Study: Pet food particle size can affect digestibility

The Association for Pet Obesity says 53% of dogs and 58% of cats in the US are overweight, and 90% of pet owners don’t know their pets are overweight.
A recent study found that pet food particle size can affect digestibility. In the study, 54 beagles were fed maize, rice or sorghum in fine, medium or coarsely ground nuggets. Size made a difference in the maize and sorghum nuggets, but not rice.
Researchers said: “if properly processed, maize and sorghum are as easily digested as rice-based food,” and that dog food companies should examine reducing particle size.
The research found rice is easily digested and the processing doesn’t matter as much. But maize and sorghum are "dependent on a proper raw material particle size and need to be appropriately extruded to produce highly digestible foods."
A problem in the extrusion process is that most pet food manufacturers “have only one grinding condition for all recipes, and do not change the extrusion size based on the type of cereal used.”

New Hill’s products address concurrent conditions in pets

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is introducing Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic + Mobility Canine and Metabolic + Urinary Feline: nutritional solutions to help treat common concurrent health conditions.
Veterinarians have long noted the link between obesity and canine osteoarthritis and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), with numerous studies showing that excess weight can exacerbate these conditions.  However, treating weight and canine mobility or weight and FLUTD together has often required complicated regimens that can be difficult for pet parents to follow.
“Concurrent conditions are difficult to manage successfully, often requiring multiple treatment options,” said Ellen Lowery, DVM, PhD, MBA and Hill’s Director of U.S. Professional & Veterinary Affairs. “Sometimes it creates the challenge of deciding which condition to focus on first, when really the only way to effectively treat both is to work together.”
Hill’s two new products are based upon the revolutionary nutrition of Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic. Hill’s scientists have taken this powerful technology and combined it with:

• Prescription Diet j/d’s ability to help dogs walk, run and jump more easily in just 21 days, to create Metabolic + Mobility Canine
• Prescription Diet c/d Multicare’s effect of dissolving struvite stones and reducing the recurrence of feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) signs by 89 percent, to create Metabolic + Urinary Feline

 These formulas present a new approach for addressing a growing problem. The latest estimates suggest that more than 50 percent of dogs and cats presented to veterinary clinics are overweight or obese. As that number increases, so do the number of dogs and cats with obesity-related concurrent conditions.

University of Saskatchewan developing petfood using pulse crops

University of Saskatchewan researchers are working on a dog food made from pulse crops to determine whether pulses are beneficial to the health of pets.

The three-year project has received US$172,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which will go towards a high-resolution ultrasound microscope. The microscope will examine the effects of pulse crop-based diets on the cardiovascular and reproductive health of pets, according to reports. "It seems early results are that it really is beneficial, but this machine will really allow us to really confirm that," said Lynn Weber, of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
The petfood will be developed from chickpeas, beans and lentils. 

AAFCO announces minerals proficiency-testing program

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has announced its fourth proficiency-testing program: the AAFCO Minerals Program.

The quarterly offering focuses on minerals of health and toxicological importance in the food chain at concentrations of health or toxicological significance. Minerals will be spiked into the feed materials to achieve desired concentrations that are not available in the AAFCO monthly Check Sample Program. The primary interest is feed materials, but whenever possible materials of interest in both the food and feed sectors will be incorporated. Planned materials for 2015 are poultry layer feed, rice, dairy or swine feed and dog food to encompass materials of interest to both feed and food laboratories.
The cost for the Mineral Program for 2015 is US$300/year including shipping to the US or Canada. As with all AAFCO programs, materials will be shipped on a regular basis for tests and will be pre-ground. Reports will be generated with AAFCO-specific codes and units to allow for analysis of the performance of individual methods or method types. Reported results will be analyzed statistically and participants will be provided with performance scores for each analyte and method reported. Report cards and consensus reports will be available for download from AAFCO's Data Reporting website.
The Minerals Program is the newest of AAFCO's four proficiency testing programs. Other tests include the monthly AAFCO Check sample program, the Pet Food program and the Mycotoxin Contaminants program. The Check Sample program begins in January 2015 and provides monthly shipments of a variety of feeds and supplements with nutrients, drugs, antibiotics, minerals and vitamins at levels typically encountered in commercial products. The quarterly Pet Food Program, introduced in 2013, starts in February 2015 and provides shipments of petfood ingredients derived from animal or plant sources. The quarterly Mycotoxin Contaminants Program debuted in 2014 and provides shipments of animal feed or petfood contaminated with naturally incurred afflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivlaenol, zeraralenone, ochratoxin A and T-2 toxin.
The Minerals Program is available worldwide. For North American customers, shipping via the US Postal Service is included in the price. For international customers, shipping options include express mail from the US Postal Service, which includes tracking, for an additional US$200/year or a courier service using the receiver's account. International options vary for other AAFCO programs. 

