Location: Grain Quality and Structure Research
Project Number: 3020-43440-002-024-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2020
End Date: Aug 31, 2025
Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to determine differences among sorghum cultivars with a wide variation in pericarp coat color regarding nutrient composition, how they behave during processing into pet food, their effect on nutrient utilization in companion animals, and impact on sensory attributes by pet and owners.
Approach:
To meet the overall objective of this project, the following 3 research steps will be conducted: 1) evaluate the chemical and nutritional composition of 5 sorghum cultivar candidates varying in the widest range possible in pericarp color and antioxidant potential for use in pet foods in comparison to other grains like millet, quinoa, rice, and barley, 2) determine the impact these various sorghum cultivars have relative to other common grains in high proportions of the diet on processing characteristics in standard pet foods and pet food quality, and 3) determine the effects of these grains in a standard pet food diets (produced as a function of Objective 2) on indices of animal utilization, palatability, and pet owner acceptance.
