Pulses

How it works

In pet food they serve as a carbohydrate and protein source, and they became widespread as grain-free formulations grew. They can appear in an ingredient list several times in different forms, such as peas, pea protein, pea fiber and pea starch, which can place each individually lower down the list than their combined quantity would suggest. That practice is known as ingredient splitting, and it is why reading for a family of ingredients rather than a single line is more informative.

What it looks like

A label lists chicken first, then peas fourth, pea protein sixth and pea starch eighth. No single pea entry outranks the chicken, and the combined pea content may well exceed it.

Commonly confused with

Grain-free

Grain-free describes what a food leaves out. Pulses are what usually replaces it, and they are what the current research concerns. A grain-inclusive food can be high in pulses, and a grain-free food does not have to be.

Related terms