Morris Animal Foundation undertakes Golden Retriever Lifetime Study

Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is the largest and longest effort ever undertaken to improve the health of dogs, according to the group. Over the next 10 to 14 years, observational data collected from 3,000 Golden Retrievers will help the foundation learn how to prevent cancer and other diseases that take the lives of dogs.
More than 70 million dogs live in the US, and half of them over the age of 10 will die of cancer, says Morris. In addition, cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two. "We must stop this disease," says the foundation, which is encouraging Golden Retriever owners to enroll their pets in the study.
The study is part of the foundation's Canine Lifetime Health Project, a US-wide effort to make the world a better place for dogs. Through this initiative, Morris manages studies that will help identify new tests, diets and therapies for preventing, diagnosing and treating health problems in dogs. The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is the first, and is the largest and longest study ever conducted in veterinary medicine, according to Morris.
Morris Animal Foundation is a nonprofit organization that invests in science that advances veterinary medicine for companion animals, horses and wildlife. The foundation is a global leader in animal health science, and its funding helps more species in more places than that of any other organization in the world, says Morris. 

Research and Markets to hold seminar on companion animal nutrition, petfood regulation

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "An Introduction to Companion Animal Nutrition and Pet Food Regulation" conference to its offerings. The seminar will take place April 8-9, 2014, at the Rembrandt Hotel in London, England.

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According to Research and Markets, benefits of attending include:

• Gain an overview of the petfood market
• Understand industry regulations and directives
• Comply with labeling and legal requirements
• Consider feed formulations and ingredients
• Discuss feed processing and manufacturing
• Gain an insight into costs and budgets
• Take away key points on petfood testing
• Learn about the physiology of cats and dogs
• Better understand digestion, absorption and metabolism
The seminar will provide a comprehensive introduction to companion animal nutrition and the regulatory requirements applicable to petfood. The course will provide an overview of the market, cover legal requirements, labeling, formulation and ingredients as well as feed processing and manufacture. Digestion, absorption and metabolism of the companion animal will also be discussed. The interactive workshop sessions will enhance the learning experience of the delegates and there will be ample time for discussion of the complex issues to consider.

South Dakota State University to study Salmonella testing in raw petfood

Through a five-year US Food and Drug Administration grant for nearly $500,000, South Dakota State University Senior Microbiologist Seema Das aims to determine whether a test that detects Salmonella in human food can do the same in raw petfood.

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The first year the test will be validated, and then either adjustments or expansion of the testing will be done in subsequent years. The work will involve multi-lab validation with collaborators at Iowa State, Texas A & M, the University of Minnesota and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. "This is not only a pet health issue, it is a human health issue because everything is interlinked," said Das. "If the petfood is contaminated with Salmonella, it goes from the petfood to you."  
After reviewing recalls, Das and her research team suspect that mice or other rodents may be possible sources of contamination. Rodents and bugs can be problematic in factories where food is produced, said Das, and Salmonella is a common pathogen in mice. The SDSU team, consisting of veterinarian Russ Daly, bacteriologist Laura Ruesch, microbiologists Marciel Aguiar and Cindy Watt and two undergraduate students, began working on the project in September 2013.

