Buckwheat in Dog Food: Is It Safe? Fagopyrins & Processing Explained

If you've recently checked the ingredients in your dog's food and spotted buckwheat, you may be wondering whether you should stop feeding it.

Interest in buckwheat in dog food has increased considerably following the 2026 recall of Years fresh dog food and the investigation into cases of sudden bilateral dry eye in dogs eating those meals.

Buckwheat has been identified as a potential factor under investigation in that particular situation.

But that does not mean:

“Buckwheat is poisonous to dogs.”

Nor does it mean that every kibble, wet food or treat containing buckwheat presents the same risk.

Buckwheat is a complicated plant. Different parts contain different concentrations of naturally occurring compounds, and what happens to it during processing can substantially alter the finished ingredient.

One group of compounds receiving particular attention is called fagopyrins.

So what exactly are they?

Why can buckwheat cause photosensitivity?

Does processing matter?

And should you be worried if buckwheat appears on your dog's normal food label?

Let's look at what the science actually tells us.

What Is Buckwheat?

Despite its name, buckwheat isn't wheat.

In fact, it isn't technically a cereal grain at all.

Buckwheat belongs to the Fagopyrum genus and is generally described as a pseudocereal.

Two of the best-known species are:

Common buckwheat – Fagopyrum esculentum

and

Tartary buckwheat – Fagopyrum tataricum

Its seeds can be processed into groats and flour and used in a wide variety of human and animal foods.

Buckwheat can provide:

• Carbohydrate
• Protein
• Fibre
• Minerals
• Polyphenols
• Flavonoids
• Other naturally occurring plant compounds

It is naturally gluten free, which has also made it a popular ingredient in some specialist human and pet foods.

But, like many plants, buckwheat doesn't contain only nutrients.

It also contains biologically active compounds.

And that brings us to fagopyrins.

What Are Fagopyrins?

Fagopyrins are naturally occurring phototoxic compounds associated with buckwheat.

Phototoxic means that a substance can cause a biological reaction when sufficient amounts are present in tissue and that tissue is subsequently exposed to light.

Fagopyrins are particularly associated with the green parts of the buckwheat plant.

They are not distributed equally throughout every part of the plant.

That distinction is extremely important.

A buckwheat leaf, flower, sprout, hull and processed buckwheat flour should not automatically be treated as equivalent ingredients simply because they all originated from a buckwheat plant.

What Is Fagopyrism?

The condition associated with excessive exposure to fagopyrins is called:

fagopyrism.

Fagopyrism is a form of photosensitisation.

After sufficient amounts of a phototoxic compound have been absorbed, susceptible tissues can react abnormally when exposed to light.

Historically, fagopyrism has been particularly recognised in animals consuming substantial quantities of buckwheat plant material.

Signs associated with photosensitisation can include:

• Redness
• Itching
• Irritation
• Swelling
• Inflammation
• Sensitivity of exposed skin

Lightly pigmented or otherwise exposed tissues may be particularly susceptible.

This doesn't mean that eating an ordinary food containing processed buckwheat will automatically cause fagopyrism.

The part of the plant, concentration, quantity consumed and processing all matter.

Are Fagopyrins Found Throughout the Buckwheat Plant?

Yes, but not necessarily in equal amounts.

Research into buckwheat has found important differences between plant tissues.

Fagopyrins are particularly associated with green plant material, while considerably less is generally found in ordinary grain.

Different buckwheat species can also have different phytochemical profiles.

This distinction helps explain something that might initially seem contradictory:

Buckwheat can be a widely consumed food while buckwheat plants can also cause photosensitisation under particular circumstances.

Those statements can both be true.

Is Buckwheat Flour the Same as the Whole Buckwheat Plant?

No.

This is probably the single most important thing to understand if you've discovered buckwheat on a pet-food ingredient list.

Commercial buckwheat flour generally starts with the grain.

