Trace minerals, though required in minute amounts, have an outsized role in pet nutrition. During the August 6 edition of Ask the Petfood Pro, sponsored by Zinpro, Dr. Allison Millican, the company’s global pet lead, emphasized the need for the pet food industry to “rethink minerals,” not merely meeting minimum requirements, but strategically leveraging them to support pet health and differentiate products.
Millican explained that trace minerals act as cofactors for enzymes, enabling biological processes tied to growth, metabolism, immune function, skin and coat health, bone and joint integrity, and oxygen transport. “What functional benefit doesn’t in some way rely on trace minerals?” she asked. Despite their essential status, she argued that minerals as a category remain undervalued and underleveraged.
Source matters: organic vs. inorganic
The form of a trace mineral significantly affects its bioavailability. Inorganic sources, such as sulfates and oxides, differ in absorption potential, with sulfates generally more available than oxides. Organic minerals — bound to carbon-based molecules like amino acids or proteins — tend to offer greater bioavailability, but not all organics are equal.
Millican advised evaluating five factors when selecting an organic mineral:
1. water solubility,
2. stability across gastrointestinal pH ranges,
3. resistance to dietary chelating agents,
4. absorbability, and
5. proven animal performance benefits.
These considerations help ensure that the mineral reaches and is utilized by the animal.
Chelation and absorption
Chelation, binding a mineral to another molecule, can protect it from interactions that inhibit absorption, such as phytic acid or competing minerals. The choice of chelating agent matters; it must keep the mineral stable through digestion and allow for absorption through pathways like peptide or amino acid transporters.
Health outcomes and formulation strategy
Specific minerals play multiple functional roles. Zinc supports structural protein synthesis for skin, coat, and gut barrier health; copper and manganese contribute to collagen and connective tissue formation; and iron is essential for oxygen transport. Antioxidant activity, immune support, and even coat pigmentation are also linked to trace minerals.
Zinpro’s research-based recommendations include 100 ppm zinc, 25 ppm manganese, 7 ppm copper, and 45 ppm iron from additive sources. These levels, Millican noted, are informed by decades of multispecies research, adjusted for pet-specific considerations. She highlighted manganese as “an unsung hero” in pet nutrition and addressed ongoing debate over copper limits, urging more targeted research before regulatory changes.
Regulatory compliance and product differentiation
A targeted trace mineral strategy can help meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) profiles while avoiding excessive levels. Millican stressed that “more is not better” and that foundational nutrition enables other functional ingredients to perform effectively.
From a marketing perspective, trace minerals represent a largely untapped story. Human food trends show growing consumer awareness of mineral fortification, and pet owners are likely to follow. Research-backed claims tied to popular categories — healthy aging, mobility, skin and coat, digestive health — can support brand differentiation.
The future of trace minerals
Millican said Zinpro is committed to expanding peer-reviewed research in pet trace mineral nutrition, with multiple studies in progress and plans for future projects. She called for greater academic and industry collaboration to close knowledge gaps, especially in areas like breed-specific copper metabolism.
“The biggest takeaway that I that I want everyone to walk away with is that we have a huge opportunity as an industry to rethink minerals, and how we're using them, how we're talking about them, how we're leveraging them and getting very diligent about what source you're using and understanding what that means for the pet, but also for the performance of your whole product,” Millican said. “It's a new wave. We're bringing to light what the consumer maybe doesn't know they need yet.”
