Sun-Cured Alfalfa

Sun-cured alfalfa is alfalfa that was dried in the field by the sun before processing. FDA includes alfalfa herb and seed in 21 CFR 582.10 among spices and natural seasonings with GRAS status for animal feed. That listing is general and is not a cat study. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about the plant ingredients in its food.

Source: govinfo.gov

Sun-cured alfalfa is added as a plant ingredient that contributes fiber and some plant protein. It is far more common in horse and livestock feed. In cat food it appears in small amounts, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes cats need animal-based protein because plant proteins lack taurine.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Sun-cured means the alfalfa was cut and left to dry in the sun before it was processed, as with hay. Other alfalfa products are dried with heated air, which is called dehydrated. The drying method changes the name on the label but does not turn alfalfa into a different ingredient.

They are close. Sun-cured alfalfa describes how the plant was dried, while alfalfa meal describes alfalfa that has been ground into a coarse powder. A label can combine both terms, as in suncured alfalfa meal. Pettings keeps each alfalfa name as a separate entry because labels word them differently.

Pettings gives sun-cured alfalfa 2 out of 5 and lists it as an herb or plant extract. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The page describes alfalfa as a plant used to feed grazing animals such as horses and cows. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.