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Ingredient file // Flavor

Tomato Paste

A sauce ingredient, not a health supplement

Tomato paste is ripe tomato pulp strained and concentrated until thick. In wet dog food it adds tomato flavor, red color and body to the sauce. It contains lycopene, but there is no evidence that paste in dog food protects a dog's health.

Role in the food Does a job
Tomato Paste
What it is
Ripe tomato pulp with skins and seeds removed, concentrated into a thick paste by evaporating water.
Made from
Ripe tomatoes
Main job
Tomato flavor and color
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Onion in seasoned human tomato sauces
Not the same as
Dried tomato pomace

Straight answer

Is Tomato Paste safe for dogs?

Read it as sauce, then check the food

If tomato paste sits below the main ingredients in a wet food, read it as flavor, color and sauce body. Its list position shows relative weight, not a dose of lycopene. Check the food's nutritional adequacy statement and main ingredients. Do not buy it for a lycopene promise.

Why it is in the food
Tomato flavor and color

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 119 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

27 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 5 brands. 19 wet dog food, 8 frozen dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 9. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a supporting 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.

Who leans on it

56%

of the foods that list it are from Fromm. 5 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Tomato processors make paste for sauces and other foods by concentrating ripe fruit. Crushing and sieving separate the pulp from skins and seeds. Evaporation removes much of its water, leaving a thick ingredient manufacturers can add to recipes.5

  1. 01 // Source Ripe tomatoes Ripe fruit is washed and sorted before entering the paste line.
  2. 02 // Process Crushed and sieved Crushing releases the pulp; sieves separate it from skins and seeds.
  3. 03 // Process Water evaporated Vacuum evaporation concentrates the strained pulp while keeping the cooking temperature lower.
  4. 04 // Output Tomato paste The thick pulp is pasteurized and packed for shipment to food manufacturers.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

76

% carbohydrate

Carbohydrate by difference in one unfortified paste analysis. This includes fiber and says nothing about the amount in a dog food.

Carbohydrate by difference 76%3
Crude protein 16.8%3
Ash 6.9%3
Dietary fiber 4.2%3
Crude fat 0.3%3

These figures describe one purchased, unfortified paste, not every supplier's product. Commercial pastes vary in concentration, so the share of water and tomato solids changes between batches.3,5

Why it is in the bag

There for tomato flavor, red color and sauce

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

Makers add tomato paste for tomato flavor, red color and a thicker sauce. Concentrating the pulp delivers that taste and color without the water of fresh tomatoes. Labels rank ingredients by weight but give no percentages. When it sits below the meats and main vegetables, its lycopene, fiber and minerals are likely too little to change the food's nutrition.5,6,7

  1. 01

    Adds tomato flavor

    A pet food brand identifies flavor as a reason to use paste. Concentration gives manufacturers tomato taste without adding as much water as fresh pulp.5,7

  2. 02

    Colors and thickens sauce

    Paste brings red color and a thick consistency to a wet recipe. Those are properties of the concentrated pulp, not evidence of a health benefit.5,7

  3. 03

    Simplifies bulk production

    Paste is produced at high volume and packed for storage and shipment. A dog food maker can buy concentrated tomato pulp without running a fresh tomato processing line.5

How much Ingredient lists show tomato paste's rank by weight, but do not disclose its percentage in a dog food recipe.6

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

    Dogs absorb more lycopene from cooked paste

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a study of 5 people, paste produced a 3.8-fold greater lycopene response than fresh tomatoes eaten with oil. The dog study gave purified lycopene in capsules. It made no paste comparison, so the claim is untested in dogs.1,2

  2. Brands say

    Tomato paste makes dog food tastier

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A pet food brand calls paste a flavor ingredient. Neither that description nor the tomato processing source reports a controlled dog preference trial comparing otherwise identical recipes. Better acceptance by dogs remains untested.5,7

  3. Brands say

    Lycopene protects dogs from disease

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    A 28-day study in 6 dogs measured blood and tissue levels after purified lycopene capsules. It did not feed tomato paste or test disease prevention. Detecting lycopene in a dog does not demonstrate protection.1

  4. Brands say

    Tomato paste supplies useful stool fiber

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    One unfortified paste measured 4.17% dietary fiber on a dry basis. Dog food labels do not disclose how much paste is added, and no cited feeding trial tested whether paste improves stool.3,6

  5. Owners say

    Tomato paste is toxic to dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Paste production uses ripe fruit and removes skins and seeds. ASPCA identifies ripe tomato fruit as non-toxic to dogs; its warning concerns the plant. The ingredient name does not signal poisoning.5,8

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Paste adds tomato flavor, red color and body to a wet recipe. Those are formulation jobs. Its place on the label does not show a health benefit or reveal how much paste the dog eats.5,6,7

  2. Q02

    Is it the same as pomace?

