Maize Gluten

Maize gluten is the protein fraction left after starch has been extracted from maize (corn). It is a concentrated protein source but is considered a low-quality ingredient in dog food as it is an incomplete protein — lacking certain essential amino acids — and is far less digestible than meat-based proteins. It is often used to inflate the crude protein percentage on a label without providing equivalent nutritional benefit. Its presence can also indicate a high overall maize content in the recipe.