Producing flour can involve processes including:

• Cleaning
• Separation
• Dehulling
• Grinding
• Milling
• Heat or hydrothermal processing depending on the manufacturing method

The resulting ingredient is therefore very different from feeding an animal a quantity of buckwheat leaves, flowers or other green plant material.

Published literature on buckwheat has described grain and flour as safe for normal food consumption, while highlighting a greater fagopyrin concern with plant material such as herbs, flowers and sprouts.

What Does Dehulling Mean?

Buckwheat seeds have a hard outer covering.

Dehulling means removing that outer material so the inner grain can be processed further.

Commercial buckwheat processing can use different methods.

These can include mechanical dehulling and hydrothermal methods involving steam and drying.

The hulled grain can then be processed into products such as groats or flour.

This matters because biologically active plant compounds aren't necessarily distributed evenly throughout a seed.

Removing particular outer fractions can therefore change the chemical composition of the ingredient that ultimately enters a food.

Does Processing Make Buckwheat Safer?

Processing matters, but this needs to be explained carefully.

It would be too simplistic to say:

“Processing destroys fagopyrin, therefore processed buckwheat is always safe.”

Different processing methods can have different effects on plant compounds.

Processing can include:

• Dehulling
• Milling
• Grinding
• Soaking
• Steaming
• Boiling
• Roasting
• Extrusion
• Fermentation
• Drying

Research has shown that processing can significantly change the phytochemical composition of buckwheat.

There is also evidence that steaming can reduce fagopyrin content in buckwheat grain.

But the effect depends on the:

• Starting material
• Buckwheat species
• Plant fraction
• Processing technique
• Temperature
• Duration
• Finished ingredient

So the scientifically sensible conclusion isn't:

“Cook buckwheat and all fagopyrin disappears.”

It is:

“The form of buckwheat and the way it has been processed can substantially affect the finished ingredient.”

Why “Minimally Processed” Doesn't Automatically Mean Safer

This is where buckwheat provides a useful wider lesson about food.

The word processed is often treated as something inherently negative.

Pet-food marketing commonly promotes phrases such as:

• Minimally processed
• Gently processed
• Natural
• Whole food
• Fresh
• Kitchen-quality
• Human-grade ingredients

Those terms can sound reassuring.

But the amount of processing a food undergoes is not, by itself, a measure of safety.

Humans have processed foods for thousands of years partly because processing can make foods:

• Safer
• More digestible
• More stable
• Easier to store
• More consistent
• More nutritionally available

Processing can also:

• Remove undesirable plant fractions
• Reduce microorganisms
• Alter antinutritional factors
• Reduce certain naturally occurring undesirable compounds
• Improve digestibility
• Stabilise ingredients

Buckwheat is an excellent example of why:

less processing isn't automatically better processing.

The better question is:

Has this ingredient been appropriately selected and processed for the way it is being used?

Does This Mean Highly Processed Food Is Always Better?

No.

That would simply replace one oversimplification with another.

A food isn't good because it is highly processed.

And it isn't good because it is minimally processed.

What matters is whether the processing is:

appropriate for that particular ingredient and finished food.

A manufacturer should understand:

• The raw ingredient
• Potential hazards associated with it
• Which part of a plant is being used
• How processing changes it
• Appropriate inclusion levels
• Its nutritional contribution
• Potential contaminants
• How the finished product should be tested

That requires considerably more knowledge than simply choosing ingredients that sound attractive on a label.

Is Buckwheat Safe for Dogs?

There is currently no good evidence supporting a blanket statement that appropriately processed buckwheat is inherently unsafe for dogs.

Buckwheat has been used as a food ingredient, and grain/flour is very different from consuming substantial quantities of green buckwheat plant material.

However, the recent investigation involving Years dog food demonstrates why the form, processing and use of an ingredient matter.

It is therefore reasonable to ask more detailed questions about a food rather than simply asking:

“Does it contain buckwheat: yes or no?”

Why Is Buckwheat Currently Being Discussed in Relation to Dog Food?

In August 2026, fresh dog-food manufacturer Years voluntarily recalled its fresh Signature Meals following reports of dogs developing sudden bilateral dry eye.

