The need for added vitamins and flavour in pet food

It’s true that commercially prepared pet foods are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but this is not due to “harsh” manufacturing processes destroying nutrients, as is sometimes incorrectly believed

Their inclusion aids in increasing the nutritional content of the product, in much the same way that most breakfast cereals are fortified. The benefit is building the nutritional intake of recipients of a mono-product diet, because pet foods that are complete and balanced often form the only food that the pet eats.

In South Africa the government encourages industry and researchers to find ways to fortify staple foods with proteins, vitamins and minerals because of the benefit that it has to the end-consumer. It is therefore important to ensure that the vitamins and minerals remain as per requirements up to the best before date marked on the food packaging.

A good comparison to dry pet food, in terms of manufacturing process, is rusks, which are produced by shaping a bread-like substance, cooking, cutting and finally drying the product. As a result of the low moisture content and added preservatives, the product enjoys a longer shelf life. In dry pet food manufacturing, the similar process used is called extrusion.

This entails the mixing of ingredients, adding water to achieve a 25-28% moisture content (to create a dough) to allow for a thorough cooking process to ensure starch is cooked through, making it safe for pet consumption. This wet dough is kneaded, proofed (or conditioned), shaped and then baked at temperatures not exceeding 160ºC.

The food is then processed through an extruder, which cuts it into kibbles. As the kibbles are still wet at this stage, drying takes place at about 55ºC, until the product has less than 10% moisture (which is very similar to rusks) during which time the kibbles are often sprayed with fat, oil and flavours.

The process is no harsher than cooking processes used for human foods. The difference is that most humans enjoy the privilege of eating a varied diet, inclusive of fresh fruits and vegetables that do compensate for loss of nutrients lost during cooking and possibly not contained in their main meals.

Pets can’t (and should n’t) do this, nor is a human diet fit for pet consumption – their dietary needs are very different to ours. To ensure your pets are getting exactly what they need, commercially prepared pet foods are fortified with vitamins and other essential minerals in just the right quantities to suit their specific needs and balance the nutrition in the food, as defined and researched by qualified nutritionists.

The end result is that your pet, though only consuming a mono-product diet, receives a nutritious, balanced meal. When choosing a Pet Food Industry Association of Southern Africa (PFI) member brand, rest assured that the food is safe and prepared according to international

standards.