by George B. Josef, Global Head of Marketing and Nutritional Lipids for petfood, dsm-firmenich
As with famous quotes, when it comes to providing pets with essential nutrients, it pays to go back to the original source. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), have long been considered critical building blocks for human and animal health. While oily fish such as salmon or mackerel are the traditional vehicles for omega-3 consumption, they are in fact only intermediary links in a long food chain. Algae is the unsung heroes of many ecosystems, and the source from which vital omega-3s actually originate. As the strain on global fish stocks combines with ratcheting demand for high-quality pet nutrition, the tides of change are pushing algae to the forefront of the pet food sector and posing the question: is marine algal-oil the ‘alpha’ of omega-3 ingredients?
Finite fish stocks
Essential as they may be, omega-3s are also associated with unsustainable and harmful fishing practices. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, well over a third of global stocks were fished at biologically unsustainable levels in 2019, a statistic influenced at least somewhat by the petfood industry. In fact, every year as many as 930 billion fish are removed from the ocean, just to supply the petfood industry with fish oil and meal. Reliance on overstretched fish stocks is as bad for business as it is for biodiversity. Unstable availability of critical species can cause wild fluctuations in the price of fish oils, exposing petfood manufacturers to disruption, uncertainty and steep cost spikes.
As a group, pet parents are also especially eco-conscious. Almost three quarters of pet owners surveyed by Euromonitor state they are concerned about climate change and are seeking to make a positive impact on the environment through their daily habits and choices. With all this context in mind, agal oil’s position as a high-quality source of omega-3s, not dependent on fish stocks, becomes all the more appealing.
Algal-based ingredients such as DHAgold™ and Veramaris® Pets from dsm-firmenich enable petfood brands to nourish consumers’ beloved pets, without the negative impact on our oceans. With their non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism), contaminant-free and attractive natural positioning, solutions like these offer producers’ true peace of mind – economically and ecologically.
Health benefits
Second only to their environmental impact, the main advantage of algal-omega-3s is their nutritional credentials. Pet owners have always been concerned with the health and wellbeing of their pets. With the advent of a more ‘humanised’ view of cat and dog health however, many now want to see similar targeted claims in petfood, as they find in products, they would choose for themselves. A prime example of this phenomenon in action is the three out of five pet owners who, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic said they looked for petfood featuring vitamins and nutrients to support immune health, just in case their furry friends also needed some extra protection. Enter omega-3s, nutrients famously essential for health – both human and pet.
Varieties such as EPA and DHA have been shown to address a host of top pet health concerns, from joint support and brain development in kittens and puppies, to improved immunity, enhanced cognition and even a bright and shiny coat in cats and dogs of all ages. Understandably then, pet parents are seeking nutritional solutions with a high concentration of EPA and DHA – and agal-based ingredients are once again ready to answer the call.
Take dsm-firmenich’s DHAgold™ ingredient as an example; Made from fermented algae carefully dried to preserve its natural nutritional content, this powder ingredient has been scientifically proven to support brain health in senior dogs, with a group of 8- to 11-year-old dogs displaying significantly improved visual and memory performance after a six-month feed program containing DHAgold™. Since the ingredient features the whole algae cell, it equally helps lend improved sensory properties that can turn any food, treat or supplement into a source of essential DHA that cats and dogs will love.
Leading pet food brands forward
The final factor underpinning agal omega-3s’ potential is the very fact that they are not fish. In a crowded market, any differentiating claim or ingredient can be useful for helping a brand stand out in the petfood aisle. Swapping traditional fish oil for agal-alternatives could prove even more valuable however given consumers’ conflicted economic mindset.
The dilemma facing today’s pet parents can be summed up in two statistics: 47 percent state they want to increase their savings over the next year, though at the same time 71 percent say they treat their pets as ‘beloved members of the family’. Consumers’ goal therefore is not to scrimp on pet food (that’s no way to treat a family member) but to seek higher value, more complete products that justify their price tag.
Here again, agal omega-3s hold the solution. Not only can they unlock attractive on-pack claims such as ‘sustainably sourced’, ‘non-GMO’ or ‘naturally-derived’, but one form even offers the world’s most potent and complete source of omega-3 for cats and dogs. The solution in question, Veramaris® Pets agal oil, delivers more than double the potency of equivalent fish-oil alternatives, containing 60 percent EPA and DHA for all-around exceptional pet nutrition. Great health benefits are sometimes useless without equally strong sensory attributes that encourage regular consumption. Happily, then, Veramaris® Pets’ potency does not come at the cost of diminished stability or palatability, making it a great example of something pets love to eat, that’s actually good for them.
Potential to be unleashed
Sustainable, nutritious and (comparatively) novel; agal-based omega-3s are the pick of the litter when it comes to responsible pet nutrition, but the industry has only scratched the surface of their full potential. As algae-derived ingredients become more accessible, producers can help build a future full of flourishing fish stocks and thriving pets.