Buckwheat was present across its fresh meal recipes and has subsequently been identified as a potential link being investigated.

The exact cause has not been established.

One hypothesis receiving attention involves buckwheat's naturally occurring phototoxic compounds, including fagopyrins.

However:

the existence of fagopyrins in buckwheat does not prove that fagopyrins caused the Years-associated cases.

There are still important questions to answer.

These include:

• Was buckwheat actually responsible?
• What form of buckwheat was involved?
• Were fagopyrin concentrations relevant?
• Did processing play a role?
• Was a particular source or batch involved?
• Could another compound be responsible?
• Was there an interaction between ingredients?
• Why were only some dogs apparently affected?
• Why did the reported clinical pattern particularly involve tear production?

Until investigation answers those questions, it is important to distinguish between:

a plausible hypothesis

and

a demonstrated cause.

For a detailed explanation of the recall itself, read our separate guide:

Years Dog Food Recall & Dry Eye in Dogs: What Owners Need to Know

Does Buckwheat Cause Dry Eye in Dogs?

At present, we cannot accurately say:

“Buckwheat causes dry eye in dogs.”

Canine dry eye – keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS – has numerous recognised causes.

The Years-associated cases are noteworthy because of the reported cluster of dogs developing sudden bilateral reductions in tear production while eating the same range of foods.

That warrants investigation.

It does not yet establish that buckwheat generally causes KCS.

Similarly, while fagopyrins are established phototoxic compounds, that doesn't establish that fagopyrism and canine KCS are the same disease process.

They aren't currently known to be.

Could Fagopyrins Affect the Eyes?

The eyes are exposed to light, so the possibility of ocular effects from phototoxic substances is biologically interesting.

But we need to be very careful here.

The fact that:

fagopyrins are phototoxic

and:

eyes receive light

does not by itself demonstrate that fagopyrins damage canine tear glands.

That mechanism would need evidence.

At present, the appropriate conclusion is that the relationship is worthy of investigation, not that it has been established.

My Dog's Kibble Contains Buckwheat – Should I Stop Feeding It?

Based on the evidence currently available, there is no reason to automatically stop an otherwise suitable dog food simply because buckwheat appears on its ingredient list.

The buckwheat in a conventional kibble may have undergone:

• Dehulling
• Milling
• Heat treatment
• Extrusion
• Other manufacturing processes

That finished ingredient isn't necessarily comparable with the form of buckwheat used in another food.

If your dog:

• Is healthy
• Has no relevant symptoms
• Is doing well on the food
• Is eating a product that isn't subject to a recall

the Years investigation alone isn't evidence that your dog's food is unsafe.

My Dog's Wet Food Contains Buckwheat – Should I Be Concerned?

Again, not solely because the word buckwheat appears on the label.

Wet foods generally undergo substantial processing, including heat treatment.

What matters is the particular ingredient and how the manufacturer uses it.

If you're concerned, contact the manufacturer.

What Should I Ask a Dog-Food Manufacturer About Buckwheat?

If you want more information, ask specific questions.

For example:

What species and form of buckwheat do you use?

Which part of the plant is used?

Is the buckwheat dehulled?

Is it supplied as grain, groats, flour or another ingredient?

How is it processed before entering the food?

What processing does the finished food undergo?

What percentage of the finished recipe is buckwheat?

What quality-control specifications apply to the ingredient?

Do you test incoming ingredients or finished products for relevant naturally occurring compounds or contaminants?

The quality of the manufacturer's answer may tell you almost as much as the answer itself.

Why the Manufacturer Matters as Much as the Ingredient

It's tempting to assess a dog food by reading the ingredients from top to bottom.

But an ingredient list can't tell you everything you need to know.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association – WSAVA specifically warns that ingredient lists can be misleading when owners use them as a proxy for the overall quality of a food.

