Norkotah Potato

Growers raise Norkotah mainly for the fresh market. Potatoes that miss size, appearance or quality standards become feed-grade culls, usable raw or after cooking. The ingredient name does not reveal which form this recipe uses.^8,9

1. 01 // Source Norkotah tubers Growers harvest a russet variety with dark skin that is chiefly suited to the fresh market.
2. 02 // Process Sorted Tubers that miss market requirements due to size, appearance, disease or oversupply become feed-grade culls.
3. 03 // Output Norkotah potatoes The recipe receives potatoes or prepared potato material; the ingredient name does not identify their physical form.

1. 01

   Supplies cooked starch

   Potato is chiefly starch on a dry basis. In a dog trial, diets with more isolated potato starch yielded more usable energy than the corn diets they replaced.^1,4

2. 02

   Helps kibble expand

   Starch swells during extrusion. A processing trial found that increasing isolated potato starch made larger, less dense pieces; it did not test whole Norkotah potatoes.¹

3. 03

   Finds use for off-grade tubers

   Tubers that miss market requirements become feed-grade culls. Feedipedia says these are suitable raw or cooked for most classes of livestock, though this label does not show the supply route.⁹

How much No Norkotah amount is published; one complete diet tested in dogs contained 26.4% potatoes and 26.4% potato starch.²

1. Brands say

   Potatoes give dogs digestible energy

   Evidence

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

   Raw potato samples averaged about 72% starch on a dry basis. In a crossover trial with adult dogs and puppies, replacing corn with isolated potato starch increased energy digestibility. Whole Norkotah was not tested.^1,4

2. Brands say

   Norkotah makes kibble expand better

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A controlled processing trial found that diets with up to 30% isolated potato starch made larger, less dense kibble. It did not compare potato varieties or test whole Norkotah tubers, so the variety claim is unproven.¹

3. Owners say

   Potatoes cause heart disease in dogs

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   FDA found potatoes in a smaller share of reported diets than pulses and has not pinned down a cause. In a brand-authored 18-month trial, dogs eating balanced potato diets remained free of clinical DCM. Neither finding settles risk for every recipe.^2,3,6

4. Brands say

   Norkotah makes grain-free food healthier

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A randomized 60-dog trial compared balanced foods with and without potatoes for 18 months and found no clinical DCM in any group. It showed no health advantage from Norkotah, which was not identified as the potato variety.^2,8

5. Critics say

   Potatoes are just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Raw potato samples contained 56.2 to 82.3% starch on a dry basis, and potato starch raised usable energy in a dog trial. Potato has a clear recipe job; the fair question is how much of the food depends on it.^1,4