KOREAN NET

A dog on Aug. 23, 2024, poses for the camera at the 2024 K-Pet Fair Seoul held at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. (Yonhap News)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

The Rural Development Administration (RDA) on Jan. 7 said a study found that the bodily absorption rate of pet food varies depending on carbohydrate ingredients such as corn, rice, brown rice and mung beans.

The RDA affiliate National Institute of Animal Science made test feed by adjusting the carbohydrate content for each ingredient, fed them to pet dogs for two weeks and analyzed the food's digestibility.

Rice, corn and brown rice generally showed higher digestibility of carbohydrates and energy, while mung beans showed the lowest for proteins, carbohydrates and energy.

The results showed that food containing mung beans, which have lower digestibility, is suitable for dogs needing weight control, while for growing or active canines, feed with rice, corn or brown rice is recommended.

The RDA said the study's results could help pet food makers and processors produce more nutritiously balanced products.

dusrud21@korea.kr