Instead, useful questions include:

• Who formulates the diet?
• What are their qualifications?
• Does the company employ appropriately qualified nutrition specialists?
• What nutritional research has been performed?
• Is research published?
• What quality-control procedures exist?
• Are ingredients validated?
• Is the finished food analysed?
• What toxicology and microbiological screening is performed?
• How is shelf life assessed?
• Can the manufacturer provide detailed nutritional information?

This is especially relevant when foods contain unusual or novel plant ingredients.

A manufacturer shouldn't simply know that an ingredient is fashionable or nutritious.

It should understand how to use it safely and appropriately.

Aren't Natural Ingredients Better?

Not necessarily.

Nature produces:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Antioxidants
• Proteins
• Essential fatty acids

It also produces:

• Cyanogenic compounds
• Oxalates
• Alkaloids
• Lectins
• Phototoxic compounds
• Mycotoxins
• Allergens

“Natural” describes an origin.

It doesn't guarantee safety.

Dose, preparation and processing matter enormously.

Other Foods Also Require Appropriate Processing

Buckwheat isn't unusual in this respect.

Many familiar foods contain compounds that make the raw plant, particular plant parts or improperly prepared ingredient unsuitable for consumption.

Food processing exists partly because humans learned how to make useful foods safer and more digestible.

This is why it is unhelpful to divide food into:

natural = good

and

processed = bad.

Food science is much more complicated than that.

Should I Avoid Foods Containing Novel Plant Ingredients?

Not necessarily.

Novel ingredients can be:

• Nutritious
• Sustainable
• Useful for dogs with dietary restrictions
• Valuable sources of fibre or other nutrients

But there is a reasonable argument for asking more questions when a manufacturer uses an unusual ingredient in an unusual form.

The novelty of an ingredient doesn't make it unsafe.

It may simply mean that there is less long-term experience with its use in that particular form.

What Matters More Than a Pretty Ingredient List?

When comparing dog foods, consider:

• Is it complete and balanced?
• Is it appropriate for your dog's life stage?
• Who formulated it?
• What qualifications do they have?
• What research supports it?
• How are ingredients selected?
• What quality-control systems exist?
• How is the finished product tested?
• Can the manufacturer provide detailed nutritional information?
• Does your individual dog thrive on it?

A bag containing:

fresh meat, vegetables, berries, herbs and seeds

can sound wonderful.

Another containing:

rice, maize, animal proteins, protein isolates and vegetable fibre

may sound much less appealing to a human.

That doesn't tell you which finished diet is safer, more digestible, better balanced or better researched.

Is Kibble Safer Because It Is More Processed?

Not automatically.

Kibble generally undergoes substantial processing, commonly including extrusion.

That can provide advantages including cooking ingredients and reducing microbial contamination.

But a poorly formulated or poorly controlled kibble isn't automatically superior to a well-formulated fresh food.

Likewise, a fresh food isn't automatically superior because its ingredients appear more recognisable.

The better comparison is:

manufacturer vs manufacturer and finished food vs finished food.

Not:

kibble vs fresh.

What About Buckwheat in Grain-Free Dog Food?

Buckwheat is sometimes used in foods marketed as grain free because it is technically a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal grain.

Seeing buckwheat in a grain-free recipe isn't therefore necessarily contradictory.

However, grain free itself isn't automatically a marker of nutritional quality.

Unless your dog has a specific reason for avoiding a particular grain, don't assume a grain-free food is inherently healthier.

Is Buckwheat the Same as Wheat?

No.

Despite the name, buckwheat isn't closely related to wheat and does not naturally contain gluten in the way wheat does.

A sensitivity or allergy to wheat therefore does not automatically mean an animal will react to buckwheat.

They are separate ingredients.

Is Buckwheat Nutritious?

Yes.

Buckwheat can be a nutritionally useful food ingredient.

It contains carbohydrate, protein, fibre, minerals and a variety of plant compounds.

Research into buckwheat has also examined compounds such as:

• Rutin
• Quercetin
• Phenolic acids
• Other flavonoids

As with many foods, though:

“contains beneficial compounds” doesn't mean “there are no potentially undesirable compounds.”

