Nestlé Purina has positive, long-awaited news for cat lovers in Latin American who are sensitive to cat hair and dander. Pro Plan, a Purina brand, has now launched LiveClear cat food in four markets in the region, after the product’s successful debut in the U.S., U.K., Canada and other markets in 2020.
After more than 10 years of research, scientists with Purina achieved a way to neutralize Fel d 1, an allergen produced by cats’ saliva that transfers to their coat and skin through grooming, according to Natalio Tello, consumer marketing manager of Pro Plan in Chile. Fel d 1 is a protein produced in the salivary and sebaceous glands of cats that causes an allergic reaction in 95% of people sensitized to cat allergens, according to Purina.
A turning point for the cat food industry
This novel product represents a turning point for the cat food industry, as it allows allergy-sensitive cat lovers to live together with felines again.
The product’s technical fact sheet states that Pro Plan LiveClear contains an egg-derived protein that joins with the Fel d 1 protein to neutralize it. As cats eat Live Clear every day, it reduces the scattered allergens in the hair and cat dander by 47% after three weeks of use. The mechanism is simple and safe for cats and their owners, the company says.
In addition, the formula includes Purina’s Optitract technology, a combination of nutrients that helps maintain and protect the health of the lower urinary tract of adult cats, according to the company. LiveClear contains frozen chicken meat, a protein source of high biological value and high digestibility that helps deliver an optimal level of nutrients, the fact sheet states.
Game-changer for cat ownership?
At this time, the new cat food is available in Latin America in only Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.
According to the manufacturer, one of every five adults worldwide is sensitive to cat allergens, likely limiting the ownership of more cats. Therefore, a product like LiveClear may signify a game-changer for pet ownership trends, favoring the adoption of more cats in the years to come.
