Do sun-dried tomatoes or jarred pasta sauces contain toxic tomato leaves or stems?

Short answer

The toxic compounds (solanine and tomatine) are concentrated in the leaves and stems, not the ripe fruit. Commercially prepared sun-dried tomatoes and pasta sauces are made from the fruit pulp and should not contain these plant parts. However, homemade sauces or garnishes might accidentally include stem fragments, and some artisanal products could be less rigorously processed. The risk from processed tomato products is therefore very low, but it's not zero. If your cat ate a product and later shows signs like drooling, vomiting, or lethargy, contact your vet promptly for advice.

Tomato leaves & stems — Food safety facts

Do not feed · Cats · full breakdown on the linked food page

The fruit is fine, but the leaves and stems contain solanine and tomatine.

Dogs and cats carry the same rating (Do not feed), so the notes below hold for either pet.

Tomato leaves & stems should not be given to cats at all. Even a small amount can do harm, so there is no portion small enough to be safe.

Do not induce vomiting and do not give milk or oil to “dilute” it. Note the food and roughly how much was eaten, then call your vet or a pet poison hotline and follow their advice on whether to bring the pet in straight away.

The full verdict, portion guidance and serving notes are collected on the Tomato leaves & stems food facts page.

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Do sun-dried tomatoes or jarred pasta sauces contain toxic tomato leaves or stems?

Tomato leaves & stems — Food safety facts

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