Skip to content
In The Kibble
My dogs

Ingredient file // Fruit or vegetable

Dried Broccoli

A little vegetable, with unproven health claims

Dried broccoli is broccoli with most of its water removed, usually made into flakes or powder. It adds some plant fiber to kibble. The label does not tell you how much broccoli is present or whether its delicate compounds survived processing.

Role in the food Mostly filler
What it is
Broccoli pieces dried into flakes or powder for mixing into dog food.
Made from
Broccoli florets or other suitable pieces
Main job
Small vegetable and fiber addition
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Stomach upset from large extra servings
Not the same as
Broccoli sprout extract

Straight answer

Is Dried Broccoli safe for dogs?

Read the recipe before the broccoli claim

Find dried broccoli in the ingredient list, then look at the main protein, fat and other ingredients above it. A late listing means broccoli has a small role. Treat it as a vegetable addition, and ask for finished food testing before accepting claims about sulforaphane, vitamin C or cancer protection.

Why it is in the food
Small vegetable and fiber addition

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 89 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

1%

36 of the 3,205 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 3 brands. 28 dry dog food, 8 wet dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 21. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

0%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 100% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.86
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 20 priced foods, 19% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

89%

of the foods that list it are from Nature's Logic. 3 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Broccoli packing leaves trimmed stalks and other pieces alongside marketable florets. Suitable pieces are washed, dried and sometimes milled into a storable ingredient. A dog food label does not reveal which plant parts went in.3,4,5,6,7

  1. 01 // Source Broccoli pieces Florets are documented drying material; processing also leaves stalks that suppliers could use.
  2. 02 // Process Washed and cut Processors clean the broccoli and cut it into pieces that dry more evenly.
  3. 03 // Process Water removed Air, vacuum or freeze drying reduces moisture; the method changes how well vitamin C and sulforaphane survive.
  4. 04 // Output Flakes or powder Dried pieces may be ground and sieved before they are packed for use in a food recipe.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

8.7-10

% crude fiber

Measured in broccoli vacuum dried at five temperatures (50 to 90 C) in one lab study. It is real fiber, though a small addition supplies little of the finished food's total.

Crude fiber 8.7-10%3
Crude protein 31.5-36.5%3
Ash 8.4-9.3%3
Crude fat 4.1-4.7%3

These ranges come from broccoli vacuum dried at five temperatures (50 to 90 C) in one lab study, not a survey of pet food suppliers. Stalks and leaves have different compositions, so a bag's broccoli could differ substantially.3,6

Why it is in the bag

A label vegetable, likely too little to matter

  1. Main nutrition
  2. Supporting nutrient
  3. Does a job
  4. Mostly filler

Ingredient lists run by weight, and dried broccoli usually sits far down long lists, so it is likely too little to change the food's nutrition. Per gram it does carry real fiber and protein, and the sulforaphane studies in dogs used concentrated sprout supplements, not kibble broccoli. It is there anyway because it puts a familiar vegetable name on the bag, and because broccoli packing leaves usable pieces that drying makes storable.1,3,6,8

  1. 01

    Adds some plant fiber

    Dried broccoli contains crude fiber, but no dog feeding trial found in this review tested whether dried broccoli improves stool in kibble.3

  2. 02

    Adds visible vegetable identity

    Broccoli gives a manufacturer a recognizable vegetable to name on the label. Ingredient order shows its relative weight, not a measured health benefit.8

  3. 03

    Uses available crop material

    Broccoli packing leaves stalks and other unused pieces at scale. Drying suitable material creates a storable ingredient, though the label does not show whether a supplier used trims or florets.6,7

How much No typical inclusion rate for dried broccoli in dog food was published in the sources reviewed; dog experiments used concentrated sprout supplements instead.1,2

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Brands say

    Broccoli's sulforaphane reaches a dog's bloodstream

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a study of 10 healthy dogs, a broccoli sprout supplement with active myrosinase produced blood metabolites that peaked after 4 hours. That shows absorption from the supplement, not from dried broccoli in kibble.1

  2. Brands say

    Drying preserves broccoli's vitamin C

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    It depends on the method. In one lab comparison, freeze drying kept 3.77 of 3.79 mg per g dry and vacuum drying lost 4.6%, but hot air drying lost 66.4%. A dog food label never says which method was used.5

  3. Brands say

    Its fiber keeps stools firm

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Vacuum dried broccoli measured 8.67 to 9.97% crude fiber on a dry matter basis across five drying temperatures. The study did not feed dogs, so it cannot show a stool benefit from dried broccoli in kibble.3

  4. Brands say

    Its antioxidants protect a dog's cells

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Dried broccoli extracts showed activity in laboratory antioxidant assays. Those tests do not show protection in dogs, and drying methods produced different amounts of sulforaphane.3,4

  5. Brands say

    Dried broccoli protects dogs from cancer

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In an uncontrolled study, 7 dogs with lymphoma received sulforaphane for 7 days. Researchers found changes in tumor proteins but no clinical response. The study did not test dried broccoli in food.2

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Broccoli contributes plant material and some fiber. It is unlikely to carry much of the recipe's nutrition when used as a minor ingredient. Judge the complete food by its formulation, not by this vegetable alone.3,8

  2. Q02

    Is this the same as sprouts?

