With all the trends and terms used in the pet food industry, from minimally processed to human grade to therapeutic, the concepts can start to blur. For example, novel pet food ingredients may have similarities to functional recipe additions, but the two options meet pet owners’ demands in different ways. African antelope and lion’s mane mushrooms provide contrasting examples of novel versus functional pet food ingredients.
Angelique Myburgh, nutrition and development specialist with dog and cat food producer Montego Pet Nutrition, explored that contrast in her presentation during Petfood Essentials on April 28 in Kansas City, Missouri.
African antelope as novel pet foods
African antelopes are a local ingredient for Montego Pet Nutrition. Founded in 2000, Montego operates out of Graaf-Reinet, South Africa, producing 300 metric tons of pet food daily. The company produces dog treats using springbok, a species of antelope found in the region, as a novel protein source.
Springbok check many boxes as a novel pet food ingredient. The antelopes have lean, low-fat muscle meat with hypoallergenic properties for dogs allergic to chicken, beef and other common animal proteins. Dogs find the antelope meat highly palatable.
Being native to the arid lands of South Africa, springbok antelope are more resilient to climate changes than cattle, she said.
“Antelope adds cultural relevancy and authenticity to the product,” Myburgh said.
Springbok antelope range wild and on game preserves in South Africa. Marketing African antelope meat provides an alternative to cattle ranching. Providing an economic incentive to maintain springbok habitat may help restore land to its pre-colonial state and reduce ecological damage.
All of these characteristics of African antelope fit within the realm of novel pet food ingredients in general. Novel proteins tend to be unconventional animal tissues with reduced allergenicity, atypical nutritional profiles and ethical characteristics.
Lion’s mane mushrooms as functional pet food ingredients
Lion’s mane mushrooms provide the counter-example of a functional pet food ingredient. The fungi have a history of medicinal use by humans. Biological analysis has identified polyphenols, hericerin, erinacine and other chemicals with health benefits. Hericerin and erinacine stimulate nerve growth factor production to promote nerve health. The polyphenols have anti-oxidant and anti-inflamatory properties.
As functional ingredients, lion’s mane mushrooms meet what pet owners demand. Functional ingredients provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, Myburgh said. They enhance the dog’s body functions, proactively maintain health or provide a wellness remedy.
Both functional ingredients and novel proteins play roles when formulating pet foods, but they provide different health benefits and meet other pet owner demands.
