Britain is first country to approve lab-grown meat for pet food

The UK is the first country to permit lab-grown meat in pet food (The Times newspaper) which is manufactured by the company Meatly. The company has worked with Britton's regulators to ensure a smooth introduction of this animal friendly meat. The company intends to spend the next three years scaling up production and reducing the cost of its product.

Owen Ensor the chief executive said: 

"We're delighted to have worked proactively alongside the UK's regulators to showcase that Meatly chicken is safe and healthy for pets. We can now continue our mission to give consumers an easy choice; ensuring we can feed our beloved pets the real meat they need and crave, in a way that is kinder to our planet and other animals."

Israel, Singapore and the United States have approved it for human consumption.

The company likes to call their meat "cultivated" rather than use the term "lab-grown". Cells are taken from chicken eggs which are encouraged to multiply inside vats of nutrient-rich broth.

The product will be on sale later this year.

Britain permits Meatly cultivated meat in pet food by Michael Broad

A study by the consultancy CE Delft reported that it could cut the carbon emissions of meat by 92% while using 95% less land.

Brexit has allowed this development to occur before the rest of Europe.

An interesting development of this announcement is that farmers have for some time been fighting the development of cultivated meat because it undermines their businesses.

Sadly, farming is, you might argue, inherently linked with animal abuse because farmers have to make a profit and in making a profit one is encouraged to undermine animal welfare. The concept of profit-making within commerce is a barrier to good animal welfare.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Cat food which is "as good as it looks" designed to appeal to humans

This is a very short and perhaps obvious note but I don't think the point I am making is that obvious to many readers. Felix make a cat food which is proudly described on the box to be 'as good as it looks'.

Felix cat food as good as it looks. Image: Pet at Home.

Neither the manufacturers nor the cat owner have any idea what type of pet food cats find visually appealing. The registered strap line means that the food is as good as it looks to the purchaser of the food. The human cat caregiver. It is primarily designed to be attractive to the cat's owner not the cat.

If the cat is pleased with the way it looks so much the better but they are not the targeted audience. It is the caregiver. It doesn't really matter that much if the cat sees it as lip-smackingly good or not for the reasons provided in the last two paragraphs.

That said when you read the strap line you automatically infer that Felix cat food is 'as good as it looks' to cats! That's what we think. We become our cat and believe that the food will look appetizing to our beloved feline friend.

It is a psychological game that the manufacturers play with their customers. When you look at the food it does look a bit like human food. It has to because it has to look appetizing to humans.

So Felix have to make a cat food that looks appetizing to humans and is therefore somewhat like human food while also being good cat food.

The final point to note is that cats don't decide on whether a food is appetizing by its appearance but by its smell. Their nose is the adjudicator on the palatability of their food.

You will always see domestic cats smelling food before they eat it. If they don't, they must have got used to being given the same food daily and smelled it as they approached their bowl.

"Ocean fish" and "white bait" is shark meat in cat food. Do you care?

A research study tells us that endangered sharks are being used as "white bait" and "white fish" and "ocean fish" in cat and dog food. These are generic terms. There is no attempt to specify exactly what this food is. And the question is whether cat owners would stop buying cans of cat food if the products were properly labelled and shark meat specified in the labelling.

Blue shark. Photo: Joost van Uffelen / Getty Images

A lot of people nowadays are concerned about the environment. They are concerned about marine wildlife and overfishing. The argument is that the pet food manufacturers should be more transparent and honest.

This is particularly so since the shark populations have declined by more than 70% over the past 50 years. They found through DNA testing that some of the shark meat in cat food comes from sharks which are endangered. The sale of their bodies and body parts are under some degree of control in terms of their trade as specified under CITES or through classification by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The most common identified shark in cat and dog food was the blue shark. The species is not listed in CITES or classified as threatened by the IUCN but scientific research indicates that it is overexploited and the fishing of it should be regulated.

