0
0
Insect based dog food: everything you need to know
Insects as the potential future of food
Apparently, we’ll all be eating bugs soon and insect based dog food is also growing in popularity! Insects are a sustainable protein source and the protein quality of insects has great potential as ingredients in dog and cat foods.
Currently, a quarter of the impact of meat production comes from the pet-food industry. Pet food is an environmental disaster and it has been suggested vegan dog food is the answer!
This week Bijou Concierge investigates whether the growing edible insect trend and new hipster protein is the future of sustainable dog food…
So, what is insect based dog food?
Insect-based dog food is pet food consisting of, or containing insects digestible by pets such as dogs or cats. A limited, but growing number of products are available on the market, including dog food, cat food and pet treats. We will be focusing on insect based dog food in this article.
The growing trend of edible insects
There is a growing trend of edible insects. The consumption of insects presents one of the most sustainable yet most peculiar modes of meeting the world’s rising food demand.
In 2013 the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization stressed that a new approach to food production was crucial if we are to avoid future shortages. Their suggestion was edible insects. It is their sustainability credentials that has lead the UN to highlight insects as the potential future of food, requiring minimal resources to farm and producing substantially less waste than conventional livestock.
Insects: an alternative food supply
Food supplies are finite and the search is on for alternative food supplies for the human population including insects. Human’s eating insects is nothing new. Globally, 2 billion people consume insects. This practice is called entomophagy.
In Africa this is common place and it is home to the richest diversity of edible insects with over 500 different species being consumed. This includes, crickets, beetles, ants, caterpillars, termites, locusts and grasshoppers to name but a few!
The idea of eating insects in Western diets has been gaining traction recently. However, the rules and regulations regarding insects as food are always changing, and, are different in every country.
The edible insect market set to exceed £406m by 2023
The edible insect market is set to exceed £406m by 2023. In the UK, Sainsburys has become the first supermarket to stock edible insects. Fancy a packet of Smoky BBQ Crunchy Roasted Crickets by Eat Grub anyone?! No doubt more insect food will follow soon and if you are interested here is a list of entopreneurs around the world! You could also check out the IPIFF vision paper on the future of the insect sector towards 2030.
But if the thought of eating insects makes you feel nauseous, what about feeding insect based dog food to your beloved pooch?!
Why switch to an insect based dog food?
So why should you switch to an insect based dog food? Good question! Well, for starters, what goes into pet food is shocking.
Behind innocent-sounding words like “meat byproducts” and “meat meal” are horrific manufacturing practices that would turn your stomach. The nutritional considerations of pet foods go beyond the sources of meat in them. Pet food manufacturers add dangerous preservatives and vitamin fortifications that actually make your pets’ food less healthy.
The process that turns these animals and animal parts into pet food is also disgusting. After all, it takes a lot to turn roadkill into something owners feel good about pouring into their pets’ bowls. Ann M. Martin describes the process in Food Pets Die For.
For years, some veterinarians and animal advocates have known about the potential danger of sodium pentobarbital residue in commercial pet food, yet the danger has not been alleviated.
Have you ever seriously thought about what goes into pet food? Nor had I until I started researching this post and quite frankly the findings were truly horrifying! And as a dog mum, I found the truth about commercial dog food especially disturbing.
Insects as a sustainable protein source for pets
It’s been well documented that the world’s population will hit nine billion by the year 2050. So, how can pet food continue to be sustainable in a rapidly changing world with dwindling resources? The answer is feeding our dogs Insect based dog food!
Insects can be raised in almost any climate or environment and they require less land, water, feed and energy than more traditional protein sources as illustrated in the infographic below:
Sildenafil citrate may be found in other studies purchase generic levitra arises. generic cialis professional In the relation of man and girl happens by marriage that continues for life. If your partner has undergone vasectomy surgery or you have undergone any surgery recently cialis 10mg price then don’t forget to discuss that with your physician. The home remedies for vertigo helps to regain discount online viagra the control over the body.
