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Ingredient file // Starch

Dried Ground Potatoes

Useful starch without a grain-free health bonus

Dried ground potatoes are cooked potato material with most of the water removed, then milled for dry food. They supply energy and help form kibble. Their presence does not make a recipe healthier than one made with grains.

Role in the food Main nutrition
What it is
Cooked, dried and milled potato material that retains more of the tuber than extracted potato starch.
Made from
Potato tubers or usable processing pieces
Main job
Starch for energy and structure
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Several potato and pulse ingredients high on the list
Not the same as
Potato starch or potato fiber

Straight answer

Is Dried Ground Potatoes safe for dogs?

Count the potato lines, then judge the recipe

Dried ground potatoes near the top mean starch is a major part of the recipe. Look for fresh potatoes, potato starch and pulses elsewhere on the list, then check what animal protein sits alongside them. One potato line is ordinary; several high on the list make this a potato-centered food.

Why it is in the food
Starch for energy and structure

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 128 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

25 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 2 brands. All dry dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 5. In the top five of 14 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.23
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 23 priced foods, about level with the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

88%

of the foods that list it are from Wellness. 2 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Potato processors make foods such as fries and dehydrated puree, leaving usable tubers and pieces. Cooking, drying and grinding turn potato material into an ingredient that stores and ships without refrigeration.3,4,5,9

  1. 01 // Source Potato material Whole tubers or usable pieces from potato processing supply the material for drying and grinding.
  2. 02 // Process Cleaned and cooked Processors start with clean potato material and cook it before making potato flour.
  3. 03 // Process Dried One method spreads cooked potato mash on a heated drum and removes most of its water.
  4. 04 // Process Ground The dried solids are milled into particles that mix with other kibble ingredients.
  5. 05 // Output Dried ground potatoes A dry potato ingredient arrives at the kibble plant with starch concentrated by water removal.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

55.7

% starch

Total starch in one tested potato flour. It explains the ingredient's energy role but is not a specification for every supplier.

Total starch 55.7%2
Crude protein 10.5%2
Ash 3%2
Resistant starch 1.3%2
Crude fiber 0.9%2
Crude fat 0.2%2

These measurements describe one potato flour, not a range for all dried ground potatoes. Variety, peel content and the processing stream change the mix; dried potato byproducts are especially variable.2,3,4

Why it is in the bag

A main starch for energy, not filler

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

Makers add dried ground potatoes as a starch. A tested potato flour held 55.7% starch on a dry matter basis, and AAFCO names potatoes as an ingredient that supplies calories and helps kibble hold together. Ingredients are listed by weight, so when this one sits among the first few, it is likely one of the main energy sources the recipe is built on. Lower on the list, it is a smaller starch beside others.2,6,7

  1. 01

    Supplies cooked starch

    Potato starch supplies calories after processing. Complete diets containing dehydrated potato flakes were well digested in a dog study, though the recipes differed in other ingredients too.1,4

  2. 02

    Helps form kibble

    Starch helps ingredients bind as kibble cooks and expands. AAFCO names potatoes among plant ingredients that supply calories and help kibble hold together.6

  3. 03

    Uses a processing stream

    Drying gives usable potato material a storable outlet. It also costs money, so there is no basis for assuming dried potatoes are cheaper than grain.4,9

How much A dog study tested dehydrated potato flakes in complete diets, but its accessible abstract does not report the inclusion amounts.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

    Dried potatoes give dogs usable energy

    Evidence

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

    A tested potato flour contained 55.7% starch on a dry matter basis. In a 180-day study, complete diets containing potato flakes were well digested. Other ingredients changed too, so the study cannot isolate the flakes' contribution.1,2

  2. Brands say

    Potatoes help hold kibble together

    Evidence

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

    AAFCO identifies potatoes as a plant ingredient that supplies calories and helps kibble hold together. That supports the practical role, but the available dog feeding study did not test binding by dried ground potatoes alone.1,6

  3. Brands say

    Potato makes grain-free food healthier

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a 180-day study of 65 dogs, grain-free and grain-inclusive complete diets were well digested. The recipes differed in several ingredients, and the study showed no health advantage caused by potato or by removing grain.1

  4. Owners say

    Potatoes cause heart disease in dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    FDA investigated reports involving diets with potatoes, pulses or both among their main ingredients. It says reports alone cannot prove cause. The investigation does not identify dried ground potatoes as a cause of heart disease.8

  5. Critics say

    Dried potatoes are just filler

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    The tested flour contained 55.7% starch on a dry matter basis, and AAFCO identifies potatoes as a calorie and kibble-structure ingredient. They have a clear job, even when a recipe relies heavily on starch.2,6

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It brings starch that dogs use for energy and manufacturers use to form kibble. The tested flour had little fat or crude fiber, so read this ingredient mainly as a starch source.2,6

  2. Q02

    Why list potatoes twice?

