Freeze-Dried Pumpkin

After pumpkin seeds are harvested, the remaining flesh may be discarded. It can instead be peeled, frozen and vacuum dried. Removing water makes a dry ingredient that stores and mixes into food.^2,7

1. 01 // Source Pumpkin flesh A published preparation washed pumpkins, removed the peel and seeds, and cut the remaining flesh into pieces.
2. 02 // Process Frozen The prepared pieces are frozen before drying so their water remains solid as the vacuum is applied.
3. 03 // Process Vacuum dried Under low pressure, ice leaves the frozen flesh as vapor without a conventional hot-air drying step.
4. 04 // Output Dry pumpkin powder The dried flesh is crushed into powder that stores dry and is weighed into a recipe.

1. 01

   Adds mixed fiber

   Pumpkin pulp contains soluble and insoluble fiber. Both reach the gut, but the amount added to the complete food determines whether either changes stool.^1,2

2. 02

   Adds orange color

   Carotenoids give pumpkin its color. Freeze-dried powder retains some of them, although drying conditions change how much remains.^5,6

3. 03

   Stores as a dry ingredient

   Removing water makes pumpkin easier to store and weigh into a recipe. Freeze drying takes far more energy than hot-air drying, making it a costly source of bulk fiber.⁷

How much One dog trial included dried pumpkin in a mixed-fiber food but did not report pumpkin's separate share or test freeze-dried pumpkin.¹

1. Brands say

   Pumpkin adds dietary fiber to kibble

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A flour made from pumpkin pulp and peel measured 35.33% dietary fiber on a dry basis. Freeze-dried peeled pulp also contained fiber. Neither measurement reveals how much fiber pumpkin contributes to a particular bag.^2,3,10

2. Brands say

   Freeze-dried pumpkin cures a dog's diarrhea

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a 31-dog trial, stools improved after dogs switched to a food containing dried pumpkin and several other fibers. There was no comparison group, and the study did not isolate pumpkin or test freeze-dried pumpkin.¹

3. Brands say

   Pumpkin feeds beneficial gut bacteria

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A Purina-authored conference abstract reported bacterial changes after 12 hours of lab fermentation using canine feces. It tested pumpkin outside a dog, so it does not show better gut health from pumpkin in kibble.⁴

4. Brands say

   Its beta carotene protects dogs from oxidative damage

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   One pumpkin powder study measured a 21.58% beta carotene loss during freeze drying; another found retention changed with the drying schedule. Neither tested antioxidant protection in dogs eating the finished ingredient.^5,6

5. Critics say

   Pumpkin is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A pulp-and-peel flour measured 35.33% dietary fiber on a dry basis, giving it a clear nutritional role. The label does not state pumpkin's amount, so that measurement cannot promise a stool effect.^3,10