Suncured Alfalfa Meal

Suncured alfalfa meal is alfalfa that was dried by the sun and then ground. FDA lists alfalfa herb and seed in 21 CFR 582.10 among spices and natural seasonings with GRAS status for use in animal feed, a general listing rather than a cat study. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian whether plant ingredients in its food matter.

Source: govinfo.gov

Alfalfa meal is dried alfalfa ground into a coarse powder so it mixes into kibble. It adds plant fiber and some plant protein. It is a staple of livestock feed and shows up in small amounts in a few cat foods. Cats have no dietary need for it.

Suncured and sun-cured mean the same thing, alfalfa dried by the sun. Spelling varies by manufacturer, and Pettings keeps each label's wording, so the two spellings show up as separate entries. The word meal adds that the alfalfa was ground. The ingredient itself is essentially the same plant material.

Alfalfa meal adds some plant protein, but the small amount used does not change a food's protein much. The Merck Veterinary Manual says cats must have animal-based protein because plant proteins lack taurine, which cats require. Plant protein from alfalfa cannot stand in for meat or fish.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives suncured alfalfa meal 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.