Pea Starch

Pea starch is the starch separated from dried peas after the protein and fiber are removed. FDA investigated reports of dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart disease, in dogs eating diets high in peas, lentils and potatoes, and received a smaller number of reports in cats. FDA did not establish a cause. If your cat has heart disease or another condition, ask your veterinarian about its food.

Source: fda.gov

Pea starch helps grain-free kibble bind and hold its shape. It does the job that rice or corn starch does in grain-based foods. Pettings notes that pea starch is mostly carbohydrate, since the protein, fiber and vitamins of the pea have been removed, and that grain-free foods are not always lower in carbohydrate than foods with grain.

No. Peas are split into fractions during processing. Pea starch is the carbohydrate part, while pea protein is a concentrated protein part used to raise a food's protein figure. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, so several pea fractions listed separately can add up to more of the food than any one entry suggests.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Yes. Peas are legumes, not cereal grains, so pea starch can be used in foods labeled grain-free. Grain-free and low-carbohydrate are not the same thing, though. Pea starch is mostly carbohydrate, and a grain-free food built on pea starch, tapioca or potato can carry as much starch as a food made with rice or corn.

Pettings gives pea starch 1 out of 5 and lists it as a starch or refined grain. It appears on 4 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.