Uniqair, Purdue University odor lab develop odor sampling procedure

A special odor sampling procedure with nitrogen dilution has been developed by Uniqair and Purdue University's odor lab for odor samples with high humidity from fishfeed and petfood dryers.

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The nitrogen will preserve the odor and prevent condensation for more accurate odor concentration test results, according to the developers. Unlike VOC testing, the odor lab utilizes human noses of screened panel members with odor sensing capabilities that reflect the average person. Odor samples are diluted until detection threshold; the required number of dilution is the odor concentration: DT (detection threshold) or ou/m3 (odor units per cubic meter).
Some petfood recipes with high fat and protein content can have high odor concentrations in the (untreated) air from the dryers of 100,000 DT or ou/m3. This means it needs a stack dilution of 100,000 to ground level. Fish feed generally has even more odor, so for fishfeed or petfood containing fish, a plasma injector with more energy capacity is applied to oxidize these odors.

Dogs' digestive system health may improve with pine tree carbs, study finds

Dogs' digestive system health may be improved by consuming carbohydrates from pine trees, according to new collaborative studies by US Department of Agriculture, university and corporate scientists.
The carbohydrates, known as GGMOs (galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides), are a by-product of treating wood chips that remain after trees are cut into lumber. The chips are treated with heat, high pressure and water to separate them into cellulosic fiber and hemicellulosic carbs, such as the GGMOs. 
USDA Agricultural Research Service chemist Neil P.J. Price began his studies of these fiber-rich carbs in 2007 under the terms of a cooperative agreement with a company called Temple-Inland. This Texas, USA-based producer of wood products made from loblolly pine and other southern yellow pine trees approached ARS about potential new applications of the carbs.
Price used proton magnetic resonance and other analytical techniques to study the potential benefits of the carbs as a petfood ingredient. This research led to another collaborative study directed by George C. Fahey, Jr., a University of Illinois emeritus professor of animal sciences.
In the second study, purified GGMOs from southern yellow pine were added, in place of dietary cellulose, to a high-quality kibble at the rate of 0.5-8 percent. The kibble, or a "control" kibble containing no added GGMOs, was then fed to six healthy female dogs. Analyses of the dogs' fecal samples showed that increasing the percentage of pine GGMOs in the kibble was, in general, associated linearly with several significant indicators of a healthy lower digestive system, including an increase in populations of beneficial Bifidobacterium bacteria.

Value of nutrients from raw meat cat diets analyzed in new study

In a new paper published in the Journal of Animal Science, researchers analyzed the value of nutrients from raw meat diets for cats and exotic felids.
The researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Omaha, Nebraska, USA’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium analyzed the value of nutrients from bison, cattle, horses and elk meats to test how the different diets affected cats. Researchers collected blood serum and fecal samples from domestic cats and captive African wildcats, jaguars and Malayan tigers, in addition to using cecetomized roosters to analyze amino acid digestibility in the different diets.
Findings indicated that although raw meat diets met many of the nutrient requirements for cats, none of the diets contained the recommended levels of linoleic acid, and horse meat did not provide recommended levels of arachidonic acid for kittens, as well as gestating and lactating females.
"With the closing of horse abattoirs in 2007, the availability of quality grade horsemeat in the United States has decreased, increasing the need for research on the digestibility and composition of possible alternatives," according to researchers.
Kelly Swanson, associate professor of animal science at the University of Illinois and co-author of the study, said the researchers are "a bit wary" of pet owners feeding homemade raw diets because of the risk of exposing cats to increased pathogens and nutrient imbalances. Additionally, a high-protein diet can chance the types of microbes in the cat’s gut. This, researchers say, can lead to more “odiferous” feces, depending on the digestibility of the protein source. 

