Carotene in Dog Food - Dog Nutrition DB

Beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A making carotene in dog food part of a healthy diet. Since carotenes are also natural pigments, they can be used to add color to dog food.

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What Are Carotenes?

Carotenes are a class of phytochemicals. They are found in leafy vegetables since they play a role in photosynthesis.

Since carotenes are yellow-red pigments they are also found in many yellow, orange, or red fruits and vegetables.

Carotenes are named after carrots which contain lots of β-carotene causing this vegetable’s typical orange color.

Tomato lycopene is another form of carotene. And there are several hundred more that we know about today.

Together with yellow pigments called xanthophylls, carotenes are part of a larger group called carotenoids.

These phytonutrients are associated with many health benefits, have antioxidant properties, and can stimulate the immune response^[5,9].

Carotenes are found in many leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables:

Food Item	Beta-carotene	Lycopene
Sweet Potatoes	8509 μg
Carrots	8285 μg
Spinach	5626 μg
Parsley	5054 μg
Turnip Greens	4575 μg
Collard Greens	4513 μg
Garden Cress	4150 μg
Cilantro	3930 µg
Beet Greens	3790 µg
Swiss Chard	3652 μg
Basil	3142 μg
Pumpkin	3100 μg
Bok Choy	2681 μg
Chives	2612 μg
Rose Hips	2350 µg	6800 µg
Cantaloupe	2020 μg
Lettuce	1987 μg
Watercress	1914 μg
Mustard Greens	1790 µg
Bell Pepper	1624 μg
Apricots	1094 μg
Winter Squash	820 μg
Grapefruit	686 µg	1419 µg
Zucchini	670 μg
Mango	640 μg
Tomatoes	449 μg	2573 μg
Green Peas	449 μg
Asparagus	449 μg
Guava	374 μg	5204 µg
Broccoli	361 μg
Water Melon	303 μg	4532 μg
Papaya	274 μg	1828 µg
Persimmon	253 μg
Acorn Squash	220 μg
Peach	162 μg
Summer Squash	120 μg
Cinnamon (dry, ground)	112 µg	15 µg
Alfalfa Sprouts	87µg
Kelp	70 µg
Avocado	62 µg
Kiwifruit	52 µg
Corn	47 µg
Spirulina	33 µg
Blueberries	32 µg
Apples	27 μg
Pears	14 µg

Nutrient content per 100 g^[6]

Beta-Carotene In Dog Food

Beta-carotene is just one of many naturally occurring carotenes but one of the most important in terms of dog nutrition.

You will find many dog food recipes that include beta-carotene in their ingredient lists.

That’s because dogs can use an enzyme to convert β-carotene into vitamin A. So, in other words, β-carotene acts as a vitamin A precursor.

Dogs can meet their dietary vitamin A requirements by eating preformed vitamin A from animal sources or just from provitamin A carotenoids from plant ingredients^[8].

And they should since vitamin A is an essential nutrient!

This fat-soluble vitamin is important for vision, reproduction, skin and mucous membranes, growth, and your dog’s immune function.

Feeding experiments have shown that dogs can absorb β-carotene and use it as their sole source of vitamin A^[1].

However, we don’t exactly know how efficiently dogs can actually convert beta-carotene to vitamin A.

But we do know they are better at it than cats or ferrets. That makes sense given that dogs are omnivores and their ancestors consumed way more plant material compared to carnivores.

Carotenes are generally recognized as safe when used as nutritional food additives^[2]. And there are many dog foods with beta carotene used as a Vitamin A supplement.

Other carotenoids such as α-carotene or cryptoxanthin may also have provitamin A activity in dogs^[3]. But these are much less well understood.

Although carotenes are in general considered safe and healthy, an excessive intake may have unknown effects. We recommend asking your vet before supplementing your dog’s diet.

Did you know dogs can get carotenemia?

This is a reversible and harmless clinical condition causing the skin to turn yellow as a result of prolonged and excessive β-carotene consumption!

Carotene As Food Additive

Since carotenes are natural pigments they are also used for food coloring.

Typically, beta-carotene used for this purpose seems to be extracted from natural sources like carrots or palm fruit oil^[4].

Beta-carotene is also obtained from green micro-algae like Dunaliella salina and Dunaliella bardawil^[7].

Another carotene occasionally used as a color additive is tomato lycopene, a potent antioxidant, and red-colored pigment.

Microorganisms like Blakeslea trispora, a mold fungus, can produce large amounts of (synthetic) β-carotene and lycopene.

Since carotenes are considered safe, they do not have to be listed individually on the dog food label. Instead, manufacturers only need to indicate that “added colors” or “artificial colors” were used.

What Are Carotenes?

Beta-Carotene In Dog Food

Carotene As Food Additive

Further Reading