Ingredients Achieving
Ingredients Achieving these and other health benefits depends on using pet food ingredients with the right type and concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Different kinds of omega-3 There are three types of omega-3 fatty acid involved in the physiology of mammals. These are the short-chain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the long-chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is the most common and is found mainly in vegetable oils, such as flax oil, soya oil, and canola oil. EPA and DHA are mostly found in marine oils and algae. It is a common yet crucial misunderstanding that ALA is just as beneficial for pet health as EPA and DHA. Cats and dogs are unable to synthesize any of the essential omega-3 fatty acids. They can only be obtained through diet but, of the three different types, only EPA and DHA are directly effective. To achieve any health benefits, the short-chain fatty acid ALA first needs to be converted in the body into the long-chain fatty acid EPA and then into DHA. This only happens at a low conversion rate of just 0.2 to maximum 10% for EPA and at an almost negligible conversion rate of 0 to 1% for DHA. This means that the majority of ALA is not converted and utilized, but simply used directly or stored as energy, similar to other fats. Essential health benefits EPA and DHA long-chain omega-3 fatty acids offer a number of specific benefits to the health and well-being of cats and dogs. These include supporting different biological functions, increasing the absorption of vitamins and minerals, stimulating hormone production, and helping to manage inflammatory problems in the prevention and treatment of diseases. EPA can be converted in vivo into anti-inflammatory components, thereby managing inflammatory problems related to joints, skin and coat, and heart and bladder diseases. DHA has a more structural role and is found in high concentrations in nerve tissue, such as the brain and eyes. EPA and DHA long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to the growth and healthy development of puppies and kittens. They need long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to feed their growing brains, while older pets benefit from the support provided to their aging brains. Furthermore, the intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids is reported to support healthy joints and enhance joint health in older dogs, thereby improving their walking ability. It also helps to improve clinical symptoms in cats and dogs with osteoarthritis by reducing inflammatory reactions and the breakdown of cartilage. Research has shown that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids significantly increase mean peak vertical force and weight bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis. Furthermore, they can reduce the severity of cachexia in cats and dogs, thereby prolonging their life expectancy. Effective use of ingredients Convincing the pet food industry to acknowledge the importance of EPA and DHA is step one. The next step is to find an effective, efficient, economical, and sustainable source of these long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to meet increasing global demand. Traditionally, pet food manufacturers have added different sources of omega-3 fatty acid to pet food formulas, including vegetable oils, salmon oil, and fish oil. Vegetable oils are the least effective, as these are rich in ALA, which is only converted into EPA and DHA in very small amounts. Also many vegetable oils are rich in omega-6. Particularly when combining them with commonly used poultry ingredients, this can result in pet food with an imbalance between the amount of omega-6 and omega-3. High amounts of omega-6 may cause inflammatory health problems. As alternatives to vegetable oils, salmon oil and fish oil have traditionally been considered to be rich in EPA and DHA. However, the concentration of EPA and DHA in salmon oil has changed over the years due to changing feed formulations in the aquaculture industry: fish meal has been replaced as the primary source of protein by soya-based feed and other animal proteins, while fish oil has been replaced by vegetable oil and poultry fat. As a result, the %age of EPA and DHA in farmed salmon has fallen. On average, wild salmon oil contains 9% EPA and 11% DHA compared to only 3% EPA and 4% DHA in farmed salmon oil. Unlike salmon oil, fish oil is produced from different species of fish. Wild anchovies and sardines have the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, averaging 18% EPA and 12% DHA, but this varies during the year. Their availability depends on the season and geographical location, causing strong fluctuations in price. The supply of fish oil is already exceeded by global demand and this gap is expected to increase drastically over the coming years due to fishing quota limitations and growing demand for its use 24 Technology & Marketing
Ingredients in aquaculture feed, which has a CAGR of 4%. With the global demand for omega-3 increasing, the pet food industry would benefit from a sustainable, consistent, and high-quality source of long-chain omega-3 traceable, sustainable, high-quality pet food ingredient with a consistently high level of DHA long-chain fatty acid. This method enables large and consistent production volumes of DHA at an economic scale to keep intake (AI) estimate of 0.11 g of EPA and DHA combined per 1000 kcal of diet. For cats, the NRC provides an AI estimate of 0.025 g of EPA and DHA combined per 1000 g diet in a food containing 4000 kcal/kg. fatty Microalgae acids. can be cultured under different conditions up with industry and using demand. different Compared methods, with fish including a phototrophic or heterotrophic culture strategy. oil, microalgae In particular, are microalgae a direct, cleaner, grown and under more controlled In order to be effective and deliver full health Sustainable conditions through source heterotrophic of omega-3fermentation sustainable offer a source fully traceable, of essential sustainable, omega-3 longchain high-quality benefits, pet omega-3 levels in pet food should of DHA fatty long-chain acids. Adding fatty microalgae acid. 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Technology & Marketing marine Pet food ecosystems. formulation Most microalgae species produce At present, unique there products are no and generally compounds, required minimum Pet food levels formulation of EPA and DHA intake for cats and dogs. such However, as carotenoids, for specific nutritional antioxidants, purposes, and like At present, dermatitis there and are osteoarthritis, no generally the required EU has defined omega-3 specific fatty requirements acids. Together (see table with bacteria, 2). 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The typical or conditions In order to and be effective using different and deliver methods, full health recommended benefits, omega-3 requirements levels in pet of food EPA should and in any case including not be measured a phototrophic by the or percentage heterotrophic of vegetable DHA for oil, cats salmon and oil, dogs fish set oil, by or the algae National DHA, but by the culture actual strategy. percentages In particular, of EPA and microalgae For more information DHA. The most Research efficient, Council cost-effective, (NRC) in the and US beneficial and FEDIAF method for the grown pet food under industry controlled to achieve conditions this through www.iqi-petfood.com is to use ingredients the EU are with still concentrated quite conservative. sources For of dogs, EPA and DHA. heterotrophic fermentation offer a fully the NRC currently provides an adequate Nutritional Reference Cats & dogs Cats Dogs Puppies purpose Osteoarthritis EU PARNUT 0.25% DHA 0.33% EPA Industry reference Dermatitis EU PARNUT 0.29% EPA + DHA Range of EU veterinary diets Brain Industry development reference Heart Industry reference 0.21 – 0.57% EPA (similar for DHA) 0.40% EPA + DHA to 1.40% 0.09 – 0.9% EPA (similar for DHA) 0.24 – 0.8% EPA and 0.1 – 0.8% DHA 0.14 – 0.20% DHA Table 2: Typical or recommended amounts of EPA and DHA (calculated with typical energy content of 3500 kc/kg for dogs and 4000 kc/kg for cats) [Additional general text about IQI] Issue 2 2021 25