Mars petfood company profile report offered by Research and Markets

Research and Markets has added Euromonitor International's Mars Inc in Pet Care (World) company profile report to its offerings.
The profile examines petfood manufacturer Mars from 2007 to 2012. The report analyzes pet treat launches such as Pedigree Dentastix, re-launch of the Sheba brand, and opportunistic gains from acquisition. It also examines the petfood company's shares by region and sector, market and distribution strategies, challenges from competition and future opportunities.
The full Mars company profile report can be purchased online.

Latin America pet food market to grow at world's highest rate

Latin America's pet food industry, the third largest pet food market in the world with the highest growth rate, has a current market volume of 4 million metric tons, which is expected to increase to 6-7 million tons by 2017, according to a presentation at the International Rendering Symposium.
Latin America holds a 17 percent share of the global pet food market, according to Dr. Gianni Carniglia, National Renderers Association, who spoke at the symposium, recently held during the 2013 International Production & Processing Expo. Four Latin American countries hold nearly 95 percent of the market volume of pet food: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile (although 40 percent is imported here). Further, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina account for 93 percent of the volume, with Brazil alone capturing 70 percent.
Dr. Carniglia said that the Latin American pet food market has been sustained up to now mostly by economy products, but consumers are demanding higher quality as the socioeconomic situation improves. “Consistent and healthy growth in the pet food industry requires improvement in the quality of local protein meals and fat, a huge opportunity,” he said.
A presentation on the sustainability of rendering was also given at the symposium by Dr. Charles Gooding, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Clemson University. He explained that rendering meets most of the applicable 'green' criteria set by the World Resources Institute, based in Washington, D.C., USA. 

Bully sticks dog treats may be high in calories, contain bacteria

Dog treats known as bully or pizzle sticks may actually have more calories than expected and may also be contaminated by bacteria, according to a new study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal.
Researchers from Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine studied 26 bully sticks, dog treats made from the uncooked, dried penis of a bull or steer, which were made by different manufacturers. They found that the dog treats contained 9 to 22 calories per inch, an average of 88 calories in the standard 6-inch bully stick. The amount of calories researchers found to be in the treats makes up 30 percent of a 10-pound dog's daily calorie requirement and 9 percent of a 50-pound dog's daily calorie requirement.
"While calorie information isn't currently required on pet treats or most pet foods, these findings reinforce that veterinarians and pet owners need to be aware of pet treats like these bully sticks as a source of calories in a dog's diet," said the study's author Dr. Lisa Freeman, a professor of nutrition at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. "With obesity in pets on the rise, it is important for pet owners to factor in not only their dog's food, but also treats and table food."
In addition, nearly one-third of the bully stick treats examined by researchers were found to be contaminated with bacteria. The type of bacteria found varied: Clostridium difficile was found in one stick, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was found in one stick, and E. coli was found in seven sticks. 

DNA in dogs, wolves may explain diet preferences, research finds

Over time, dogs have evolved from their wolf ancestors to be able consume and digest the starches in varied pet food diets found today, according to a new study conducted by scientists in Sweden.
Evolutionary geneticist, Erik Axelsson, Uppsala University, compared the DNA of dogs and wolves to determine which genes were important for domestication. The researchers looked at DNA from 12 wolves worldwide and from 60 dogs belonging to 14 breeds.
Researchers first looked at individual letters, or bases, in DNA that vary from genome to genome, identifying 4 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms. They focused on regions with little or no SNPs, as these regions' lack of variation means the DNA was necessary for survival during domestication, resulting in a loss of variation and the same SNPs for most dogs. The study found 122 genes in 36 regions that contributed to the evolution of dogs, including 10 genes that are important to dogs' ability to digest starch.
According to the research, dogs have four to 30 copies of the gene for the protein amylase, which starts starch breakdown in the intestine, whereas wolves have just one copy on each of their two chromosomes. Another difference noted was that the gene was more active in dogs by 28-fold. These differences mean that dogs should be better than wolves at digesting starches, such as wheat and rice, often found in commercial petfood diets.
Axelsson noted that the number of copies of the gene for amylase also varies in people, depending on the world region and the amount of starch that makes up their diet. "We have adapted in a very similar way to the dramatic changes that happened when agriculture was developed," Axelsson said.
Another key enzyme in starch digestion is the gene that codes for maltase, MGAM, which was found to have the same number of copies in dogs and wolves. However, four differences were observed in the sequence in dogs and wolves, one of which causes dogs to produce longer versions of maltase often seen in other herbivores. Researchers found that these differences make the maltase produced by dogs more efficient than that of wolves, also helping to explain dogs' ability to better digest starches in their diet than wolves. 

