Hi James –
I think I take a slightly different approach to evaluating kibbles than some others. I feel that all binders have their pro’s and con’s and I don’t believe that any (grains, potatoes, tapioca, legumes) are species-appropriate for dogs. I’d rather pick a food based on overall meat/protein content rather than ruling out a food based on the binder used – because ideally there should only be a very small amount of the binder (not enough to significantly affect glycemic load) and different foods with different binders should be fed rotationally in order to mitigate the negative aspects of any one food. You need to remember that the amount of the binder used is most important. Just because a food contains a high glycemic ingredient (like tapioca or white potato) doesn’t necessarily mean the food itself is high-glycemic. For example, Orijen contains white potato but it is a a certified low glycemic food by the glycemic research institute because the amount of white potato included in the food is so small that it doesn’t have a significant affect on the overall glycemic load of the food. When I fed kibble I rotated through tapioca-based foods, potato based foods, legume-based foods and would even occasionally use a grain-inclusive food if the grains used weren’t too offensive (I don’t mind millet or quinoa on occasion) and the protein levels were high. Luckily now I make my own food and don’t have to add any binders.
