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Ingredient file // Fiber

Dried Apple Pomace

A real fiber, with modest dog evidence

Dried apple pomace is the peel, pulp and other solids left after apples are pressed for juice or cider. It adds fiber and stool bulk. Dog studies show fermentation changes, but they do not show that it firms loose stools.

Role in the food Does a job
What it is
Apple solids left after juice pressing, dried and usually ground for use in animal food.
Made from
Pressed apples, including peel and pulp
Main job
Fiber for stool bulk
Typical amount
Not published; a dog study tested 7%
Watch for
Large amounts lower nutrient digestibility
Not the same as
Dried whole apples

Straight answer

Is Dried Apple Pomace safe for dogs?

Read it as fiber, then assess the food

Look at where pomace sits beside the meat, fat and other fibers. Low on the list, it is a modest fiber addition. High on the list, it takes more room in the recipe. Judge the complete food and your dog's stool; skip promises that apple pomace cures diarrhea or provides antioxidant protection.

Why it is in the food
Fiber for stool bulk

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 134 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

24 of the 3,205 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 7 brands. 16 dry dog food, 6 dog food topper, 2 wet dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 18.5. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

63%

Listed before the salt in 63% of foods. In the rest it is under about 1% of the recipe.

Price per lb

Foods with it $5.20
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 22 priced foods, 60% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

38%

of the foods that list it are from Orijen. 7 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Juice and cider makers press apples for liquid. The remaining peel, pulp, cores and seeds account for about a quarter of the fruit processed. Drying preserves this moist, perishable material for use in feed.5

  1. 01 // Source Whole apples Apples enter a juice or cider line, where the liquid is the main product.
  2. 02 // Process Milled and pressed Pressing removes juice and leaves a wet mix of peel, pulp, cores and seeds.
  3. 03 // Process Drained and dried Excess water drains away before the solids are dried with circulating hot air.
  4. 04 // Output Dried pomace The dry solids are ground for storage and shipment to animal food makers.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

36

% crude fiber

The average in Feedipedia's dried pomace samples. This is chiefly a fiber ingredient, with little protein to contribute to a recipe.

Crude fiber 18.1-49.6%4
Neutral detergent fiber 48.2-74.6%4
Lignin 16.2-35%4
Crude protein 3.6-11.4%4
Crude fat 1.2-4.7%4
Ash 0.8-5%4

The share of peel, pulp, cores, seeds and leftover juice changes between batches. Pressing and drying also affect the result, so the fiber figure on this ingredient is a range, not a promise.4,5

Why it is in the bag

A fiber job, likely at a small dose

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

Makers add it as a fiber source left over from juice pressing, about 36% crude fiber on a dry basis. A dog study feeding it at 7% of the diet raised stool output, though not stool firmness. Labels list ingredients by weight, and on most bags pomace sits well down the list, so the amount is likely far below 7% and its effect on stool probably small. The familiar fruit name also helps the label.1,4,5,7

  1. 01

    Adds stool bulk

    Fiber increases the material reaching the colon. Dogs fed fresh apple pomace passed more stool more often, although their stool consistency did not improve.1

  2. 02

    Supplies fermentable fiber

    Dog fecal bacteria ferment apple pomace in lab tests. A feeding study also found lower fecal pH, a sign of fermentation, without a measured improvement in health.1,3

  3. 03

    Uses pressing leftovers

    Juice and cider pressing leaves a large, wet pomace stream that spoils quickly. Drying gives manufacturers a storable fiber source and juice makers another outlet for the residue.5

How much A dog study tested fresh apple pomace at 7% of dietary dry matter; a usual commercial inclusion amount is not published.1

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

    Adds bulk to dogs' stools

    Evidence

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

    A 6-dog study fed 7% fresh pomace on a dry matter basis. Fecal output and defecation frequency rose, while consistency stayed the same. The study supports bulk, not treatment of loose stools.1

  2. Brands say

    Prebiotic fiber improves gut health

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Fresh pomace increased fermentation in a 6-dog study, but the bacterial groups measured did not change. A 16-dog dried-apple trial raised fecal butyrate; its ingredient was ground whole apples, not pressed pomace. Neither trial showed a health benefit.1,2,3

  3. Brands say

    Firms loose stools

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In the 6-dog pomace trial, stool consistency did not change. A dried whole-apple trial also found unchanged stool scores. Both studied healthy dogs, so neither shows that pomace treats diarrhea.1,2

  4. Brands say

    Apple antioxidants protect dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A lab study measured antioxidant activity in apple pomace with 3 chemical assays. That shows activity in a test sample, not protection inside a dog. No feeding trial here measured an antioxidant health effect.6

  5. Critics say

    Apple pomace is just filler

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Feedipedia reports an average of 36% crude fiber in dried pomace. In a 6-dog feeding study, added pomace increased stool output. It has a fiber job, though the study did not show firmer stool.1,4

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It supplies fiber, and dogs fed it produced more stool. That is a real recipe job. Its low protein content means it cannot stand in for meat, and more of it is not automatically better.1,4

  2. Q02

    Will it fix loose stools?

