh Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Puppy Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinBlue Seal EnTrust Healthy Weight Formula Dry Dog Food25.8% proteinBlue Seal EnTrust Small Breed Formula Dry Dog Food27.0% proteinBlue Seal EnTrust Healthy Adult Formula - Pork & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food27.0% proteinTaste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Bison in Gravy Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinGo! Solutions Weight Management + Joint Care Salmon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinKirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Turkey and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% protein4health with Wholesome Grains Adult Salmon and Potato Formula at Tractor Supply Co Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Beef Coated in Bone Broth Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinKirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Beef and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinPurina Beneful IncrediBites Small Breed with Real Chicken in Gravy Wet Dog Food45.8% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Premium Quality Salmon Recipe Dog Food Topper28.9% proteinEvanger’s Complements Grain Free All Fresh Vegetarian Dinner Wet Dog Food29.2% proteinWholeHearted Healthy Benefits Weight Control Lamb and Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food29.5% proteinNow Fresh Small Breed Puppy Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinBlue Seal EnTrust Healthy Senior Formula Dry Dog Food28.1% proteinBlue Seal EnTrust Sensitive Stomach & Skin Formula Dry Dog Food27.0% proteinBlue Seal EnTrust Healthy Adult Formula - Lamb & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food24.7% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Large Breed Adult Beef Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Lamb & Pork Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Salmon Small Breed Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Trout, Salmon & Herring Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinInstinct Original Grain-Free Wet Dog Food52.3% proteinInstinct Original Food for Small Breed Dogs Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog Food38.6% proteinTaste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Canine Recipe with Lamb in Gravy Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinTaste of the Wild Southwest Canyon Canine Recipe with Beef in Gravy Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Beef Recipe For Seniors Dog Food Topper26.7% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Northern Catch Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free New York Style Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Carolina Skillet Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinHealth Extension food Grain Free Mediterranean Wet Dog Food38.6% proteinInstinct Original Food Real Beef Recipe Wet Dog Food52.3% proteinInstinct Original Food Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog Food43.2% proteinInstinct Original Food for Small Breed Dogs Real Beef Recipe Wet Dog Food38.6% proteinNutro Simmered Beef & Potato Stew Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinNutro Ultra Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog Food36.4% protein

Our read // On the bag

Read the recipe before the tomato claim

Check the main protein and fat ingredients first. Tomatoes may add flavor and color, but their position is the weight when added, and the name does not reveal fresh or dried form. If a brand sells a digestive or lycopene benefit, ask for the tomato form, amount and dog evidence.

On labels as

Fresh tomatoes: what changes

One page covers every name. Here is what each label word adds, and whether it changes anything for your dog.

Fresh tomatoes

Matters for your dog A little

Fresh Tomatoes

What it means AAFCO's official feed terms define fresh as an ingredient not frozen, cooked, dried, rendered or hydrolyzed, with no added salt, curing agents, preservatives or processing aids, kept only by refrigeration. AAFCO has no precise definition of fresh pet food as a finished product, and the word says nothing about ripeness or quality.

For your dog Fresh tomatoes are about 93 to 95% water, and the list ranks ingredients by weight as added, so fresh fruit sits higher than its solids justify. Once a fresh tomato is cooked into the food, the word mostly describes what arrived at the plant.3,5,9,10

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

Other wording

Matters for your dog No

Tomato

What it means Tomato is the singular form of the same name. It names the same fruit and tells you nothing extra about form, amount, farming or quality.

For your dog Nothing changes for the dog. Tomato and Tomatoes on a label point to the same fruit, and neither word tells you whether it went in fresh or dried or how much was used.5

Organic Tomatoes

Sources

What we read

Checked September 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Orally Administered Lycopene in Male Dogs The Journal of Nutrition, 2003 // Journal
  2. 2 Tomato fruits, fresh Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2012 // Database
  3. 3 Tomato fruits Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2015 // Database
  4. 4 Tomato pomace, tomato skins and tomato seeds Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2026 // Database
  5. 5 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  6. 6 Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Tomato Plant ASPCA Animal Poison Control, n.d. // Nonprofit
  7. 7 Tomato, Spray Dried Silva International, n.d. // Industry
  8. 8 Yourdog Tornjak Adult Dogzoo, n.d. // Industry
  9. 9 Fresh Pet Food: What Pet Owners Should Know The Animal Medical Center, 2026 // Reference
  10. 10 Free Public Access to AAFCO's Official Publication "Chapter Six" (Official Feed Terms, Common or Usual Ingredient Names and Definitions) AAFCO, 2025 // 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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