MicroHarvest, VEGDOG launch pet treat with microbial protein

Adapted from a press release.

German biotech startup MicroHarvest has teamed up with animal-free pet food producer VEGDOG to unveil first-of-its-kind microbial protein dog treat.

The novel treat will be available May 6 at the 2024 Pet Food Forum Europe taking place in Nuremberg, Germany, during Interzoo Europe.

The VEGDOG Pure Bites snack, which the company said is a first for the dog food market in Europe, combines the new microbial protein from MicroHarvest with potato and apple pomace. With its hypoallergenic properties, it is designed for dogs that cannot tolerate conventional protein sources. The high tolerance and digestibility as well as the delicious taste make it the first choice for dogs with severe intolerances and allergies, said MicroHarvest.

“Our goal at VEGDOG is to show dog owners that they do not have to rely on meat-based products to feed their pets," said Tessa Zaune-Figlar, VEGDOG founder and CEO. "With this modern approach and our high-quality, healthy and tasty products, we have been able to pioneer a new market. By collaborating with our partner MicroHarvest, we are opening a new chapter and bringing to market a promising snack that demonstrates our ability to innovate.”

Highly scalable, consistent protein solution

With a global protein demand forecasted to grow 50% by 2050, by applying modern technology to millennia-old fermentation techniques, MicroHarvest is capable of producing tons of high-quality microbial protein ingredients in just 24 hours, offering a highly scalable and consistent protein solution, noted the company.

"We are constantly searching for innovative protein sources that benefit our dogs as well as our planet, said Dr. Carla Steffen, head of R&D at VEGDOG. "It is of high importance to us to formulate our products based on scientific evidence. As the microbial protein of MicroHarvest is proven to be highly digestible, palatable and sustainable, it ticks all of these boxes.”

Like protein sources from algae, insects and cell-cultures, fermented microbial proteins’ sustainability advantages come from using less land, water, feed and other resources than livestock. In the case of microbial protein, resource use could be even lower than soy and other plant-based proteins. 

MicroHarvest's microbial ingredient footprint -- at 1.4 kg CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of product -- offers a sustainability edge equal to insect proteins and significantly surpassing that of plant-derived proteins, noted the company.

A study conducted by MicroHarvest in partnership with a Wageningen University Masters program finds that 78.4% of British and German dog owners would consider buying pet food products containing microbial proteinVEGDOGMicrobial protein studies in Europe

Pet food has been a focus application market from the onset for MicroHarvest. The company recently partnered with a Wageningen University Masters program to conduct the first acceptance study for microbial protein amongst dog owners in the UK and Germany, countries that represent two of the largest premium dog food and treats markets in Europe.

The study surveyed 1,162 UK and German dog owners and found significant interest, with 77.2% of respondents willing to purchase dog treats containing microbial protein in their composition and 78.4% of the dog owners willing to buy complete dog food containing the protein.

Although other pet food products have explored microbial sources like yeasts and mycelium as ingredients, this specific product is the first to be designed with microbial protein derived from bacteria that have been part of human diets for centuries in foods like kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut.

A subsequent palatability study carried out by MicroHarvest found that dogs showed a 10% higher acceptance rate of microbial protein treats compared to those made exclusively with poultry.

‘’Testing has confirmed that our protein ingredient has a stable nutritional profile containing all the essential amino acids for dogs," said Ally Motta, animal nutritionist and application specialist at MicroHarvest. "Furthermore, In a live palatability study, we found that the treats containing our ingredient were enthusiastically accepted by 85% of dogs trialed, while treats containing solely poultry meal had a 75% acceptance rate. This confirms the viability of MicroHarvest protein as a rewarding and nutritious treat for dogs.”

MicroHarvest cofounder Katelijne Bekers added their partnership with VEGDOG, coupled with the results of their consumer research, demonstrated the potential for microbial ingredients to offer competitive protein alternatives to the pet food industry.

"Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for pet food shoppers," said Bekers. "Still, there are other purchase drivers to consider, like palatability, digestibility, as well as specific nutritional benefits, like low-fat content. These are all benefits that our protein over-delivers on. With increasing pressure on the supply chain of animal-derived protein ingredients, our solution is a great way to differentiate the protein source choice for pet food manufacturers, being both highly reliable and scalable."

Aside from the pet food industry, MicroHarvest is developing applications for their microbial proteins in livestock and aquaculture feed with a view to eventually extending their product offering to tailored solutions for the human food market.