Below is a list of safe & unsafe food additives in respect to human foods. Many of these additives may also be found in pet foods, so this may serve as an initial warning about any unsafe additives in a pet food.
This table also serves to identify the reasons an additive may be used in a pet food, such as to add colour, regulate acidity, thicken a food (such as wet pet foods), or to add flavour to encourage your pet to eat a food they may otherwise be reluctant to eat (often called a “palatant” in the pet food industry).
You may, of course, use this list of safe & unsafe food additives as a reference from products you buy for yourself. You may be surprised what additives are used, and why.
| Apparently safe (for humans – please check for pets) | Avoid if possible (for humans AND pets) | |
| Colours 100 – 182 | 100, 101, 103, 106, 140, 141, 160 160a, 161, 161a-f, 161h, 162, 163, 170, 181 | 102,104, 105, 107. 110 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 142, 143, 150a-c, 151, 152 153, 154, 155, 160b, 160c-f, 161g, 173, 174, 175, 180, 181, 182 |
| Preservatives 200 – 297 | 234, 260, 262, 263, 290, 297 | 200, 201, 202, 203, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 242, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 261, 264, 270, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 296 |
| Acidity Regulators, Anti-Oxidants 300 – 385 | 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 306, 307, 308, 309, 315, 316, 322, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 336, 337, 339, 340, 341, 343, 350, 351, 352, 353, 357, 365, 366, 367, 375, 381 | 310, 311, 312, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 335, 338, 342, 349, 354, 355, 359, 363, 368, 370, 380, 385 |
| Vegetable Gums, Thickeners 400 – 495 | 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 411, 415, 418, 425, 440, 440a, 440b, 442, 444, 450, 451, 452, 460, 469, 470a, 471, 472a-c, 472f, 473, 475, 476, 479b, 481 | 405, 407, 407a, 409, 410, 412, 413, 414, 416, 417, 420, 421, 422, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 441, 445, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 470b, 472e, 474, 477, 478, 480, 482, 483, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495 |
| Mineral Salts, Anti-Caking Agents 500 – 586 | 500, 501, 504, 515, 516, 517, 535, 537, 538, 542, 543, 550, 551, 552, 558, 559, 572, 574, 575, 577, 578, 585 | 503, 507, 508, 509, 510, 511, 512. 513, 514, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 536, 539, 540, 541, 544, 545, 553a, 553b, 554, 555, 556, 560, 570, 576, 579, 580, 586 |
| Flavour Enhancers | 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 626, 627, 628, 629, 630, 631, 632, 633, 634, 635, 636, 637, 600 – 641 640, 641 | |
| Thickeners, Vegetable Gums, etc. | 913, 915, 922, 923, 941, 942, 953, 1100, 1103, 1105, 1518 | 900, 900a, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905a-c, 906, 907, 912, 914, 920, 921, 924, 925, 926, 927a, 927b, 928, 930, 940, 943a, 943b, 944, 946, 950, 951, 952, 953, 954, 955, 956, 957, 959, 961, 965, 966, 967, 966, 999, 1101, 1102, 1104, 1200, 1201, 1202,1400, 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1405, 1410, 1411, 1412, 1413, 900 -1521 1414, 1420, 1421, 1422, 1430, 1440, 1441, 1442, 1450, 1451, 1505, 1510, 1516, 1517, 1520, 1521 |
| Flavours | No numeric codes | Avoid artificial flavours wherever possible! |
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