Barley

937 foods contain this ingredient

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About Barley

Barley is a whole grain that shows up in many pet food recipes as a starchy carbohydrate base and fiber source, distinct from gluten-free options like rice.

Barley is a cereal grain used in pet foods primarily as a digestible carbohydrate and source of dietary fiber (including soluble beta‑glucans), along with modest amounts of B vitamins and minerals. It can support healthy digestion, help moderate post‑meal blood sugar and aid weight management in dogs, but provides limited protein for obligate carnivores like cats, must be cooked/processed for good digestibility, and may be unsuitable for pets with grain sensitivities or calorie‑restricted diets.

Related ingredients

Barley Grass Barley Malt Malt Malt Extract Malt Syrup Malted Barley Flour Maltose

Derived from: barley grain, hulled (bran retained) or pearled (bran removed)
Primary role: carbohydrate and fiber base

Why it's used

Manufacturers include barley in grain-inclusive formulas as an alternative starch source to legumes like peas and lentils, partly reflecting renewed interest in traditional grains following scrutiny of legume-heavy grain-free recipes. Its soluble beta-glucan fiber is also associated with slower starch digestion, which is why some therapeutic and glycemic-support diets for dogs use barley or barley-pea combinations as the primary carbohydrate.

Common concerns

Gluten content Barley contains gluten, so it is typically avoided in diets formulated for dogs or cats with diagnosed gluten sensitivity or that are on a limited-ingredient elimination trial for suspected grain allergy.
Grain-inclusive vs. grain-free debate The FDA opened an investigation in 2018 into a possible link between certain diets, many grain-free and pea/lentil-heavy, and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), but ended routine public updates in December 2022 without establishing that any specific ingredient, including grain-free formulation itself, causes the condition.
Not a complete protein source Barley supplies only modest, largely incomplete plant protein, so it is used to complement rather than replace animal protein in a formula, particularly for cats, which are obligate carnivores with higher protein requirements.

Also relevant

A cross-over trial in diabetic dogs found that diets using peas and barley as the main starch source were associated with lower postprandial glucose and insulin curves compared with a maize-based diet, which is part of why barley appears in some veterinary glycemic-support formulations.

3 sources cited