Another commonly encountered shark species in cat food is the silky shark. This species is listed under appendix 2 of CITES.

The fact that there is mislabelling on cat and dog food which misleads purchasers also leads to the unsatisfactory state of affairs that many environmentally conscious customers are contributing to the overfishing of endangered sharks.

The study that I am working off in writing this article suggests that many "pet owners and lovers would be alarmed to find out that they are likely contributing to the unsustainable fishing practices that have caused massive declines in global shark populations".

Overfishing of sharks has a negative impact on ecosystems' stability and function. Separately, a study found that the removal of sharks from the oceans has been linked to the "amplification of detrimental climate change effects".

In the United States, the most commonly encountered shark species in pet food was the short fin mako. In the current study all the pet food was produced, canned or packaged in Thailand.

In all, through DNA analysis, they found nine species of shark in pet food. One proposition is that the shark fin trade is contributing to this. Sharks are caught for their fins only and the bodies are thrown away as I understand it. Perhaps these bodies are being used in pet food. It is suggested that this might be beneficial because the bodies are being wasted. I would suggest that the better course of action would be to stop killing sharks for their fins.

Silky sharks are often caught as bycatch i.e. they are not targeted fish but they are caught in nets and killed when fishing for other species. This occurs during tuna fishing for example. Once their high-valued fins have been removed their carcasses make their way into the pet food industry chain which possibly account for the high prevalence of the meat from this shark species in pet food.

In conclusion, they state that "seafood fraud and the deliberate mislabelling or substitution of products is an increasingly recognise global problem".

Would you change your purchasing habits if they listed shark meat on cat food ingredients? Do you read the ingredient listings? Do you care? Are you concerned about the endangerment of many shark species? What do you think about killing sharks for their fins and throwing the rest of the shark away? Lots of questions. I would like you to comment on this if you have time.

The study referred to is: DNA Barcoding Identifies Endangered Sharks in Pet Food Sold in Singapore (04 March 2022 ).

Pet food supply shortages in USA late 2021

ABC News tells me that there is a pet food supply shortage in Ohio as at December 2021. They report that the Pause & Whiskers cat shelter in Toledo, Ohio has seen a drop of 75% in cat food donations. Sara Baker, the shelter manager, said that there is a global supply chain and production issue and stores such as Pet Supplies Plus are affected. That company anticipates shortages into 2023. I decided to check it out to see whether there are other sources providing us with the same news.

Pet food supply shortages in USA late 2021. Photo in public domain.

The website Green Matters states that officially there are no food shortages as at October 15, 2021 in the USA. That news comes from the USDA. However, a business strategy expert, Xavier Naville, said that there are disruptions in the supply chain. In an interview on October 14, he said that the shortages result from a combination of increased demand (an increase of 13% according to the USDA compared to last year) and a tightening in the supply.

So this is a supply and demand issue. Demand is up and supply is down. This means that some items are hard to find. Human food is also affected.

Why is supply down? There appears to be two factors. The yield in many crops is down due to climate change. Another website tells me that dry cat food supplies are down because corn supplies are down. In addition, there have been structural changes at food processing factories and slaughterhouses many of which are following social distancing guidelines. This slows production.

An uncomfortable reality is that there's too much waste in the developed countries generally of food in general including pet food and human food. As per Feeding America 108 billion pounds or 40% of all food is wasted in America every year. That takes a bit of digesting 😉.

The Green Matters website states that pet food is in short supply. There are empty shelves across the US and food shortage fears. They say that the pet food supply chain is facing issues as at October this year. 

Reuters reported that both dog and cat food prices have increased by up to 20% between the beginning of the Covid pandemic and July 2021. The reason? Higher labour and transportation costs and rising prices of corn, meet and soybeans. In addition, there has been an increase in pet adoptions so there are more mouths to feed.

The UK has matched the USA in this regard. There has been a surge in pet adoptions beginning in the early days of the Covid pandemic and continuing throughout 2020 and this year. Some of these adoptions have been irresponsible.

