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Cat Food Ingredient

Wheat Gluten

Our ingredient score: 1 / 5 · Plant protein concentrate · How We Score

Wheat gluten is the sticky protein left after the starch has been washed out of wheat flour, and it is used to raise the protein percentage of the food and to hold meat-like chunks together in wet foods. It is not a protein suited to a cat's needs: it is poor in lysine and contains no taurine. Gluten intolerance has not been shown in cats, though wheat can trigger food allergies in a small share of cats. In 2007 it came to light that melamine had been added to wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China to make their protein values look higher; more than 5,300 products from over 100 brands were recalled in North America, and thousands of illnesses and deaths were reported. This incident was caused by fraud, not by gluten itself, but it showed how easily low-cost plant protein concentrates can be abused.

Common Questions

What was the 2007 wheat gluten pet food recall?

In 2007 it came to light that melamine had been added to wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. More than 5,300 products from over 100 brands were recalled in North America.

Is wheat gluten bad for cats?

Wheat gluten is the protein left after the starch is washed out of wheat flour. It is low in lysine and contains no taurine. The Merck Veterinary Manual says plant protein sources are devoid of taurine, so cats need some animal protein or added taurine in the diet. Gluten intolerance has not been shown in cats. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Why is wheat gluten in cat food?

Wheat gluten does two jobs. It raises the protein percentage at low cost, and its stretchy texture binds ingredients together. In wet foods it helps form the meat-like chunks in cuts and gravy styles. In dry food it adds protein and helps hold kibble pieces together. Its protein is low in lysine and lacks taurine, so it does not replace meat protein.

Can cats be gluten intolerant?

The sources we use do not describe a gluten intolerance in cats like celiac disease in people. A cat can still develop a food allergy to wheat, which the Merck Veterinary Manual lists among the less common sources of food allergens in cats, behind beef, fish and chicken. Allergy signs usually involve itchy skin or digestive upset, and a veterinarian confirms the cause with an elimination diet trial.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Is wheat gluten the same as corn gluten?

No. Both are called gluten because they are the protein part of a grain, but they are different proteins. Tufts veterinary nutritionists point out that corn gluten is quite different from the gluten in wheat and rye. Wheat gluten is elastic and works as a binder, while corn gluten meal is a coarse protein powder used mainly to lift label protein.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

How does Pettings score wheat gluten?

Pettings gives wheat gluten 1 out of 5 and lists it as a plant protein concentrate. It appears on 18 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Its protein is low in lysine and has no taurine, so it does not fit a cat's protein needs. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.

How Foods With Wheat Gluten Compare

Wheat Gluten is on the label of 18 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Their average Ingredients score is 47 out of 100. The 131 foods without it average 59.

An average describes the foods, not this ingredient alone: one ingredient is only a small part of a food's score.

Top-Ranked Foods Without Wheat Gluten

  1. Orijen Guardian 8 (91)
  2. Orijen Kitten (91)
  3. Orijen Original Cat (91)
  4. Acana Highest Protein Wild Atlantic (90)
  5. Go! Solutions Carnivore Grain Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe (90)

Ranked the same way as our best lists: nothing on the Avoid List and a Nutrition score of at least 6/10 first, then by Ingredients score.

Foods With Wheat Gluten (18)