Sourcing Protein for Pets

Pet ownership is a growing phenomenon around the world, and why not? Pets bring happiness and joy to people’s lives. Statistics show that owning a pet can make you a healthier person, both physically and psychologically (Baun et al. 1991, Serpell 1991). People love their pets and in many countries pets are now an integral part of the family.

At the same time, the human population is growing and with it, the demand for food. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the human population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and the global consumption of meat products is predicted to rise by 102%, between 2000 and 2050 (UN 2013). The combined effects of the human population increase and rising standards of living in developing countries are expected to create an ever increasing demand for animal-derived protein.

Animal protein is a principal ingredient for most pet foods, and the pet and human food chains have always co-existed. Historically, there has been more than enough protein to meet demand with pet food manufacturers taking the leftovers from the human food chain. However, as the demand from both human and pet food chains continues to grow, and with the human food chain diversifying to utilize previously unused parts of the animal, demand may soon overtake the supply, creating possible competition for resources.

As one of the largest pet food manufacturers, Mars Petcare is taking responsibility, firstly, for understanding the relationship between the human and pet food supply chain, and secondly for taking action to address the potential tension, helping to ensure that the human and pet food supply chains can continue to co-exist in the future. For the future of our business, it is critical that we develop nutritious and safe alternatives to traditional protein sources for cats and dogs, enabling a stable supply of sustainably sourced protein for the future.

With science and innovation leading the way, Mars Petcare is researching, developing and applying new and novel approaches to sourcing the necessary quantities of high quality proteins that meet both the needs of the growing pet population and our portfolio of pet food products. Our search for proteins covers a wide range of potential ingredients from vegetable protein sources such as alfalfa or oil seed meals to novel microbial ingredients such as algae or yeast. We are also evaluating protein sources that are not currently used within the feed industry.

Short-term, we have focussed on the development of technologies to better utilize what is already available. Today, we are successfully using protein from alternative sources in recipes in some parts of the world. One such example involves a rapid chilling process of animal-derived ingredients that help maintain ingredient freshness, assuring full nutritional value for pets and product appeal for owners. This also benefits our suppliers and the environment since valuable materials are not lost to waste treatment or landfill. A second example involves the further processing or hydrolysis of structural proteins like keratin to increase its digestibility and to transform a low value feed ingredient into a rich source of available amino acids for pets.

Over the longer term, our aim is to pursue more innovative concepts. Today, we are at the stage where we are exploring ideas and asking key questions such as: Is it a viable and sustainable source; can we prove scalability; will it help meet the nutritional needs of cats and dogs; and what do pet owners think about these ingredients?

Overall, as we look at the development of protein from alternative sources, we are guided by four key principles:

1. All ingredients must meet our high safety and quality standards;

2. All ingredients must contribute to the nutritional needs of pets as part of a healthy lifestyle;

3. Pet owners must be receptive to and accepting of the ingredients;

4. All ingredients sourced must contribute to our sustainability goals as well as being reliable and affordable.

As the pet food industry grapples with the issue of a diminishing supply of animal-based protein sources for pet food, science and innovation are helping to find new and unique solutions to meet the needs of the growing global pet population. Mars Petcare has put much thought into its strategy and we have begun executing on it. Our approach is rooted in both developing nutritious and safe alternatives to traditional protein sources and creating a sustainable supply chain that enables the human and pet food industries to continue to co-exist in the future.

Isabelle Aelvoet is global sustainability director, Mars Petcare ([email protected]).

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