Chickpea

The chickpea is a legume used as a source of carbohydrate, fibre and plant protein in some foods, often [grain-free](/glossary/grain-free) ones, supplying starch that makes it a structuring ingredient for extruded kibble, along with fibre and a share of protein. Like other legumes, the chickpea does not supply on its own all the essential amino acids of dogs and especially cats, whose profile differs from that of an animal protein, so a high chickpea share can inflate the stated crude protein figure without guaranteeing protein quality equal to an animal source (NRC, 2006). The chickpea is among the legumes cited in the FDA investigation into a possible link between some grain-free diets and cases of [dilated cardiomyopathy](/glossary/dcm-dilated-cardiomyopathy-grain-free-debate) in dogs; no causal mechanism has been established, and the investigation has reached no conclusion, so this point should stay framed as an open question rather than proof (FDA CVM, Dec 2022 update). The chickpea remains acceptable in moderate amounts, and cooking reduces some antinutritional factors present in the raw seed (FEDIAF). The marker: watch the legume share and the number of distinct plant fractions, and read the real share of animal protein, exactly as with [peas](/glossary/peas) and [lentils](/glossary/lentils) in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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