    Different forms

    Fresh potatoes and dried ground potatoes enter the recipe with different amounts of water, and each gets its own place on the ingredient list. Read both lines together when judging how much the recipe relies on potatoes.3,7

  3. Q03

    Should I avoid it for DCM?

    Not automatically

    FDA flagged a pattern involving complete diets with potatoes, pulses or both high among the ingredients; it did not identify potato as a cause. If your dog has DCM, review the complete diet with the treating cardiologist.8

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Wellness 22 / 118
  2. Holistic Select 3 / 16

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

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Peas 100%
  2. Flaxseed 96%
  3. Dried Plain Beet Pulp 88%
  4. Chicken Meal 64%
  5. Lentils 64%
  6. Chicken Fat 64%
  7. Turkey Meal 48%
  8. Turkey 40%
  9. Canola Oil 32%
  10. Natural Flavor 28%
  11. Salmon Meal 28%
  12. Potatoes 24%

On the shelf

Foods that list Dried Ground Potatoes

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

Wellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Small Breed Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Small Breed Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 3 on the labelWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 3 on the labelWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Lamb & Lamb Meal Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Lamb & Lamb Meal Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 3 on the labelWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Deboned Chicken & Chicken Meal Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Deboned Chicken & Chicken Meal Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 3 on the labelHolistic Select Senior Health Grain-Free Chicken Meal & Lentils Recipe Dry Dog FoodHolistic SelectHolistic Select Senior Health Grain-Free Chicken Meal & Lentils Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelHolistic Select Adult Large & Giant Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodHolistic SelectHolistic Select Adult Large & Giant Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the label
Show 19 more
Wellness CORE Small Breed Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness CORE Small Breed Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 4 on the labelWellness Core Small Breed Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Small Breed Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 4 on the labelWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Large Breed Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Large Breed Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 4 on the labelWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Healthy Weight Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Healthy Weight Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Recipe Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelWellness Core Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelWellness Complete Health Grain-Free For Puppy Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Complete Health Grain-Free For Puppy Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelHolistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Grain-Free Salmon Anchovy & Sardine Meal Recipe Dry Dog FoodHolistic SelectHolistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Grain-Free Salmon Anchovy & Sardine Meal Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelWellness CORE Original Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness CORE Original Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness Core Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness Core Large Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Large Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness Core Small Breed Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Small Breed Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness Core Reduced Fat Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Reduced Fat Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness Core Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Whitefish & Menhaden Fish Meal Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Complete Health Grain-Free Whitefish & Menhaden Fish Meal Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelWellness CORE Grain Free Ocean Whitefish, Herring & Salmon Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness CORE Grain Free Ocean Whitefish, Herring & Salmon Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 7 on the labelWellness Core Ocean Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Ocean Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 7 on the labelWellness Core Grain Free Small Breed Healthy Weight Turkey Recipe Dog Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Grain Free Small Breed Healthy Weight Turkey Recipe Dog Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 9 on the labelWellness Core Small Breed Healthy Weight Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodWellnessWellness Core Small Breed Healthy Weight Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 9 on the label

Leaving it out

Foods without potato

For owners who skip potato: popular dry foods priced like the ones that list it ($2.26 to $4.52 per lb), with no potato on the label.

Hill’s Science Diet Light Small & Mini Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Light Small & Mini Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // $3.93 per lbHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // $2.92 per lbPurina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog FoodPurinaPurina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog FoodDry // $2.37 per lbPurina Pro Plan Adult Small Breed Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog FoodPurinaPurina Pro Plan Adult Small Breed Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog FoodDry // $2.28 per lbNature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Salmon, Sweet Potato, & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's RecipeNature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Salmon, Sweet Potato, & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // $2.45 per lbRoyal Canin Small Adult Dry Dog FoodRoyal CaninRoyal Canin Small Adult Dry Dog FoodDry // $3.33 per lbOpen Farm Wild Caught Salmon with Ancient Grains Dry Dog FoodOpen FarmOpen Farm Wild Caught Salmon with Ancient Grains Dry Dog FoodDry // $4.05 per lbOrijen Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // $4.32 per lb

Checked against the ingredient list we store for each food. Labels change, so read the bag before you buy.

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 The impact of protein source and grain inclusion on digestibility, fecal metabolites, and fecal microbiome in adult canines Journal of Animal Science, 2023 // Journal
  2. 2 Comparison of fermentative digestion levels of processed different starch sources by Labrador Retrievers at different ages Veterinární medicína, 2019 // Journal
  3. 3 Potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2018 // Database
  4. 4 Potato (Solanum tuberosum) by-products Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2020 // Database
  5. 5 POTATOES, WHITE, DEHYDRATED U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2022 // Government
  6. 6 What’s in the Ingredients List? AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  7. 7 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  8. 8 FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022 // Government
  9. 9 Dehydrated Potatoes Potatoes USA, n.d. // Industry
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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