PET Food Processing - December 2019 - 30

INGREDIENTS

Boss Dog Brand, Duvall, Washington, believes
that raw food diets, however, are not a fad and
are not going away. Quality and handling are
key to safety and nutrition. The company's raw
goat milk is sourced from free-range goats,
raised without antibiotics or added hormones.
It is formulated with taurine, an amino acid
that helps support healthy circulation, as well
as docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid
that helps maintain a healthy skin and shiny
coat. The milk is sold frozen, which functions as
a natural preservation method.

Offal good

Consumers need
help understanding
how ingredients on
the label translate
to nutrients in a
pet's diet.
Petcurean

The reality of raw and homemade
Researchers at the University of California-Davis School
of Veterinary Medicine examined and evaluated 200
popular homemade dog food recipes in 2013. They
found only a few were nutritionally complete and balanced. In fact, 95% of the homemade dog foods were
missing necessary levels of at least one essential nutrient. Commercially produced pet food, on the other
hand, typically follows the strict standards and safety
guidelines set forth by the Association of American Feed
Control Officials (AAFCO).
Part of the attraction to homemade is the trend in
minimally processed foods. This has been transferred to
pets in the form of raw food diets. The belief is that these
foods contain more intact nutrients and enzymes, and
therefore are better for the body. However, the experts
caution that "raw" is complicated. "Unless it is formulated correctly, raw food recipes can lead to nutritional
deficiencies and illness," Gagne says. "The reality is that
raw meat for dogs does not always provide the nutrients
your dog needs. It can also contain dangerous bacteria
that is harmful to both you and your dog."
Pathogenic bacteria may make pets sick as well as
infect pet parents. "Raw pet food providers need to
ensure that they have excellent control practices in
place, such as sanitation practices, microbiological
testing protocols and potential inclusion of ingredients that can control microbial contamination," says
Jim Mann, senior global antioxidant and food safety
product manager, Kemin Nutrisurance, Des Moines,
Iowa. "By doing this, they can minimize the inherent
risks with this type of companion animal diet."
Basel Nassar, chief executive officer and founder,

PET FOOD PROCESSING | December 2019 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

Boss Dog Brand also offers freeze-dried raw nuggets with beef, chicken or white fish/salmon. The
nuggets are a complete and balanced formula
that delivers protein and other nutrients while
being free of grain, soy and corn. The nuggets are enhanced with probiotics for digestive health. All three varieties include offal and ground bone, a meal byproduct
of meat processing.
Meal products should not be feared, explains Marcie
Campion, vice president of technical services, Pro-Pet
LLC, St. Marys, Ohio, a business of Cargill. "Meal products are basically dried, ground, concentrated forms of
the meat ingredients from which they are made," she

"A successful pet food
formulator carefully
considers the science
behind a trend."
Patrick Luchsinger, Ingredion Inc.

says. "Chicken meal, for example, is a concentrated
source of meat and bone of chickens and is an excellent
source of protein and minerals."
Offal, like other by-products, should not be a source of
fear either. Examples of these ingredients include chicken hearts and beef liver. "Offal and other byproducts can
also provide a sustainability advantage," Campion says.
"These ingredients may be passed over by humans but
are highly nutritious for pets."

The dish on dairy
Similar to the human food chain, there's confusion regarding dairy consumption by cats and dogs. Much of
this comes from humans who have real or perceived

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PET Food Processing - December 2019

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