Natural flavor

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

What exactly is "natural flavor," and is it an acceptable ingredient in dog food?  I have a vague recollection that something negative was said about it a while ago, but a search brought up a lot of results which seemed to mostly just mention that it is in some foods. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Natural flavorings are ingredients derived from natural sources which approximate or enhance the flavors of certain foods. 

Clear as mud, right?

It's pretty complicated. Here's a good article about natural flavorings, which are way more prevalent in human food than pet food, BTW: https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/14/health/feat-natural-flavors-explaine...

Are they acceptable ingredients in pet food? This is where the brand really matters, because there are so many different kinds of flavoring agents, and the specific ones are never listed on labels, including human food labels. ; we have to know that we are buying a brand that doesn;t use anything that doesn;t meet the highest standards, is sourced in North America, and has a reliable quality control chain. 

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

Thanks Karen.  I'm worried that my little silky terrier Honey wound up with IBD, and Sophie the Cat's kidneys failed at the relatively young age of 14, because of something noxious that I unwittingly fed them, so I am looking at exactly what is in the foods I am now giving Doodle Belle and Roxie the Cat.  "Natural flavors" didn't seem very informative, but after reading your explanation, and the referenced article, I guess I just have to trust in the integrity of the recommended brands.  Thanks so much for answering my question, and for all the work you put into informing our food choices. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

IF (and that's a big "if") Honey does have IBD, and that IBD is the eosinophilic type of IBD, (which is the type that is triggered by specific foods, and is not the most common type), the culprits would much more likely be the major ingredients in her food like the specific protein sources rather than small elements like flavorings. :) 

In Sophie's case, again, kidney issues that are related to food (and all cats are going to get some form of kidney disease if they live long enough) would more likely have to do with the macronutrient/vitamin/mineral profile of the diet rather than small elements like flavorings.

So basically, you can rest assured that nothing you fed your pets caused these health issues.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'll add one caveat. There is an emulsifing agent in wet, soft, and/or semi-moist foods, both human and pet foods, that is believed to contribute to digestive diseases in both people and dogs, and that's carrageenan. That's one ingredient you do want to avoid, especially for dogs who are prone to digestive issues. Carrageenan will always be listed on the label if it's in a food or treat.