iron oxide
Iron oxide is a mineral pigment that gives semi-moist food and treats their red-brown 'meaty' look. How Bowlmark treats it.
Also appears on labels as: iron oxides · red iron oxide · iron oxide (color) · e172
What it is
Iron oxide (E172) is a mineral pigment — the same chemical family as rust — used to color food red, brown, or black. It is stable through cooking, which makes it the go-to red-brown in semi-moist foods and treats.
Why it's in pet food
The red in "looks like ground beef" products is usually iron oxide. It is purely cosmetic; the amounts involved are tiny, and it is not a meaningful iron source, whatever the color implies.
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.
Iron oxide carries no deduction: the additive pillar's dye flag names the six certified synthetic dyes, and mineral pigments are not among them. Like every colorant, it earns no points either.
Foods that list iron oxide
Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Iron oxide in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/iron-oxide
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