With all the trends and terms used in the pet food industry, from minimally processed to human grade to therapeutic, the concepts can blur. For example, novel and functional ingredients have similarities, but the two pet food formulation options meet different demands. 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 those novel and functional ingredients in her presentation during Petfood Essentials on April 29 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 (Antidorcas marsupials) as a novel protein source. Springbok live throughout south and southwest Africa. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists them as a species of least concern, meaning the springbok faces no immediate extinction threat.
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 native ecosystems 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 in people. Hericerin and erinacine stimulate nerve growth factor production to promote nerve health. The polyphenols have anti-oxidant and anti-inflamatory properties. These compounds may help dogs and cats too, she said. Although, research on lion's mane mushrooms in pet food is limited, one study did observe beneficial effects on the gut microbiome of aged dogs after eating the fungi.
As functional ingredients, lion’s mane mushrooms provide what pet owners demand. Functional ingredients offer 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. Novel ingredients provide nutrition options, especially for pets with protein allergies, while functional ingredients give companion animals some boost beyond the basics of a balanced diet.