Supply chain issues are affecting other goods as well. President Biden has commented on it in a speech delivered on Wednesday, October 13.

Tip: arguably this is a good time to consider home-made raw cat food. I'm sure the ingredients for that can be obtained readily. So the only issue is whether you can be precise and careful enough to make it to a high standard and also store it to a high standard. There might be a silver lining. You might see the health of your cat or dog improve. You might stay off commercially prepared cat food indefinitely. But please be careful. Veterinarians think that cat owners are not able to make their own home-made raw cat food to a sufficient standard. There are some pitfalls. You simply have to ensure that the required nutrients are included. Please do your research thoroughly. Your efforts may be rewarded. But don't take risks.

Taiwan's silkworm cat food for less smelly cat poop!

Miaoli Agricultural Research and Extension Station have created a cat food from a waste by-product of the silk producing industry. They use silkworm pupae (grubs) with added immune protein as the raw material for this novel cat food.

Photo: Miaoli Agricultural Research and Extension Station

A Café owner, Rosa Su, said:

"They have more energy and less smelly faeces, which is more than I expected."

She should know because she's looking after a lot of cat on a daily basis. She will know cat poop very well. 😉

There could be no better endorsement. You can buy the food in a variety of flavours. The research team say that the feedback has been positive.

It's an example of improving sustainability in manufacturing. It is also an example of a modern trend in trying to improve the ingredients and nutrients in cat food while also minimising waste in manufacturing processes. 

The world has changed. There is greater focus by consumers on the environment and in this instance on cat food ingredients. Also pet food manufacturers damage the planet.

Cat owners are more demanding because they are more knowledgeable thanks to the internet. A lot has been written about the, often, poor quality of many cat foods based as they are on poor raw products.

Silkworm pupae is an excellent raw product because it is high in protein, fat and minerals. And, in any case, domestic cats eat insects naturally. Pupae are part of the life cycle of an insect; the silkworm. The silkworm is economically important insect as it is the primary producer of silk and it is clever to use it to create cat food as well.

The scientists who created this food say that it helps eliminate harmful intestinal bacteria which in turn reduces the odour of cats' waste products i.e. the poop smells nicer!

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Why is cat poop so smelly?

Quite a lot has been written, also, about smelly cat poop. It's a target of informed cat owners to reduce the odour of cat poop as it is indicative of a healthy gut and improved gut flora. This should benefit the health of the cat. Homemade raw cat food is a tool used by some cat owners. IBD is an increased cat health problem ostensibly because of poor quality foods.

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Venezuela: pet food costs €44 while average salary is €5 per month

Silkworm grubs live inside silk cocoons. The grubs are high in the kind of nutrients which are healthy for domestic cats. And they boosted the quality of the food by stressing the silkworms to make them think that they are in danger. This technique boosts the content of immune proteins in the grubs which kills harmful bacteria inside the cat who has eaten the food.

ASSOCIATED: Krill harvested for pet food damages Antarctica’s marine wildlife

One motivator for silkworm cat food is that it is no longer economically feasible, apparently, to cultivate the insects for fabric production alone. The cocoon can also be used in cosmetics. If manufacturers are able to use every part of the silkworm life-cycle there is an economical benefit. They can keep the costs down and be more profitable and sustainable.

Apparently, a can of silkworm cat food sells for US$2.43 which is a bit more than average canned wet food in Taiwan (NT$68). They believe that the product will be accepted even though it's more expensive because it is environmentally superior and arguably the ingredients are better.

In a crowdfunding campaign they reached their fundraising preliminary goal within 24 hours, indicative of the potential for this novel cat food.

In comparison, China has plans to turn industrial exhaust waste from gargantuan factories into animal feed which I will presume includes cat food eventually. It looks ghastly by comparison but if they can make it work so much the better provided the food is of decent quality. We don't want to go backwards in terms of food quality because it's often bad enough already.

