Brewers Rice

Brewers rice is the small fragments of rice kernels left over after milling, with the bran and germ already removed, so it is mostly starch. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say cats can digest and metabolize properly cooked carbohydrates, while adult cats have no specific requirement for carbohydrate in their diet. If your cat has a medical condition, talk to your veterinarian about its food.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Brewers rice is the broken pieces of white rice that separate out during milling. The name comes from the brewing industry, which buys these smaller fragments for making beer. Nutritionally it is close to white rice, since the bran and germ are gone. In cat food it supplies starch for energy and helps the kibble hold together.

Yes, it is a by-product of rice milling, made of the broken kernels left after whole grains are sorted out. In nutrient terms it is the same white rice, only in smaller pieces. Despite the name, it is not a leftover from beer making. Brewers buy it because broken rice costs less than whole kernels.

Pettings notes that brewers rice is common in sensitive-stomach foods because it is easy to digest. It is a plain, low-fiber starch. Rice is also not among the feline food allergen sources listed by the Merck Veterinary Manual, which names beef, fish and chicken as common ones. Ask your veterinarian before switching food for a cat with digestive problems.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives brewers rice 1 out of 5 and lists it as a starch or refined grain. It appears on 34 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. That score rates the ingredient by itself, and each food's page shows how the full recipe scores overall.