Research and Markets offers new global pet food market report

Research and Markets added the Pet Food Market - Global Scenario, Trends, Industry Analysis, Size, Share And Forecast, 2011-2017 report to its offering.
The report identifies factors that will drive the pet food market and sub-markets in the next few years, with an analysis of the pet food industry, current market trends, industry drivers and challenges for better understanding of market structure. The report also provides analysis of pet food manufacturers, product sales, trend analysis by segments and demand by geography.
Highlights of the report include:


• Definition, estimates and forecast of pet food product market from 2011 to 2017
• Analysis of product segments for pet food product market with historical data and forecast
• Trends and forecast based on major geographical markets, namely US, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW based on segments of pet food product market
• Profiles of major market participants for better understanding of their contributions
Companies mentioned are: Mars Inc., Nestle SA, Colgate-Palmolive Co., Proctor & Gamble Co., Del Monte Foods Co., Agrolimen SA, Uni-Charm Corp., Nutriara Alimentos Ltda., Total Alimentos SA, Mogiana Alimentos SA 

Research and Markets offers new report on pet food in Ukraine

Research and Markets has added the "Pet Food and Goods Users in Ukraine" report by COMCON Ukraine to its offerings.
The report, a comprehensive study of pet products used by Ukrainians, represents the different groups of pets owners; indicates the types of pet food and goods used for pets; describes the purchase behavior of consumers (awareness and usage of pet food brands, places of pet food and goods purchases and attitude toward pet food prices); and outlines factors influencing the decision about choosing a brand. The report, based on data collected directly from Ukrainian consumers under the COMCON Trends research conducted in July 2011 and August 2011, also provides profiling data of consumers who purchase pet food and pet goods, including demographics and lifestyle.
The "Pet Food and Goods Users in Ukraine" report can be purchased online. 

New animal food global market report released

Global Research & Data Services released a new research report package, Animal Food - Top 10 Global Markets, which incorporates 10 animal food market analyses from the "top 10" global markets of the United States, China, Japan, India, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Mexico.  
Each report provides market information including overall market value and volume for animal food by country, market value and volume for animal food by type (cat and dog food, pellets and lucerne meal, other animal food), and product prices. It also includes market forecasts and future outlooks through 2016, overall country overviews, and macroeconomic and doing-business indicators in each pertinent country. The report packages are also available region-wise, by the "top 5" American, Asian, European and African markets. 
The report packages can be purchased online. 

New method allows for use of more probiotics in pet foods

Researchers from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, developed a gentle production method for probiotics, which they say will allow for use of a wider range of probiotic strains in pet food and feed.
Currently, probiotic bacteria are mostly freeze-dried, though not all probiotic strains can withstand this production method. The production process developed by TCM researchers, called low temperature vacuum drying, runs under milder conditions and is also more environmentally friendly.
Researchers tested LTVD production three probiotic bacterial strains. Researchers first determined the optimal LTVD conditions and then, compared results with conventional freeze-drying, showing a higher survival rate among probiotic strains than conventional drying methods. 
The LTVD production process holds the product in a liquid state because evaporation in a vacuum takes place at low temperatures. The LTVD production method requires 40% less energy in comparison to freeze-drying, researchers claim.