Ingredients

The full ingredient list is not marketing — it is the receipt.

OVERVIEW

The Ingredients field stores the complete or key ingredient list for food, treat, and supplement products. It is the most granular nutritional data point in the catalog. Unlike Dietary Needs (formulation attributes) and Health Support (functional outcomes), Ingredients is the raw factual list.

Ingredient data serves multiple audiences: owners checking for allergens, customers comparing protein sources, search engines matching "no chicken dog food" queries, and AI systems generating personalized food recommendations. It is the field most commonly found missing — and the one whose absence costs the most conversions.

BUSINESS VALUE

Why this field matters

Allergen filtering requires ingredient-level data — dietary_needs alone is not specific enough
Protein source ("salmon", "duck", "venison") is a primary filter term for allergy diets
Ingredient transparency is the top trust signal for premium and natural pet food brands
Regulatory compliance in some markets requires accessible ingredient disclosure in digital commerce
AI-powered diet planners and subscription services need ingredient data to avoid conflicts

ACF SETUP

How to configure this field in Accentuate Custom Fields

ℹ️ Choose Shopify >> List if you need to search/filter by individual ingredient. Choose ACF Multi-line text if you are storing the packaging copy verbatim for display only. Both approaches are valid; choose based on your filtering needs.

STEP-BY-STEP IN ACF

In ACF, open Templates tab and select the Product scope
Click "Add new field"
Label: "Ingredients" — Key auto-fills as "ingredients"
Namespace: leave as "accentuate"
Field type: Shopify >> Single-line text (List) for structured storage
Enable "Allow multiple selections" — each ingredient is one entry
Click Done, then Save
Open a food or treat product, paste the ingredient list (one per field entry), and verify display

🔧 Shopify admin (optional pinning): Pin in Shopify admin: Settings → Custom data → Products. Namespace: "accentuate", Key: "ingredients", Type: Single-line text (List). If using ACF Multi-line text instead, do NOT create a Shopify definition — ACF multi-line is unstructured and they must not clash.

🔁 Repeatability: Shopify >> List type handles multiple entries natively. ACF Multi-line text is single-value by nature — use List type if you need individual ingredient filtering.

REFERENCE VALUES

Example values — adapt to your catalog

Value

When to use

Chicken

Most common protein; first allergen to eliminate on restricted diets

Salmon

Novel protein and natural omega-3 source; popular in grain-free formulas

Duck

Novel protein for elimination diets; less common allergen

Sweet potato

Grain-free carbohydrate; fiber and beta-carotene source

Peas / Lentils

Plant protein and fiber; common in grain-free formulas

Brown rice

Easily digestible grain; common in sensitive stomach formulas

Chicory root

Prebiotic fiber; digestive health support

Flaxseed

Plant-based omega-3; coat and skin support

Vitamin E supplement

Antioxidant; immune and skin health

Glucosamine HCl

Joint cartilage support; common in senior and active dog formulas

BEST PRACTICES

Copy the ingredient list exactly from the product label — do not paraphrase
Update the ingredients field every time a supplier changes the formula
For grooming products, flag ingredients toxic to specific species (e.g. tea tree oil for cats)
If using List type, each ingredient = one entry; do not comma-separate in a single entry
Link ingredients to dietary_needs values — if "chicken" is present, "chicken-free" claim must go

COMMON MISTAKES — AVOID THESE

Paraphrasing: "Contains fish" instead of "Atlantic salmon, salmon meal, herring oil"
Not updating after a formula change — safety and legal exposure
Mixing ingredient list with nutritional analysis (protein %, fat %) — that is a separate field
Omitting this field for treats — treats are a common allergen exposure vector
Creating a Shopify definition while using ACF Multi-line text type — these will clash

IN CONTEXT — EXAMPLE PRODUCT

🧪 Duck & Green Lentil Dog Treats — Limited Ingredient

Pet type: Dog

Dietary needs: Limited ingredient, Grain-free, Hypoallergenic

Ingredients: Duck, Green lentils, Tapioca starch, Dried rosemary extract

Health support: Digestive health, Skin & coat

Safety notes: Free from wheat, corn, soy, dairy, and chicken

Developer Implementation

Liquid note: List type — use .value to get the array. Loop to display each ingredient. For multi-line text type, access directly without .value.

Liquid — Storefront Rendering

  {% comment %}
  Ingredients — Shopify >> List type
  Each ingredient is a separate array element
{% endcomment %}


{% assign ingredients = product.metafields.accentuate.ingredients.value %}


{% if ingredients != blank %}
  <div class="ingredients-panel">
    <h4>Ingredients</h4>
    <p>
      {%- for item in ingredients -%}
        {{- item -}}{% unless forloop.last %}, {% endunless %}
      {%- endfor -%}
    </p>
  </div>
{% endif %}

💡 Pro tip: Build a client-side allergen checker. Store ingredients as a Shopify >> List. Use JavaScript to read the metafield JSON from the storefront API, compare against user-inputted allergens, and highlight matching products — or filter them out. Zero backend changes, pure metafield power.