Grain Sorghum

Grain sorghum comes from a cereal crop, not a processing leftover. The harvested seed is ground for feed. Kibble makers then mix it with other ingredients and cook its starch during extrusion.^4,5,7

1. 01 // Source Sorghum grain Growers harvest the small, hard seeds; the stalks have a separate use as forage.
2. 02 // Process Whole grain ground Milling breaks the hard seeds into smaller particles while retaining their bran and germ.
3. 03 // Output Ground grain sorghum The ground grain is ready to be mixed with other ingredients and cooked at the kibble plant.

1. 01

   Supplies cooked starch

   Sorghum brings starch that dogs digest after extrusion. In a trial comparing cereal sources, starch digestibility exceeded 98% in every tested diet, including sorghum.^3,5,7

2. 02

   Works in extrusion

   An extrusion study made stable kibble with whole sorghum. A bran rich sorghum fraction expanded less, showing that the part of the grain used affects the result.⁴

3. 03

   Replaces costlier rice

   Researchers studying Australian dog foods described sorghum as considerably less expensive than rice. There, it offers manufacturers a lower cost cereal source of starch.⁷

4. 04

   Avoids wheat gluten

   Sorghum lacks the wheat, barley and rye protein relevant to gluten sensitivity, giving formulators a cereal option for recipes that exclude those grains.⁸

How much An 8-dog trial replaced half of a diet's 50% rice portion with sorghum, testing sorghum at 25% of the diet.²

1. Brands say

   Sorghum supplies usable energy in kibble

   Evidence

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

   In a 36-dog comparison, starch digestibility exceeded 98% in every extruded diet, including sorghum. A 12-dog crossover found whole sorghum and a mixed cereal control similar for energy digestibility.^1,3,5

2. Brands say

   Sorghum gives dogs slow, even energy

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A 36-dog trial found a later glucose response with sorghum than with rice, corn or cassava diets. An 8-dog trial replacing some rice found no glucose difference. Neither tested a lasting health benefit.^2,3

3. Brands say

   Sorghum antioxidants protect your dog

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   In a 12-dog trial, a bran rich sorghum diet more than doubled one blood antioxidant test result; whole grain did not. The study measured no health outcome, and bran reduced digestibility.¹

4. Brands say

   Gluten free sorghum is healthier for every dog

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Sorghum lacks the gluten component found in wheat, barley and rye. A small group of dogs has documented gluten sensitivity, but there is no evidence that avoiding gluten benefits a healthy dog.⁸

5. Critics say

   Grain sorghum is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Dry sorghum grain averages about 75% starch. Dog trials show its starch is digested and its whole grain works in extruded food. Calling it filler ignores its energy and processing jobs.^1,3,4,5