    Not proven

    The controlled pomace study found no change in stool consistency. Dogs with diarrhea were not tested. Treat it as an ordinary fiber ingredient, not a reason to choose a food for a dog with ongoing loose stools.1

  3. Q03

    Is it the same as dried apples?

    No

    Pomace remains after juice is pressed out. One study titled as dried apple pomace used ground whole apples that had been rejected for human sale. Its gut findings are relevant background, but they do not directly test this ingredient.2,5

  4. Q04

    Does low placement matter?

    Often normal

    Ingredients appear by weight, and a small amount of pomace still adds fiber. Look at the meat, fat and other fiber sources around it. Its position alone cannot tell you whether the finished food suits your dog.4,7

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Orijen 9 / 25
  2. ZIWI 6 / 11
  3. Iams 3 / 32
  4. Hill's 2 / 117
  5. Blackwood 2 / 7
  6. Acana 1 / 23
  7. Halo 1 / 41

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

Amazon best sellers that list it

  1. #87 Iams Adult Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Chicken 50%
  2. Salmon 33%
  3. Turkey 29%
  4. Whole Herring 29%
  5. Chicken Fat 25%
  6. Mixed Tocopherols 25%
  7. Chicken Liver 21%
  8. Dehydrated Chicken 21%
  9. Dehydrated Eggs 21%
  10. Dried Beet Pulp 21%
  11. Herring Meal 17%
  12. Dehydrated Turkey 17%

On the shelf

Foods that list Dried Apple Pomace

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

Ziwi Air-Dried Chicken Dog Food TopperZIWIZiwi Air-Dried Chicken Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 9 on the labelZIWI Steam & Dried Cage-free Chicken with Orchard Fruits Recipe Dog Food TopperZIWIZIWI Steam & Dried Cage-free Chicken with Orchard Fruits Recipe Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 11 on the labelAcana Butcher’s Favorites, Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Butcher’s Favorites, Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelOrijen Amazing Grains, Fit & Trim Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Amazing Grains, Fit & Trim Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelOrijen Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken & Vegetable Entrée Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken & Vegetable Entrée Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Salmon & Vegetable Entrée Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Salmon & Vegetable Entrée Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 20 on the labelBlackwood Large Breed Adult Dog White Fish With Ancient Grains Recipe Dry Dog FoodBlackwoodBlackwood Large Breed Adult Dog White Fish With Ancient Grains Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 23 on the labelIams Adult Small Breed Dry Dog FoodIamsIams Adult Small Breed Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 26 on the labelIams Adult Healthy Weight Large Breed Dry Dog FoodIamsIams Adult Healthy Weight Large Breed Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 27 on the labelBlackwood Lean Senior Adult Dog Chicken Meal Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodBlackwoodBlackwood Lean Senior Adult Dog Chicken Meal Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 29 on the labelHalo Adult Vegan Holistic Garden of Vegan Recipe Dry Dog FoodHaloHalo Adult Vegan Holistic Garden of Vegan Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 29 on the label
Show 12 more
ZIWI Air-Dried Venison Dog Food TopperZIWIZIWI Air-Dried Venison Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 11 on the labelZIWI Air-Dried Beef Dog Food TopperZIWIZIWI Air-Dried Beef Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 13 on the labelZIWI Steam & Dried Lamb with Green Vegetables Recipe Dog Food TopperZIWIZIWI Steam & Dried Lamb with Green Vegetables Recipe Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 15 on the labelZIWI Steam & Dried Beef with Pumpkin Recipe Dog Food TopperZIWIZIWI Steam & Dried Beef with Pumpkin Recipe Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 16 on the labelOrijen Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelOrijen Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelOrijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 19 on the labelOrijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the labelOrijen Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelOrijen Original Small Breed Puppy With WholePrey Nutrition Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Original Small Breed Puppy With WholePrey Nutrition Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 23 on the labelOrijen Tundra Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Tundra Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 25 on the labelIams Adult Healthy Weight Dry Dog FoodIamsIams Adult Healthy Weight Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 29 on the label

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Addition of citrus pulp and apple pomace in diets for dogs: influence on fermentation kinetics, digestion, faecal characteristics and bacterial populations Archives of Animal Nutrition, 2013 // Journal
  2. 2 Effect of dietary inclusion of dried apple pomace on faecal butyrate concentration and modulation of gut microbiota in dogs Archives of Animal Nutrition, 2021 // Journal
  3. 3 Fruit and vegetable fiber fermentation by gut microflora from canines Journal of Animal Science, 2001 // Journal
  4. 4 Apple pomace, dehydrated Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2016 // Database
  5. 5 Apple pomace and culled apples Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2020 // Database
  6. 6 Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Status of Cookies Supplemented with Apple Pomace Antioxidants, 2023 // Journal
  7. 7 What’s in the Ingredients List? AAFCO, n.d. // 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

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