Organic Sorghum

Sorghum is grown for its grain. Farmers harvest the seed heads, then clean and dry the kernels for storage. Milling breaks the grain so its starch cooks more effectively when dog food is extruded.^5,7,8

1. 01 // Source Organic grain crop Sorghum seed heads are grown under organic crop rules and harvested for their kernels.
2. 02 // Process Cleaned and dried Screens remove stalk pieces and other debris before the grain is dried for storage.
3. 03 // Process Ground Milling breaks kernels into smaller particles; grind size affects starch cooking and digestibility in extruded dog food.
4. 04 // Output Prepared sorghum Dry grain or its ground form reaches the kibble plant as a starch ingredient.

1. 01

   Supplies cooked starch

   Grinding and extrusion make sorghum starch available for energy. Dog trials found it highly digestible when cooked, but a coarser grind reduced nutrient digestibility.^4,5

2. 02

   Helps form kibble

   Researchers describe starch as fundamental to extrusion, giving kibble its expansion, cell structure and crispness. Sorghum starch does this job like other cereal starches; it is not a sorghum advantage.³

3. 03

   Offers a grain option

   Researchers cite sorghum's grain yield and lower production cost than rice or corn as reasons to use it. Those comparisons say nothing about the price of organic sorghum.^2,7

How much Controlled dog studies tested sorghum at 25% of the diet; neither reports how much commercial foods typically contain.^2,3

1. Brands say

   Sorghum gives dogs usable starch energy

   Evidence

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

   In a 36 dog comparison of extruded starch sources, starch digestibility exceeded 98% in every diet, including sorghum. A separate 54 dog trial found that coarser sorghum reduced digestibility. Processing matters, but the starch supplies energy.^4,5

2. Brands say

   Sorghum releases energy slowly without glucose spikes

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A 36 dog trial found more glucose response later after sorghum than after rice or corn. Two 8 dog substitution studies found no significant change in the glucose measures they tested. None demonstrated better health in diabetic dogs.^2,3,4

3. Brands say

   Organic sorghum gives dogs antioxidant protection

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A 12 dog trial found a higher plasma antioxidant lab reading with a bran rich sorghum fraction, but not whole sorghum. It measured no health benefit. The US Sorghum Checkoff funded the study.¹

4. Brands say

   Organic sorghum is healthier than conventional sorghum

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   USDA organic rules govern production and handling. The dog trials compared sorghum with other grains or compared sorghum fractions; none compared organic with conventional sorghum. They provide no evidence of a health advantage from organic status.^1,2,3,7

5. Critics say

   Sorghum is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Sorghum grain averages 74.5% starch on a dry matter basis, and dogs digested over 98% of the starch in the 36 dog comparison. Filler implies no job; sorghum supplies energy. Its list position shows weight order, not amount.^4,6,10