Yes, we use artificial colours. We use both nature-identical and artificial colours in very small amounts in some of our products. Like in the human food industry, colours are used to give it a more appealing and appetising appearance. They are completely safe for pets and strictly regulated by the European Union. Consumer trends for foods are evolving and in the same way that people don’t want artificial colours in their food, they don’t want them in their pet’s food either. We are responding to this desire and have committed to removing artificial colours from our main meal products by 2020, and our snacks by 2023 without compromising on quality or taste. Today, more than 60% of our products such as Purina® ONE®, Purina® PRO PLAN®, Dog Chow® and Cat Chow® are already made without artificial colours.
Like human food, pet food also follows strict regulations, meaning that all additives used, including artificial and nature-identical colours are strictly controlled and regulated in compliance with European Union safety laws. To date, studies on the use of these food colours have not shown any concerns for pet health. Why do we use them? We know that when choosing pet food, most owners want their choice of food to look appetising. In the production process, pet food can lose colour, so they are added to maintain a more desirable and consistent appearance. However, we also recognise that just as people don’t want artificial colours in the food that they eat, they don’t want them in the foods their pets eat either. So that’s why, we have committed to reformulating our recipes and to substitute artificial colours with nature-identical colours in our main meal products by 2020 and from all of our snacks products by 2023.
Discover Purina's commitment to remove artificial colours from our products here.