    No

    Paste is the concentrated tomato pulp. Feedipedia identifies pomace as the skins, crushed seeds and small amount of pulp left after tomatoes are processed into paste and other products. The names describe different materials.4,5

  3. Q03

    Will its lycopene protect my dog?

    No proof

    Dogs absorbed purified lycopene given in capsules, but that study measured where it went in the body, not whether it improved health. It cannot predict a benefit from the undisclosed amount of paste in a recipe.1,6

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Fromm 15 / 67
  2. Nulo 8 / 117
  3. Against the Grain 2 / 5
  4. Tiki Dog 1 / 30
  5. Blue 1 / 186

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

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Carrots 96%
  2. Peas 59%
  3. Potatoes 59%
  4. Sweet Potatoes 56%
  5. Chicken 37%
  6. Chicken Broth 33%
  7. Brown Rice 33%
  8. Green Beans 33%
  9. Beef 33%
  10. Beef Broth 33%
  11. Sunflower Oil 30%
  12. Salmon Oil 26%

On the shelf

Foods that list Tomato Paste

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

Tiki Dog Taste of the World Beef, Potatoes & Carrots Burgundy Recipe Wet Dog FoodTiki DogTiki Dog Taste of the World Beef, Potatoes & Carrots Burgundy Recipe Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 6 on the labelFromm Four-Star Diner Specials Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Entrée in Gravy Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Diner Specials Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Entrée in Gravy Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 6 on the labelAgainst the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner Wet Dog FoodAgainst the GrainAgainst the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelAgainst the Grain Pulled Chicken with Gravy Dinner Wet Dog FoodAgainst the GrainAgainst the Grain Pulled Chicken with Gravy Dinner Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelFromm Four-Star Diner Favorites Bella’s Beef Barkundy Stew Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Diner Favorites Bella’s Beef Barkundy Stew Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelFromm Pâté Chicken & Duck Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Pâté Chicken & Duck Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 8 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Small Breed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Small Breed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 9 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 9 on the labelFromm Pâté Beef & Barley Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Pâté Beef & Barley Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelBlue Delights - Top Sirloin Flavor Wet Dog FoodBlueBlue Delights - Top Sirloin Flavor Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the label
Show 17 more
Fromm Four-Star Pâté Chicken & Rice Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Pâté Chicken & Rice Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 8 on the labelFromm Four-Star Pâté Turkey Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Pâté Turkey Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 8 on the labelFromm Four-Star Pâté Beef & Sweet Potato Pâté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Pâté Beef & Sweet Potato Pâté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelFromm Pâté Chicken & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Pâté Chicken & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelFromm Pâté Lamb Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Pâté Lamb Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelFromm Pâté Lamb & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Pâté Lamb & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelFromm Pâté Salmon & Chicken Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Pâté Salmon & Chicken Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelFromm Four-Star Pâté Seafood Medley Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Pâté Seafood Medley Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelFromm Four-Star Pâté Turkey, Duck, & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Pâté Turkey, Duck, & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelFromm Four-Star Diner Classics Milo Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Diner Classics Milo Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Small Breed Chicken & Quinoa Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Small Breed Chicken & Quinoa Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 11 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Chicken & Quinoa Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Chicken & Quinoa Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 11 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 11 on the labelFromm Four-Star Shredded Pork in Gravy Entrée Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Shredded Pork in Gravy Entrée Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Small Breed Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Small Breed Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 13 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Lamb & Apple Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Lamb & Apple Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 13 on the labelNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Duck, Chicken & Quinoa Recipe Frozen Dog FoodNuloNulo Gently-Cooked Meals Duck, Chicken & Quinoa Recipe Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 14 on the label

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Safety Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants World Health Organization, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 2007 // Government
  2. 2 Lycopene is more bioavailable from tomato paste than from fresh tomatoes The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1997 // Journal
  3. 3 Nutritional composition and consumer acceptance of tomato paste fortified with palm weevil larvae (Rhynchophorus phoenicis Fabricius) in the Ashanti region, Ghana Food Science & Nutrition, 2023 // Journal
  4. 4 Tomato pomace, tomato skins and tomato seeds Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), 2026 // Database
  5. 5 Fruit and vegetable processing - Ch09 Vegetable specific processing technologies (cont.) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d. // Government
  6. 6 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  7. 7 Tomato Paste in Dog Food Maev, n.d. // Industry
  8. 8 Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Tomato Plant ASPCA Animal Poison Control, n.d. // Nonprofit
  9. 9 Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Onion ASPCA Animal Poison Control, n.d. // Nonprofit
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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