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Ingredient file // Starch

Dried Yam

A starch ingredient with unproven health claims

Dried yam is edible yam tuber dried into pieces or flour. It supplies starch for energy and gives manufacturers a way to adjust texture. Its place on an ingredient list does not reveal how much the food contains.

Dried Yam
What it is
Edible yam tuber with most of its water removed, sold as dried pieces or ground flour.
Made from
Edible yam tubers
Main job
Starch and texture
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Poorly dried flour can spoil
Not the same as
Sweet potato

Straight answer

Is Dried Yam safe for dogs?

Read the whole food beyond the yam

Dried yam's list position shows its weight relative to neighboring ingredients, not its percentage in the food. Check the named protein sources and the nutritional adequacy statement. Treat yam as starch with a possible texture job, and skip claims that it firms stools or boosts immunity.

Why it is in the food
Starch and texture

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 76 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

1%

42 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 4 brands. 41 wet dog food, 1 dog food topper.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 15. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

74%

Listed before the salt in 74% of foods. In the rest it is under about 1% of the recipe.

Who leans on it

40%

of the foods that list it are from Cesar. 4 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Fresh yam tubers deteriorate during storage. Flour makers wash, peel, slice and dry them to produce a storable ingredient. They may mill the dried slices before selling them to food manufacturers.3,4

  1. 01 // Source Yam tubers Processors sort edible tubers and wash soil from their surfaces.
  2. 02 // Process Peeled and sliced Peeling removes the skin, and slicing exposes more of the tuber for drying.
  3. 03 // Process Blanched and dried Some processes blanch the slices before drying them in a cabinet dryer or under the sun.
  4. 04 // Output Dried yam Dried slices may be milled and sieved into flour that manufacturers weigh into a recipe.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

62-77

% starch

Across tested water yam varieties, starch made up most of the tuber's dry matter. Energy is its main nutritional contribution.

Starch 620-772 g/kg1
Crude protein 63-94 g/kg1
Crude fiber 1-3.5%5
Crude fat 0.1-0.5%5

These dry matter figures come from tubers, not a test of the flour in your dog's food. The studies used different yam species, and peeling changes the fiber and fat measurements.1,5

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Supplies starch energy

    Starch dominates the tuber's dry matter. That makes yam an energy ingredient in a complete recipe, rather than a meaningful protein source.1,6

  2. 02

    Adjusts food texture

    Yam flour absorbs water and changes viscosity when heated. Manufacturers could use those properties to adjust a wet food's body, although the cited studies did not test dog food.2,3

  3. 03

    Makes tubers storable

    Drying turns tubers that deteriorate in storage into flour a supplier can keep and sell between production runs. The sources do not show a price advantage over other starches.3,4

How much The sources here give no typical inclusion amount for dried yam, and an ingredient list does not disclose its percentage.7

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 yam supplies starch energy

    Evidence

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

    Five water yam genotypes contained 620 to 772 g starch per kg dry matter. Yam is plainly a starch source, though those measurements came from tubers rather than the dried ingredient in a particular food.1

  2. Brands say

    Yam flour thickens canned food

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A flour study found different pasting behavior across 4 yam species, and another measured water absorption after slicing and blanching. Those tests support a possible texture role; neither measured thickening in canned dog food.2,3

  3. Brands say

    Yam fiber keeps dogs' stools firm

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Feedipedia reports 1% crude fiber in peeled yam tuber and 3.5% in whole tuber on a dry basis. Those are composition measurements, not stool trials, and do not show a firming effect in dogs.5

  4. Brands say

    Yam vitamin C strengthens dogs' immunity

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    An analysis of flour from 4 yam species measured vitamin C, not immune responses in dogs. Dogs also make vitamin C in their livers. The ingredient's presence does not demonstrate an immune benefit.4,6

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Yam supplies starch for energy, while its flour has useful water absorption and pasting properties. Those are real recipe jobs. The ingredient name does not tell you how much yam the food contains.1,2,7

  2. Q02

    Is yam sweet potato?

    No

    True yams and sweet potatoes are different crops, although US shoppers sometimes hear sweet potatoes called yams. AAFCO lists yam and sweet potato separately, so read the ingredient name as written.8,9

  3. Q03

    Can I tell how much?

    No

    Ingredient order shows dried yam's weight relative to the ingredients around it. It does not give a percentage. Ask the manufacturer for the amount if that detail matters to your choice.7

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Cesar 17 / 45
  2. Pedigree 12 / 42
  3. Nutro 9 / 71
  4. Iams 4 / 31

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

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Chicken 71%
  2. Chicken Broth 62%
  3. Chicken Liver 55%
  4. Water 45%
  5. Sodium Tripolyphosphate 45%
  6. Carrageenan 45%
  7. Calcium Carbonate 43%
  8. Beef Lung 40%
  9. Chicken Heart 40%
  10. Meat By-Products 40%
  11. Pork By-Products 38%
  12. Beef 38%

