While pet food formulators now use whole sorghum, dog and cat food recipes may benefit from using selected portions of the sorghum grain, called fractions. Scientists found that sorghum germ in particular had higher quantities of fat and protein than other fractions of sorghum or whole grains when incorporated in extruded dog food.
Researchers at Kansas State University conducted an experiment comparing extruded dog food made from whole sorghum, sorghum flour, sorghum mill feed or a control made of equal parts corn, rice and wheat. The Journal of Cereal Science published their results.
Experiment on sorghum as pet food ingredient
To conduct their experiment, researchers milled a locally grown red sorghum into different fractions: flour, mill feed and germ. The milling process yielded approximately 69 percent flour, 28 percent mill feed and one percent germ.
These fractions were then used as ingredients in extruded dog foods, and their physical properties and nutrient content were compared to each other and a control. Sorghum-flour dog food expanded the most and tended to be harder. When used in extruded dog food, sorghum mill feed did not expand as well and resulted in process instability.
Sorghum mill feed has antioxidant effect in dog food
Sorghum, an ancient grain used round the world, could provide a functional pet food ingredient from a sustainable resource. Kansas State University scientists found evidence that sorghum mill feed, a co-product of sorghum processing, may have unexplained antioxidant properties that could boost the novel ingredient’s value to pet food formulators.
In an experiment, dogs had higher levels of antioxidant ability in their blood after eating diets of kibble made with sorghum mill feed compared to dogs on diets using wheat flour or whole sorghum. Sorghum mill feed also had higher levels of protein and beneficial fiber than unrefined sorghum. Greg Aldrich, PhD, pet food program coordinator at Kansas State University, presented these results during Petfood R&D Workshop 2017 on October 11 in Manhattan, Kansas.
About Petfood R&D Workshop 2018
Petfood R&D Showcase is scheduled for October 9-11, 2018 at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. SUPER Early Bird registration is now open.
