Konjac in dog food

Konjac (E425) powder is a strong gelling agent made from the fibre root of the konjac plant. It is widely used in human food and is becoming increasingly popular in the wet pet food industry as a less contentious alternative to carrageenan. Like carrageenan, it helps to bind the ingredients of paté type wet foods to provide their characteristic firm texture.

Although studies on the safety of konjac for pets are few and far between, especially when fed for extended periods, one study showed that some people eating 3 grams of konjac per day began to experience abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea and constipation after 12 weeks [1]. This led the European Food Safety Authority to recommend a maximum total daily intake of konjac for people of 3g per day - around 40 mg of konjac per kilo of body weight per day. With no recommended daily dose figures for pets, this is currently the best rule of thumb we have.

One study [2] also suggested that konjac may interfere with vitamin E and cholesterol absorption.

While konjac is certainly less contentious than some alternative gelling agents, its safety is not 100% assured. For that reason, if your dog is experiencing unexplained digestive problems on a food containing konjac, it may be worth trialling an alternative that doesn't contain the ingredient.

Find foods containing Konjac See the full Ingredient Glossary