Dog food destroyed by the manufacturing process causing ill-health and shortened lives

I am discussing dogs again today! Forgive me. There is an overlap with cats. Dr. Michael Lazaris has an axe to grind, he wants to promote his dog food supplement but he is worth listening to. He says that dog food is destroyed by the high temp cooking process. Reminds me of dry cat food. Perhaps the same issues relate to cats. A good reason why it is worth having a look at the issues.

Dog food destroyed by the manufacturing process causing shortened lives. Screenshot.

First dog food destroyer: extrusion cooking process

Dog food is always brown because of the 320 degrees F cooking for hours on end to burn food to a crisp to stop it going off. It allows foods to sit on shelves for 2+ years before sale to boost profits. But this 'significantly reduces nutrients'. The cooking process destroys vitamins like vitamins A, E and the B vitamins. It reduces protein and makes it harder for dogs to digest food. Probiotics and digestive enzymes don't get to the food bowl. These are important for digestion as the gut needs good bacteria. Dogs eat grass to acquire good bacteria to their gut to make up for its lack in pet food. But grass can be contaminated and create additional health problems.

He recommends: good probiotics and digestive enzyme foods for increased energy, better immune system and healthier digestion.

Second destroyer: creation of AGEs

Advanced glycation end product (AGEs) form in the cooking process as a byproduct. They are not on the label. They are a health hazard leading to faster aging and diseases. Toxic AGEs are one hundred times more common in dog food than in the human diet. AGEs cause inflammation in dog's body leading to itching. And cancer. There has been an increase in cancer in dogs. Over half of dogs over 10 get cancer. They age dogs faster. Labradors used to live to 17 years but now have a 10-year lifespan.

Ther are zero requirements by law for pet food manufacturers to include: antioxidants, polysaccharides, pre and probiotics, omega 3s and digestive enzymes in their foods

He claims that pet food laws are shocking and shortening dogs' lives (presume he means in the UK). One dog he treated changed his views on dog nutrition. He fed the dog, Champ, who'd be involved in a car accident, through tube with his special supplements and his health improved greatly improving his life chances.

Vital foods for health: superfoods, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals, super-nutrients. Create better digestion and immunity.

He created Canine Prime which contains all these nutrients destroyed by the super-cooking process. It is a supplement to sprinkle on dog food.

Expectation management

The voice of reason: expect some benefits with the doctor's supplement formulation but not miracles! :) 

Bio

Dr. Michael Lazaris studied at the University of Edinburgh and is certified by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. At the forefront of pet health and wellbeing he practises treating animals with a heavy emphasis on nutrition. His goal is to help dogs live long healthy lives through education and proper nutrition.

Hypoallergenic cat food

What is hypoallergenic cat food? I'd never heard of it until recently. I'd certainly never considered buying it. My cat, though, has a skin condition, dandruff or flaky skin. This, in her case, is caused, I believe, by a lack of proper grooming on her back, which she can't get to due to her size! Although her diet might exacerbate the problem.

Purina call it, "Dietetic food for reduction of ingredient and nutrient intolerances". It is intended to be food that reduces or eliminates the chance of your cat having an allergic reaction to an ingredient in her food. Hypoallergenic food is therefore cat food that removes elements of your cat's normal food that may cause allergic reactions.

One such food is Purina Veterinary Diet Feline HA. A mouthful :-) What does this really mean? In my view cat food manufacturers are understandably very commercial in a competitive market and prone to making claims that are on the edge of reality. It could also be argued that some manufacturers are practicing double standards in presenting themselves as concerned about cat welfare while conducting animal testing to improve their products (or make them more marketable). Purina is one such company.

Hypoallergenic cat food is essentially an elimination diet. An elimination diet is one used by doctors (for humans) and vets (for cats) to see if our cat is allergic to an ingredient in her normal food. See the update below for other versions of hypoallergenic cat food as described by Dr. Hodgkins.

