Caramel as a coloring is a sugar that has been heated to “caramelize” and develop various shades of brown. | © Luchschen, Dreamstime
It is common for standard extruded pet food to be described as “brown and round.” This is supposed to be sarcasm for a boring or mundane product; however, brown seems to be a favored color in pet food. For example, in canned chunks-in-gravy products, the meats may be light gray to tan and the starch-based gravy a white paste. Adding some caramel coloring can be very important to make these foods more acceptable.