    No

    The dog absorption study used a concentrated broccoli sprout supplement with active myrosinase. Dried broccoli on a kibble label does not promise that preparation, enzyme activity or sulforaphane dose.1,4

  3. Q03

    Can broccoli poison my dog?

    Usually no

    The ASPCA lists plain broccoli among vegetables dogs can eat. Large additions or an unfamiliar food can upset digestion, so the small amount in a complete food is a different question from feeding a bowl of broccoli.9

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Nature's Logic 32 / 32
  2. Only Natural Pet 3 / 5
  3. Rachael Ray Nutrish 1 / 19

Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Mixed Tocopherols 97%
  2. Montmorillonite Clay 78%
  3. Yeast Culture 67%
  4. Millet 50%
  5. Pumpkin Seed Flour 50%
  6. Spray Dried Porcine Plasma 47%
  7. Chicken Fat 36%
  8. Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate 28%
  9. Dehydrated Kale 28%
  10. Dried Kelp 28%
  11. Chicken Meal 25%
  12. Pork Fat 25%

On the shelf

Foods that list Dried Broccoli

36 foods in our catalog list it, highest on the label first.

Nature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Lamb Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Lamb Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Sardine Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Sardine Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 19 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Pork Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Pork Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the labelOnly Natural Pet Raw Blends Grain Free Raw Dry Dog FoodOnly Natural PetOnly Natural Pet Raw Blends Grain Free Raw Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 26 on the labelOnly Natural Pet Raw Blends Skin and Coat Dry Dog FoodOnly Natural PetOnly Natural Pet Raw Blends Skin and Coat Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 28 on the labelRachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley Dry Dog FoodRachael Ray NutrishRachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 61 on the label
Show 29 more
Nature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Turkey Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Turkey Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Chicken Feast Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Chicken Feast Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Beef Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Beef Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Duck & Salmon Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Duck & Salmon Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 19 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 19 on the labelNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the labelNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Turkey Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Turkey Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Sardine Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Sardine Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Pork Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Pork Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Lamb Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Lamb Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Land & Sea Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Land & Sea Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Grain Free Dry Kibble: Beef Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Grain Free Dry Kibble: Beef Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelNature’s Logic Pure Naturals Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Pure Naturals Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Duck & Salmon Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Duck & Salmon Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Venison Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Venison Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Rabbit Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Rabbit Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Duck & Salmon Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Duck & Salmon Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 23 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Canine Red Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Canine Red Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 23 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Canine Fowl Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Canine Fowl Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 24 on the labelOnly Natural Pet Raw Blends Digestive Care for Sensitive Stomachs Dry Dog FoodOnly Natural PetOnly Natural Pet Raw Blends Digestive Care for Sensitive Stomachs Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 28 on the label

On labels as

Dehydrated broccoli: what changes

One page covers every name. Here is what each label word adds, and whether it changes anything for your dog.

Dehydrated broccoli

Matters for your dog No

Dehydrated Broccoli

What it means AAFCO feed terms use dried for any material with its water or other liquid removed, and dehydrated for moisture removed with heat; freeze dried is a separate term. We found no rule requiring a label to state the drying method or temperature, and neither word promises a nutrient level.

For your dog Nothing measurable changes. Both names mean broccoli with its water removed, used in small amounts. In one lab test hot air drying lost far more vitamin C than freeze drying, but neither label word names the method, and the amount in the food is too small to matter.5,11

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Sulforaphane absorption and histone deacetylase activity following single dosing of broccoli sprout supplement in normal dogs Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2018 // Journal
  2. 2 Prospective evaluation of the lymph node proteome in dogs with multicentric lymphoma supplemented with sulforaphane Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2020 // Journal
  3. 3 Comprehensive Evaluation of the Bioactive Composition and Neuroprotective and Antimicrobial Properties of Vacuum-Dried Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) Powder and Its Antioxidants Molecules, 2023 // Journal
  4. 4 Low-Temperature Vacuum Drying on Broccoli: Enhanced Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Proliferative Properties Regarding Other Drying Methods Foods, 2023 // Journal
  5. 5 Impact of Three Different Dehydration Methods on Nutritional Values and Sensory Quality of Dried Broccoli, Oranges, and Carrots Foods, 2020 // Journal
  6. 6 Research progress on the utilization technology of broccoli stalk, leaf resources, and the mechanism of action of its bioactive substances Frontiers in Plant Science, 2023 // Journal
  7. 7 Fruit and vegetable processing - Ch09 Vegetable specific processing technologies (cont.) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d. // Government
  8. 8 What's in the Ingredients List? AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  9. 9 Sharing is Caring: Foods You Can Safely Share with Your Pet ASPCA, 2021 // Nonprofit
  10. 10 Preserve Smart: Drying Broccoli Colorado State University Extension, n.d. // University
  11. 11 AAFCO Official Publication 2024, Chapter 6: Official Feed Terms Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2024 // Regulator
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

Keep In The Know,
Know What's In The Bowl

The In the Kibble newsletter. Useful emails for dog owners: what we find inside dog food, how to feed well, and a heads-up when a food is recalled.
DOUBLE OPT-IN // ONE CLICK TO STOP // NEVER SHARED