Sun-Cured Alfalfa

Alfalfa is grown mainly as livestock forage. Farmers cut and dry it as hay for storage. A feed mill grinds the stored hay into an ingredient that pet food makers can add to kibble.^3,4

1. 01 // Source Cut alfalfa The leaves and stems above the ground are harvested as a forage crop.
2. 02 // Process Field cured Sun and air dry the cut plants in the field before they are baled.
3. 03 // Process Stored and ground The dried hay is stored in bales or stacks, then ground into meal.
4. 04 // Output Ground alfalfa hay The dry, ground forage reaches the kibble plant with both leaves and stems.

1. 01

   Adds stool bulk

   Ground leaves and stems bring plant cell wall fiber. The available dog trial mixed alfalfa leaves with citrus pulp, so it cannot show what sun-cured alfalfa does to stool by itself.^1,2

2. 02

   Contributes plant protein

   Alfalfa hay averages 18.2% crude protein on a dry matter basis. It contributes protein to a recipe, but the amount used and the ingredients it replaces determine its effect on the finished food.^2,7

3. 03

   Uses a widely available crop

   Alfalfa is widely grown for livestock feed, giving manufacturers an existing forage supply. Field curing uses sun and air, while rain and leaf loss make the hay's composition less predictable.^3,6

How much A dog trial tested diets containing 10% or 20% of an equal citrus pulp and alfalfa leaf mixture, not sun-cured meal alone.¹

1. Brands say

   Alfalfa is a useful meat-free protein for dogs

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Alfalfa hay averages 18.2% crude protein on a dry matter basis, but its amount in kibble is undisclosed. The available dog trial mixed alfalfa leaves with citrus pulp and did not measure alfalfa protein digestibility.^1,2,7

2. Brands say

   Alfalfa fiber keeps dogs' stools firm

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   The fiber is real, but the 10-dog trial fed alfalfa leaves mixed equally with citrus pulp at 10% or 20% of the diet. It studied mineral digestibility and intake, not whether sun-cured meal firms stool.^1,2

3. Brands say

   Sun curing preserves more carotenoids and vitamin K

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a study of 124 rats, artificially cured alfalfa was twice as potent as field-cured alfalfa as a vitamin A source. Field exposure also depletes carotene. Neither source measured vitamin K retention or a benefit for dogs.^5,6

4. Critics say

   Alfalfa is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Alfalfa hay averages 28.9% crude fiber and 18.2% crude protein on a dry matter basis. Both contribute to a recipe, although those figures do not show a special health benefit from sun-cured alfalfa.²