Non-artificial colours in dog food: What is used & why

We changed our recipe in response to the fact that many people are now reducing the number of artificial colours in their own diets. We listened to our shoppers and decided to remove the artificial colours from our dog food as well!

These artificial colours have been replaced by colours that occur in nature; these are taken from plant, animal, and mineral sources. Through appropriate technical processing (such as heating or extraction), these colours can then be used in food applications on an industrial scale.

E141 (Chlorophyllin Copper Complex), is a colour derived from the pigment in nature that gives plants and algae their green colour.

E120 (Cochineal/Carminic Acid Carmines), is a colour derived from the female cochineal insect and its uses include alcoholic beverages and processed meat products.

E160b (Annatto/Bixin/Norbixin) is a pigment derived from the seeds of the achiote tree and is used to impart a yellow or orange colour to food.

Artificial colours are ones that don’t occur in nature and are made synthetically.