The ingredients in the Hypoallergenic cat food must therefore be known to not cause an allergic reaction or at least be very unlikely to do so. If during eating this cat food your cat's symptoms improve or clear up it will be a strong indication that she is allergic to something in her normal diet. In short this food is a diagnostic tool. The problem is you won't know exactly what she is allergic to. This means she will have stay on the Hypoallergenic cat food permanently or further tests carried out by your vet to isolate the causative ingredient.

It seems strange to permanently feed your cat with a product that is essentially meant to be a diagnostic tool. Although it is formulated to be eaten permanently.

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) makes regulations on claims about drugs. The UK equivalent is the Department of Health and MHRA I believe. FDA says two important things. First the usual elimination diet is lamb and rice and second that prolonged eating of an elimination diet may produce an allergic reaction to this diet or components of it.

Many hypoallergenic cat foods were apparently made up of lamb and rice and designed to turn an elimination diet into a full time diet. One such food that can be bought in the UK is Grau Complete Cat Food Lamb & Rice. Claims are then made that the food would resolve symptoms of food allergy.

You can see that the science as practiced by the food manufacturers in this matter is naturally rather vague and imprecise. This has to be the case because they are trying to substitute a proper trial by a veterinarian with a food that may ease symptoms. It other words it is a form of treatment albeit vague and imprecise.

Purina's Purina Veterinary Diet Feline HA can be bought without a vet's recommendations from general food outlets. However it would seem sensible to get a vet's input but that would mean trials and cost, a big barrier for many.

Conclusion: I exercise caution when buying such products (and in respect of claims). Such products are by nature more expensive (usually) and in the long term it might be cheaper and more sensible to seek a vet's input and find out the problem ingredient and eliminate it from your cat's food (it may though be difficult to isolate the rogue ingredient). You've got to start with your vet anyway if your cat is showing signs of food allergy.

Update: Dr. Hodgkins is well known for her soundly argued thoughts about commercial cat food and has written a book about cat health ("Your Cat"), which describes how modern commercially produced cat food can have a negative impact on cat's health.

One relevant area is food allergies. Vets are, it seems, dealing with more cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS). Dr. Hodgkins believes there is a relatively simple explanation to the increase in incidence of this condition and its cause.

IBD occurs in the cat's gastrointestinal organs (the digestive tract/organs). These organs incorrectly stimulate the immune system causing disrupted digestion and fluids to come into the intestines (and stomach) causing diarrhea and vomiting. IBD is therefore an immune system disease. A cat's food is most likely to be the substance in the digestive system that causes this incorrect stimulation of the immune system. This indicates that cats are eating the wrong food (i.e. food that contains ingredients that are detrimental to a cat's health).

Treatment for IBD includes administration of drugs that suppress the immune system but these deal with the symptoms but not the cause. The food manufacturers have formulated "second generation" hypoallergenic cat foods in response to this heightened problem. These are expensive and the protein in them has been broken down to amino acids (the basic component of protein). Dr. Hodgkins argues that this hypoallergenic cat food may help but some of the ingredients that cause the allergic reaction are still present.

It is also possible apparently to buy wet canned cat food that contains low carbohydrate concentrations, which can alleviate mild cases of IBD (Dr. Hodgkins prefers canned Innovative Veterinary Diets a hypoallergenic cat food- this I presume is USA based food only).

However, Dr. Hodgkins prefers to go back to basics and try and replicate the cats normal diet (i.e the wild cat's diet) which does not contain artificial ingredients and is not over processed. Accordingly, she recommends a raw meat diet for all cats who suffer from IBD who do not recover after trying the best hypoallergenic canned food mentioned above (Innovative).

A raw food diet needs proper preparation with care. Most veterinarians find this recommendation unacceptable she admits.

The header photograph is published under a creative commons license - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License.

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