Rice Hulls
Our ingredient score: 1 / 5 · Fiber filler · How We Score
Rice hulls and soybean hulls are the hard outer shells removed when these crops are processed, added to food as an almost entirely indigestible fiber. They have no other nutritional value. They are a low-cost by-product of other industries.
Common Questions
Are rice hulls safe for cats?
Rice hulls are the hard outer casings removed when rice is milled. They are almost entirely insoluble fiber and carry a lot of silica. Tufts veterinary nutritionists explain that insoluble fibers enter and exit the body virtually unchanged, which is how they add bulk. In cat food they are used in small amounts. For a cat with a digestive or other medical condition, ask your veterinarian.
Source: sites.tufts.edu
Why are rice hulls in cat food?
Rice hulls are added as a cheap source of fiber. They are a by-product of rice milling, and cats can barely digest them. They add bulk to the food and to stool, and they can lower calorie density in indoor or weight-control recipes. They offer no meaningful nutrition beyond that fiber.
Are rice hulls the same as rice bran?
No. Rice bran is the layer just under the hull that surrounds the grain, and it contains oil and some protein. Rice hulls are the outer casing, removed first during milling, and are mostly indigestible fiber and silica. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists rice bran among insoluble fibers used in pet food. The two have different label names and different nutrition.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
Are rice hulls a filler?
Pettings classes rice hulls as a fiber filler. They add bulk and fiber at very low cost, with almost no protein or fat. Fiber has a place in cat food, but rice hulls supply only the insoluble kind. AAFCO requires ingredients to be listed from most to least by weight, so rice hulls near the end of a list mean a small amount.
Source: aafco.org
How does Pettings score rice hulls?
Pettings gives rice hulls 1 out of 5 and lists them as a fiber filler. They appear on 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. They are a cheap by-product that adds fiber cats can barely digest and no meaningful nutrition. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Rice Hulls Compare
Rice Hulls is on the label of 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.