Alginate in dog food

Alginates (E401) are long chain molecules occurring naturally in brown algae. They may also be listed as alginic acid, algin gum or sodium/potassium alginate. When mixed with water, alginate forms a viscous gel, which has led to its inclusion in a lot of wet paté type foods as a gelling agent to help provide their firm consistency.

While alginate is certainly less contentious than some alternative gelling agents, it has been linked to skin irritation and respiratory sensitivity [1] so if your dog is experiencing either of those problems on a food containing alginate, it may be worth trialling an alternative that doesn't contain the ingredient.

Find foods containing Alginate See the full Ingredient Glossary