Plants are chemically complex.

The job of food science is partly to retain useful nutritional characteristics while controlling hazards.

Are Sprouted Buckwheat and Buckwheat Flour the Same Thing?

No.

This distinction is particularly important in discussions about fagopyrins.

Sprouting changes the biology and chemistry of a seed.

Research discussing buckwheat safety has specifically highlighted greater concern around herbs, flowers and sprouts than ordinary grain and flour.

So if you're researching buckwheat because you've heard about fagopyrism, always check which part or form of buckwheat a study is actually discussing.

Don't assume findings involving green buckwheat plant material automatically apply to flour in a cooked food.

Can Dogs Eat Home-Cooked Buckwheat?

Plain, appropriately prepared buckwheat grain isn't the same thing as feeding buckwheat leaves or flowers.

However, there's generally little reason to add individual ingredients to a dog's diet simply because they are described as a “superfood”.

If your dog already eats a complete and balanced food, additional ingredients are usually unnecessary nutritionally.

If you're preparing a substantial proportion of your dog's diet at home, formulation becomes much more important.

Home-prepared diets should ideally be designed with appropriate veterinary nutritional expertise to ensure they provide the correct balance of nutrients.

Is Fagopyrism an Allergy?

No.

Fagopyrism is fundamentally associated with photosensitisation, not an ordinary food allergy.

The signs can sometimes look allergy-like because affected skin may become:

• Red
• Itchy
• Inflamed
• Irritated

But the underlying mechanism is different.

This is another reason precise terminology matters.

Does Sunlight Matter in Fagopyrism?

Yes.

Photosensitisation requires exposure to appropriate light.

That's why exposed and lightly pigmented skin is often particularly affected in classical descriptions of photosensitisation.

But again, this should not be used to assume a mechanism for the current Years-associated dry-eye cases.

The relationship between those cases, buckwheat, fagopyrins and light exposure has not yet been established.

Could Only Certain Dogs Be Susceptible?

Potentially.

Animals can differ in their response to almost any biologically active compound.

Differences can potentially involve:

• Dose
• Body size
• Metabolism
• Genetics
• Duration of exposure
• Other dietary components
• Medication
• Health status
• Environmental factors

However, we currently don't know whether individual susceptibility explains the pattern reported in the Years investigation.

It is a question for further research rather than something we can currently answer.

Should I Panic About Buckwheat?

No.

If there is one message to take from this article, it is:

Don't reduce a complicated food-safety investigation to “buckwheat = dangerous”.

Buckwheat has a long history as a food.

Fagopyrins are real.

Fagopyrism is real.

Plant part matters.

Processing matters.

Dose matters.

The finished ingredient matters.

And the current investigation involving Years is real.

But those facts don't establish that every dog food containing buckwheat is unsafe.

Frequently Asked Questions About Buckwheat in Dog Food

Is buckwheat safe for dogs?

Appropriately processed buckwheat grain is used as a food ingredient and there is currently no evidence that every dog food containing buckwheat is unsafe.

The form of buckwheat, processing and amount used all matter.

Is buckwheat toxic to dogs?

It is too simplistic to describe buckwheat generally as toxic to dogs.

Certain parts of the buckwheat plant contain phototoxic compounds called fagopyrins, which can cause fagopyrism when sufficient exposure occurs.

Processed grain/flour is different from green plant material.

What are fagopyrins?

Fagopyrins are naturally occurring phototoxic compounds associated with buckwheat.

In sufficient exposure, they can contribute to photosensitisation known as fagopyrism.

What is fagopyrism?

Fagopyrism is photosensitisation associated with buckwheat-derived fagopyrins.

Affected tissues can become inflamed or irritated when exposed to light.

Does buckwheat cause dry eye in dogs?

This has not been established.

Buckwheat is currently being investigated as a potential factor in reported cases of sudden bilateral dry eye associated with Years fresh dog food, but the exact cause remains under investigation.

Are fagopyrins proven to have caused the Years dry-eye cases?