On the shelf

Foods that list Dried Yam

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

Pedigree High Protein Chopped Ground Dinner Can, Chicken & Duck Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree High Protein Chopped Ground Dinner Can, Chicken & Duck Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 6 on the labelPedigree High Protein Chopped Ground Dinner Can, Beef & Bison Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree High Protein Chopped Ground Dinner Can, Beef & Bison Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelPedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Pouch, Chicken Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Pouch, Chicken Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 8 on the labelIams Proactive Health With Chicken AND Whole Grain Rice Classic Ground Wet Dog FoodIamsIams Proactive Health With Chicken AND Whole Grain Rice Classic Ground Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelPedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Chicken and Rice Dinner Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Chicken and Rice Dinner Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelNutro Tender Beef Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Tender Beef Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelIams Proactive Health With Lamb AND Rice Classic Ground Dog Food TopperIamsIams Proactive Health With Lamb AND Rice Classic Ground Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 12 on the labelNutro Chicken Entreé topped with Bites of Real Chicken & Spinach Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Chicken Entreé topped with Bites of Real Chicken & Spinach Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Chicken & Liver Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Chicken & Liver Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Grilled Chicken Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Grilled Chicken Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelNutro Limited Ingredient Diet Healthy Turkey, Sweet Potato & Green Bean Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Limited Ingredient Diet Healthy Turkey, Sweet Potato & Green Bean Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the label
Show 31 more
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Turkey & Bacon Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Turkey & Bacon Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelPedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Beef, Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Beef, Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelPedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Filet Mignon Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Filet Mignon Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelPedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, T-bone Steak Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, T-bone Steak Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelPedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Chicken, Liver & Beef Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Adult Can, Chicken, Liver & Beef Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelIams Proactive Health Puppy With Chicken AND Rice Classic Ground Wet Dog FoodIamsIams Proactive Health Puppy With Chicken AND Rice Classic Ground Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Ham & Egg with Potato & Cheese Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Ham & Egg with Potato & Cheese Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Turkey Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Turkey Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Duck Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Duck Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelNutro Chicken Entrée Paté with Tomatoes & Carrots Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Chicken Entrée Paté with Tomatoes & Carrots Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelIams Proactive Health Senior With Slow Cooked Chicken AND Rice Classic Ground Wet Dog FoodIamsIams Proactive Health Senior With Slow Cooked Chicken AND Rice Classic Ground Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelPedigree Weight Management Chopped Ground Dinner Adult, Chicken & Rice Dinner Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Weight Management Chopped Ground Dinner Adult, Chicken & Rice Dinner Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelPedigree Puppy Chopped Ground Dinner Can, Lamb & Rice Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Puppy Chopped Ground Dinner Can, Lamb & Rice Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Rotisserie Chicken with Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Rotisserie Chicken with Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Puppy - Chicken & Beef Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Puppy - Chicken & Beef Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Top Sirloin Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Top Sirloin Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Filet Mignon Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Filet Mignon Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Beef Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Beef Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Lamb Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Lamb Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Porterhouse Steak Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Porterhouse Steak Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Chicken & Veal Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Chicken & Veal Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelPedigree Puppy Chopped Ground Dinner, Chicken & Beef Wet Dog FoodPedigreePedigree Puppy Chopped Ground Dinner, Chicken & Beef Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Angus Beef with Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Angus Beef with Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelCesar Loaf Topper Sauce Filet Mignon Flavor With Bacon & Potato Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Loaf Topper Sauce Filet Mignon Flavor With Bacon & Potato Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Grilled Steak & Eggs Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Grilled Steak & Eggs Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Smoked Bacon & Egg Wet Dog FoodCesarCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Smoked Bacon & Egg Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelNutro Slow Cook Chicken, Potato, Carrot & Pea Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Slow Cook Chicken, Potato, Carrot & Pea Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelNutro Savory Lamb, Carrot And Pea Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Savory Lamb, Carrot And Pea Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelNutro Premium Loaf Tender Beef, Sweet Potato & Carrot Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Premium Loaf Tender Beef, Sweet Potato & Carrot Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelNutro Ultra Senior Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Ultra Senior Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 21 on the labelNutro Ultra Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Ultra Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 22 on the label

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Varietal and environmental influences on organoleptic and cooking quality of water yam (Dioscorea alata) landraces Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2024 // Journal
  2. 2 Effect of species, pretreatments, and drying methods on the functional and pasting properties of high-quality yam flour Food Science & Nutrition, 2016 // Journal
  3. 3 Quality Attributes of Yam (Dioscorea rotundata) Flour as Affected by Some Processing Parameters Journal of Food Technology Research, 2020 // Journal
  4. 4 The antinutritional and vitamin composition of high-quality yam flour as affected by yam specie, pretreatment, and drying method Food Science & Nutrition, 2018 // Journal
  5. 5 Chinese yam (Dioscorea esculenta) Feedipedia, 2012 // Database
  6. 6 Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals Merck Veterinary Manual, 2024 // Book
  7. 7 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  8. 8 Ingredient Definitions AAFCO, 2026 // Regulator
  9. 9 Getting More Uses Out of The Vitamin-Packed Sweetpotato USDA Agricultural Research Service, n.d. // Government
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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