I noticed black/gray spots in my food. What is this?Updated 2 months ago

The black or gray spots in our canned foods are not mold nor is it a product defect issue. The black/gray spots are a reaction of the minerals, sulfur, and copper, that react under heat during the canning process.

It’s very difficult to predict when this will occur because of how canned foods are made. The ingredients are sealed inside the can and then retorted (pasteurized under heat and pressure), so you can’t open or inspect cans afterward. Even spot-checking during production doesn’t always reveal it, as the occurrence is variable and most often microscopic in nature.

In fact, if you were to examine any of our canned foods under a microscope, you would find that this is present in every can — it’s just not always visible to the naked eye. The black or gray specks you may notice are not mold or a product defect, but rather the result of natural reactions between minerals such as sulfur and copper during the canning process. When the mixture is heated to ensure food safety, these elements can oxidize and form small black flecks. Additionally, our use of Agar-Agar (a natural thickener that helps create the pâté texture) can interact with vitamins during this process, occasionally resulting in darker, denser spots. In the simplest terms, it is simply additional vitamins and minerals which just didn't fully mix in and oxidized during the canning process. This is more likely to occur now as the FDA is mandating higher temperatures for retorted (canned) pet foods.

This is a completely normal and safe occurrence, especially in canned foods containing synthetic vitamins and minerals. You can learn more about why canned foods require synthetic supplementation here: Which Pet Food Is Right for You? Breaking Down the Differences Between Canned Pet Food & Fresh Frozen Gently Cooked

At Identity, we don’t use commercial vitamin premixes like most brands. Instead, we custom-blend our vitamins and minerals to ensure no ingredients are sourced from China — especially taurine. The trade-off is that, without the anti-caking agents commonly found in premixes, this natural variation can sometimes appear when vitamins clump together during humid periods in the moisture-rich environment of canning.

The larger spots seen in some past batches were significantly reduced after we introduced an additional fine-grinding step for our vitamin and mineral mix. While this has been highly effective, it isn’t always 100% preventable. Warmer, more humid production seasons (spring and summer) can also make this more likely as the vitamins and minerals clump together.

In simple terms, these harmless spots are concentrated areas of vitamins and minerals that oxidized during cooking — a normal result of creating real, nutrient-dense food without unnecessary additives. We want you to rest assured, this is normal and safe for your pet.