No.

Fagopyrins are a biologically plausible area for investigation because they are known phototoxic compounds, but there is currently no confirmation that they caused the reported canine dry-eye cases.

Does buckwheat flour contain fagopyrin?

Fagopyrin concentration differs considerably between different parts of the buckwheat plant.

Ordinary grain contains substantially less than green plant material, and processing can further alter concentrations.

Does cooking destroy fagopyrins?

Processing can reduce or alter naturally occurring plant compounds, and steaming has been reported to reduce fagopyrin in grain.

However, it is too simplistic to say that every cooking process completely destroys all fagopyrin.

Does dehulling buckwheat make it safe?

Dehulling changes the composition of the finished buckwheat ingredient by removing outer material, but it shouldn't be treated as a universal guarantee of safety regardless of all other factors.

Plant part, processing, concentration and finished-product controls all matter.

Is buckwheat in kibble safe?

There is currently no evidence from the Years situation that all conventional kibble containing processed buckwheat is unsafe.

Kibble ingredients may undergo dehulling, milling, cooking and extrusion.

Should I stop feeding my dog's kibble because it contains buckwheat?

Not solely because of the Years recall.

If your dog's food isn't affected by a recall and your dog is healthy and doing well, the current investigation doesn't establish that another manufacturer's buckwheat-containing food is unsafe.

Contact the manufacturer if you want information about the form and processing of its buckwheat.

Is buckwheat in wet dog food safe?

The same principle applies.

The word buckwheat on an ingredient list isn't enough by itself to assess risk.

Ask the manufacturer about the ingredient and its processing if you're concerned.

Is buckwheat actually wheat?

No.

Buckwheat is a pseudocereal from the Fagopyrum genus and isn't the same plant as wheat.

Is buckwheat gluten free?

Buckwheat itself is naturally gluten free.

Is buckwheat grain free?

Botanically, buckwheat isn't a cereal grain, so it can appear in products marketed as grain free.

Is minimally processed dog food safer?

Not automatically.

Some processing improves food safety, digestibility, stability and consistency and can reduce undesirable naturally occurring compounds.

The appropriate amount and type of processing depends on the ingredient.

Is highly processed dog food safer?

Not automatically either.

Food should be judged by its formulation, manufacturing, quality control, testing and nutritional suitability rather than simply by how much processing it has undergone.

Are natural ingredients safer?

No.

Natural ingredients can contain both beneficial and potentially harmful compounds.

Natural origin is not a guarantee of safety.

How can I tell whether a manufacturer uses buckwheat safely?

Ask what form of buckwheat is used, which plant part it comes from, whether it is dehulled, how it is processed, its inclusion level and what ingredient and finished-product quality controls the manufacturer uses.

Should I avoid all dog foods containing buckwheat?

There is currently no evidence-based reason to do so simply because buckwheat appears on the ingredient list.

The Bottom Line: Is Buckwheat in Dog Food Safe?

Buckwheat should not be treated as either universally dangerous or universally harmless regardless of its form.

The science is more nuanced.

Buckwheat plants contain naturally occurring phototoxic compounds called fagopyrins.

High enough exposure can cause fagopyrism, a recognised photosensitivity condition.

But fagopyrins are not distributed equally throughout the plant.

Green plant tissues, flowers and sprouts are not equivalent to ordinary buckwheat grain.

And ordinary grain isn't necessarily equivalent to the processed buckwheat flour that ultimately appears in a manufactured food.

Processing matters.

Dehulling matters.

Plant part matters.

Concentration matters.

Manufacturing controls matter.

And the finished food matters.

The current Years dog-food investigation gives owners a good reason to learn more about those distinctions.

It does not currently give us a reason to declare every dog food containing buckwheat unsafe.

Perhaps the broader lesson is even more useful.

When choosing a dog food, don't simply ask:

“Do I like the sound of these ingredients?”

Ask:

“Does the manufacturer understand these ingredients well enough to use them safely?”

That's a much more meaningful question.