A recent recall regarding cat food suspected of being low in thiamine (vitamin B1) brings to light something that the regulatory agencies, ingredient suppliers and food industry (including petfood) have taken for granted for years-that all issues regarding vitamin losses from harvest to consumption have been conclusively modeled and addressed. Not so.
With the introduction of new ingredients, processes and packaging techniques, ongoing research regarding vitamin carry-through to the end product is needed. Unfortunately, in all too many cases, vitamins have become commoditized, low-margin ingredients relegated to the Chinese production model and are incapable of supporting the necessary food application research.