Global pet carbon paw print set to further skyrocket
Back in 2009, the book “Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living“ argued that dog food generated is double the eco footprint required to produce and fuel an SUV. Authors Brenda and Robert Vale were already warning that dogs were a luxury the planet could no longer afford.
And with the fast-expanding Chinese middle classes having gone pet crazy in recent years — after Mao banned furry friends for being elitist and bourgeois — the global pet carbon paw print is set to further skyrocket.
Currently chicken, fish, and beef are the primary sources of protein in commercial pet foods. They’re also the primary sources of protein for humans, and the respective populations of both humans and pets are increasing faster than the food chain can keep up with.
With their high nutritious content of protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and fatty acid, insects might just be the “superfood” of the future for pets and people!
Aside from the potential health benefits, entomophagy is also good for the planet due to the efficiency of insects in converting plant protein into animal protein, and to the efficient and sustainable methods that are used to farm and harvest them.
Are insects the pet food protein of the future?
Yes they are according to Dr Ken Tudor in his article Insects: The Pet Food Protein of the Future? He describes how insect farming is much more efficient and sustainable, insects are very efficient in food conversion and insect farming requires far less land use.
Insects have long been part of the natural diet of some pets and livestock. Cats and dogs are known to hunt and eat insects. Bugs are a significant food source for small wild cats, as it was with their ancestors. Insects are also a major food source for chickens and fish, so feeds containing insects are quite logical.
There are many benefits to insect flours, such as being high in high-quality protein, essential fatty acids and amino acids, highly digestible, and breeding that conserves natural resources.
Insects growing in popularity as pet food ingredient
Insects have been growing in popularity as a pet food ingredient over the past several years. Indeed, both people and pets regularly eat insects unwittingly, since the tiny animals’ pieces are frequent accidental additions to plant-based foods – bad news for vegan and vegetarians!
Meet a few of the startups selling insect based dog food
Although insects appear to be a great alternative source of protein. there is currently only a limited number of pet foods on the market that incorporate insect proteins. However, this area may well increase as people look for a lower impact, more sustainable and cheaper source of pet nutrition.
Below are a couple of innovative startups that are selling insect based dog food:
UK based Yora recently launched a dry dog food made from Hermetia Illucens (black soldier fly) larvae in a bid to tackle the “carbon pawprint” created by pets in our animal-loving nation. They chose this particular insect as it was the most nutritious and environmentally friendly option.
Another UK startup, Bug Bakes sells a range of dog treats made from cricket flour. They are based in Scotland and proud supporters of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. They donate 5 pence per bag to the charity.
Similarly, German based Eat Small produces tasty dog foods and treats also made from the flour of the black soldier fly. They chose the insect because of its rapid reproduction and growth cycle, as well as its minimal need for water, food and space. In fact we might even be eating black soldier fly larvae in the future!
In Italy 21bites and BauChef have teamed up to become 21bau, the first 100% made-in-Italy line of pet food with edible insects.
Will sustainable, insect based dog food take off in 2019?
Will insect based dog food really take off in 2019? We will have to wait and see! According to a recent Innova trends survey, 64 percent of U.S. and U.K. consumers expect brands and companies to invest in sustainability. However, with pet food, it’s unclear how much pet owners care about sustainability in terms of ingredients and similar areas; claims related to ingredient sourcing and animal welfare, such as grass-fed beef, are still very small but growing at 156 percent a year, according to Nielsen data.
The market is certainly opening up for the use of insect protein in animal feed. Having said that, in order for these flours to become an essential component of pet food and no longer a niche market, the price factor is crucial. But that is another story!
p.s. if you enjoyed this article you might like to read Plastic Pollution: Plenty More Plastic Than Fish In The Sea?
About Annie:
Annie is the founder of Bijou Concierge and luxury dog concierge Mutt & Pooch. She is also a professional copywriter and novice Squarespace website designer! If you need help writing copy for your blogs, website copy, original content for social media plus general virtual PA/lifestyle management support contact her here or email annie@bijouconcierge.co.uk
