colostrum
Colostrum is the antibody-rich first milk, sold for immune and gut support. The biology is real; the evidence for supplement doses is early and modest.
Also appears on labels as: bovine colostrum · dried bovine colostrum · colostrum powder
What it is
The first milk a mother produces, dense with immunoglobulins (notably IgG), growth factors, and protein — biologically crucial for newborns, who absorb those antibodies in their first hours. Pet products use dried bovine colostrum in supplements, toppers, and "immune support" recipes.
Why it's in pet food
The marketing borrows the newborn biology and applies it to adult animals, where absorption and effect are far less certain. Published results in adult dogs and cats are limited and mixed — enough to keep researchers interested, not enough to treat a sprinkle of colostrum as medicine. Quality and IgG content also vary widely between products.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
No engine flag: colostrum neither earns nor costs points anywhere on a label — the score never rewards an immune-support claim, because claims aren't evidence. If colostrum is in a recipe you like, treat it as a neutral extra. If you're buying FOR the colostrum, that's a conversation for your vet, not a label decision.
Foods that list colostrum
No food on the shelf lists colostrum yet. Scan a bag that does and its label joins the catalog — versioned from the day it arrives.
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Colostrum in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/colostrum
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- Last verified August 12, 2026
No stored score to stamp yet — the engine and config above are the ones a scan runs today.