What Is Buckwheat in Dog Food? A Vet-Reviewed Guide

At a glance

• Buckwheat is a seed rather than a cereal grain, which is why it appears in recipes described as grain-free
• It is a pseudocereal, the same broad category as quinoa and amaranth, and comes from a plant related to rhubarb and sorrel
• Buckwheat is unrelated to wheat and contains no gluten, despite the name
• Buckwheat does not have to be listed by name on a composition list. It can appear under a category name such as "seeds" or "derivatives of vegetable origin", so if avoiding buckwheat matters, ask the manufacturer directly
• Marleybones recipes do not contain buckwheat, and use quinoa at 3% as their seed instead
• Marleybones does not use category names on its composition list and specifies every ingredient used

What is buckwheat in dog food?

Buckwheat is a seed used in dog food as a carbohydrate source and a cereal substitute, most often in recipes formulated grain-free. It provides carbohydrate, fibre and minerals in the same way other seeds used in dog food do.

The plant is native to Central and East Asia and is related to rhubarb and sorrel rather than to any cereal. The part used in food is the seed, hulled into groats and then cooked or milled into flour.

In a recipe it often occupies the slot a cereal would otherwise fill, sitting alongside the protein and vegetable components.

Is buckwheat a grain?

No. Buckwheat is a seed from a broadleaf plant, not a cereal grain from a grass, which is why grain-free recipes are able to include it.

The name causes most of the confusion. Buckwheat contains no wheat, is not related to it, and is naturally gluten-free. The "wheat" comes from its resemblance to wheat grains in appearance and use rather than from any botanical relationship.

Ingredients in this category are called pseudocereals: seeds used in the same way as grains but coming from unrelated plants. Quinoa sits in the same category, as does amaranth. A recipe describing itself as grain-free while listing buckwheat is not contradicting itself.

Does Marleybones use buckwheat?

No. Buckwheat is not an ingredient in any Marleybones recipe, in the meals or the treats.

Marleybones uses quinoa at 3% across all four meals, as one of seven superfoods alongside chia seeds, hemp seeds, linseeds, chicory root, yucca and a herb. The quinoa is grown in Essex.

How do you check whether a dog food contains buckwheat?

Start with the composition on the back of the pack or the product page. Buckwheat may be listed specifically by name, but UK pet food labelling rules also allow some ingredients to be declared using broader, legally defined categories.

Because buckwheat is a pseudocereal, it would not normally be covered by the category "cereals". Whole or roughly crushed buckwheat could instead be declared under a broader category such as "seeds", while more extensively processed buckwheat ingredients may fall under another category such as "derivatives of vegetable origin", depending on how they have been processed. This means the absence of the word "buckwheat" from an ingredient list does not always prove that the food contains none. You can only be sure a food contains no buckwheat when there is no "buckwheat" listed and, at the same time, no general category names like "seeds", meaning every ingredient is specified, as is the case with Marleybones recipes.

Some brands list every ingredient individually, while others use permitted category terms. Percentages also only have to be declared in certain circumstances, although brands can choose to provide more detail voluntarily. Marleybones publishes nearly every ingredient by name and gives a percentage for almost all of them, making it easier to see exactly what each recipe contains.

If you specifically need to know whether a food contains buckwheat and the composition uses broad category terms, ask the manufacturer directly. They should be able to confirm whether buckwheat is present in the recipe.

FAQs

Is buckwheat a grain?

No. Buckwheat is a seed from a plant related to rhubarb and sorrel, which makes it a pseudocereal rather than a cereal grain. This is why it appears in dog foods described as grain-free.

Does buckwheat contain gluten?

No. Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free and is not related to wheat despite the name. The "wheat" refers to its resemblance to wheat grains in appearance and use.

Does Marleybones dog food contain buckwheat?

No. Buckwheat is not used in any Marleybones meal or treat. All four recipes use quinoa at 3% as their seed instead.

What is a pseudocereal?

A pseudocereal is a seed used in the same way as a cereal grain but taken from a plant unrelated to grasses. Buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth are the three most common examples in dog food.

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Reviewed by Dr Davide Stefanutti DVM, PhD, Veterinarian Nutritionist