Ingredients Usage Analysis: Page 6

Duck is a staple protein in dry dog and cat foods

Duck is a popular protein in pet food, particularly dog foods, both canned and dry. Duck has become very popular in novel protein and limited-ingredient diets.

Pet Food Ingredients

Chicken rules the roost of dog and cat food proteins

Chicken appears in more pet foods than any other meat, according to an analysis of the Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center.

(Andrea Gantz, Flickr)

Chicken dominant protein in pet food recipes

Chicken, in the form of chicken, deboned, chicken, chicken meal, and other chicken parts such as liver, giblets, and so on, is the dominant protein when we survey the recipes in the Dog and Cat Food Ingredient center.

chicken dog food

Lamb remains common in dry dog food

An analysis of the Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center focused on the use of lamb and lamb meal in pet food and the labeling of those products.

photo by Andrea Gantz

Lamb and lamb's meal use in dry dog food

Lamb and lamb meal became popular in the ‘80s and ’90s with the development of elimination diets to treat food allergies. In the mid ‘90s lamb and rice diets became the fastest growing segment of the market. Today many of the novel protein diets have moved to other protein sources, but lamb and lamb meal are still widely used in dry dog food.

lamb in dog food

Infographic: Popular legumes in dry, wet pet foods

Novel pet food ingredients made from leguminous plants, such as peas, chickpeas or lentils, have risen in popularity in cat and dog foods, both dry and wet.

created using Piktochart

Millet used as an alternate grain in dog food

With good protein quality and more fat than most grains, millet has the potential to serve as an ‘alternative’ ingredient in pet food. Millet is a small seed commonly associated with wild bird food.

Soybean hulls and psyllium used as fiber source in pet food

Some ingredients that are a good source of fiber are often viewed by the consumer as filler. Soybean hulls and psyllium fiber both fall into this category and have received bad press, when they are a good source of fiber. The number of pet recipes using these ingredients is small, and they are found primarily in senior or weight control formulas.

Green tea extract use in dog and cat food

Green tea extract is derived from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. Dried green tea leaves are used to make the popular hot beverage, and the extracts play a central role in herbal medicine. More recently, purified extracts have found favor as a nutraceutical and food antioxidant preservative. So, how many current dog and cat food recipes are using green tea extract?

green tea pet food

Why chickpeas, peas and lentils are in more dog and cat food formulas

The grain-free pet food movement has been going on for well over a decade, and many new pet products entering the market are labeled as grain free. This has given rise to use of alternative ingredients, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, chickpeas and tapioca.

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