Cassava Flour

Cassava roots spoil quickly after harvest. Processors make flour to preserve the crop and reduce shipping costs. Removing the peel, pressing grated root and drying it also reduce naturally occurring cyanide compounds.^5,6

1. 01 // Source Fresh cassava roots Processors select freshly harvested roots with substantial starch and low levels of cyanide compounds.
2. 02 // Process Peeled and washed The peel is removed before the roots are washed; it holds much of the cyanide compounds.
3. 03 // Process Grated and pressed Processors grate the root into mash, then press out liquid before the mash is dried.
4. 04 // Process Dried and milled The pressed material is dried, milled and screened into flour that stores longer than fresh roots.
5. 05 // Output Cassava flour The dry, milled root arrives as a starch ingredient for mixing into kibble dough.

1. 01

   Supplies digestible energy

   Extrusion cooks the starch. In a controlled dog trial, the cassava flour diet had high starch digestibility and supplied energy much like the rice diet.¹

2. 02

   Helps form kibble

   Moist heat and pressure transform starch into the dough structure that lets kibble expand. Cassava flour supplies starch for that processing job.⁷

3. 03

   Replaces cereal starch

   Flour gives manufacturers a starch source for grain-free recipes. Drying also makes a perishable crop easier to store and cheaper to transport from growing areas.^5,6

4. 04

   Provides starch at scale

   Cassava flour is made with equipment ranging from small presses and dryers to automated plants, giving manufacturers a supply beyond fresh, quickly spoiling roots.⁶

How much One extruded dog trial used 42.49% cassava flour by recipe weight; that experimental level does not show a usual amount.¹

1. Brands say

   Cassava flour gives dogs easily digested energy

   Evidence

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

   In a 36-dog trial with 6 dogs per diet, starch in the extruded cassava flour diet was 99.4% digested. That supports digestible energy once cooked. The trial measured digestion and blood response only, and shows no health advantage over rice.¹

2. Brands say

   Cassava flour is safe for food allergies

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Dehydrated cassava root averages 2.9% protein, and an allergy review identified other foods as common triggers. Neither finding tests cassava in allergic dogs. The complete recipe still needs to be assessed through an elimination diet.^4,9

3. Brands say

   Cassava flour keeps blood sugar steady

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   In a 36-dog trial comparing six starch diets, cassava flour produced one of the higher early glucose and insulin responses, grouped with rice and corn, while sorghum, lentils and peas rose more later. That is the opposite of a steady blood sugar claim.¹

4. Owners say

   Cassava flour is poisonous in kibble

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   In a 14-week dog study, a gari-heavy diet expected to release 10.8 mg cyanide per kg of cooked food damaged tissues. That exposure was not measured in commercial kibble, so it cannot justify a blanket claim about cassava flour.^3,5,6

5. Critics say

   Cassava flour is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Dehydrated cassava root averages about 80% starch, which supplies calories and helps form kibble. It has a defined job. Its limitation is low protein, which other ingredients in the recipe must supply.^4,7