Brewers Rice

Rice mills remove the hull and bran to produce polished rice. Some kernels break during milling. Screens separate the smallest pieces from intact kernels, creating a distinct stream for buyers including pet food makers.^5,6

1. 01 // Source Whole rice Rice arrives at the mill with a hull around its bran and starchy center.
2. 02 // Process Hulled and polished The mill removes the hull and outer layers to make white rice.
3. 03 // Process Screened by size Milling breaks some kernels; screens separate the small fragments from larger pieces.
4. 04 // Output Brewers rice The separated fragments go to buyers including pet food makers, without going through a brewery.

1. 01

   Supplies digestible energy

   The ingredient is mostly starch. In a dog trial, diets based on brewers rice ranked among the most digestible for dry matter and energy.^1,4

2. 02

   Helps form kibble

   Starch cooks during extrusion and helps the finished kibble hold together. Brewers rice supplies that starch while contributing little fiber.^4,7

3. 03

   Uses a milling stream

   Mills sell small broken kernels separately from intact rice. Feedipedia says most broken rice in the United States goes to pet food, though it is relatively costly for livestock feed.⁵

How much A dog feeding trial tested diets containing 15.7 to 59.6% brewers rice as it replaced corn; those tested amounts are not typical recipe amounts.²

1. Brands say

   Dogs digest brewers rice very well

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a randomized 36-dog comparison, brewers rice and cassava diets led for dry matter and energy digestibility; starch digestion exceeded 98% across diets. A separate rice-for-corn feeding trial also found digestibility rose as rice increased.^1,2

2. Brands say

   Brewers rice makes smaller stools

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A 5-week feeding trial replaced corn with increasing amounts of brewers rice and recorded less wet stool as rice increased. It studied healthy beagles, so the result does not show that rice treats diarrhea.²

3. Brands say

   Brewers rice soothes sensitive stomachs

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   The dog studies measured digestion and stool output in healthy animals, not recovery from digestive disease. Brewers rice digested well in the 36-dog comparison, but that does not show it treats a sensitive stomach.^1,2

4. Brands say

   Brewers rice releases sugar slowly

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   The 36-dog trial found larger early glucose and insulin responses on brewers rice, corn and cassava diets than on the pulse diets. Selling brewers rice as a slow glucose source reverses that result.¹

5. Critics say

   Brewers rice is just cheap filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Dog feeding trials show digestible energy and less stool as brewers rice replaces corn. Feedipedia also describes broken rice as costly enough to limit livestock use. It has a clear job, whatever a mill charges for it.^1,2,5