Which Kind of Dog Food Is Best?

Natural food and commercial food are the production standards for pet food. Grain-free food is comprehensive nutrition, anti-allergenic, and easily digestible formula food. Freeze-dried food and plain food are the processing technology of pet food. The following raw dog food supplier to discuss in detail the differences between these five kinds of food:

Natural grain

The so-called natural food refers to dog food that does not contain dead animals, animal by-products and other raw materials, and can not use attractants or preservatives that are harmful to dogs. Natural food is preserved by its own vitamins and does not rely on preservatives and other insurance chemicals Keep it, the elements inside are good for the dog. After long-term use, the dog's hair and stool will be healthier and more beautiful.

There are currently two sets of international standards for natural grains, which were developed by the American Feed Management Association (AAFCO) and the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF). However, due to the relevant laws and regulations still in progress in China, there is no clear certification standard for the concept of pet "natural food".

The standards formulated by AAFCO: First, the so-called "natural food" refers to the whole pet food. Among them, additives can be used, but these additives must be natural, not chemically synthesized; second, except for vitamins, minerals, and other processing aids, if the remaining constituent raw materials are all-natural, it can be marked that the product is natural Yes, but synthetic non-natural vitamins, minerals, or processing aids must clearly inform consumers that the font used cannot be smaller than the "natural" label.

On the other hand, AAFCO also made strict regulations on how to use the "natural food" label. If non-natural raw materials are added to pet food, it must be marked as "natural food, additional vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements". As long as the "natural food" appears on the package, the instructions for additional additives must appear in the same place. The font and size of the description must be consistent with the words "Natural Food", and the text size must be at least half of the words "Natural Food".

Standards formulated by FEDIAF: European standards on "natural food" raw materials are basically consistent with American standards, and FEDIAF has set stricter standards for the manufacturing process of pet food. In the process of processing pet food raw materials, physical means must be used in the steps of freezing, concentration, extraction, drying, sterilization, and smoking. The steps of microbial treatment, enzymatic, hydrolysis and fermentation are also considered to meet the "natural grain" standard. The FEDIAF standard also specifies that genetically modified raw materials do not meet the definition of "natural food". In other words, no genetically modified products can be used, either in raw materials or during processing. Consistent with US standards, if pet foods are added with vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements of unnatural origin, they must also be noted on the packaging. FEDIAF has made stricter regulations on the use of the "natural food" label: when using it, each natural raw material must be marked separately.

Due to the strict standards of natural food, only a handful of large-scale manufacturers worldwide can meet the requirements. In some mature pet food markets in the world, the share of "natural food" is also very small.

Commodity grain

The main ingredients of dog food raw materials are 4D ingredients and their by-products. 4D ingredients are the abbreviations of the following four states of raw materials: Dead is Dead, Diseased, Dying dying, and Disabled disabled. By-products are the internal organs of these dead animals, Fur, blood, etc. The raw materials of commercial grain are not attractive to dogs, but merchants add attractants to the grain-based on this feature to improve palatability.

Foreign authoritative research reports show that dogs fed 4D and animal by-products to make dog food for a long period of time are in good health and normal development, but in the later stages of growth, they are aging compared to dogs fed purely natural dog food The speed is more than 20% higher, the life span is also shortened by 27%, and the incidence rate is also greatly improved. The main manifestations are immune system disorders, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, bladder cancer, and many degenerative diseases. These are The difference between dogs feeding with natural food and commercial food.

Grain-free

Grain-free is a new concept that has emerged in the past two years. The better dog foods on the market are all grain-free. The so-called grain-free grains refer to cereals such as corn, wheat and grain husks, but not starches and carbohydrates. Dog foods made from low-carb raw materials such as vegetables and fruits generally highlight low-carb, easy-to-digest, emphasize hypoallergenic, easy to absorb, and free of all incompatibility caused by grains and grain husks.

Pets are allergic just like humans, but only a small number of people are allergic, but because cats, dogs, and dogs do not speak, it can be said that it is more prudent and safe to choose grain-free.

From the perspective of the manufacturer, the grain-free dog food uses potatoes (ie potatoes) instead of cereals, which not only avoids allergic reactions caused by the intake of cereals in some dogs but also plays a role in pellet formation and cost reduction. Therefore, more and more brands are now switching to grain-free.

Freeze dried food

The freeze-drying technology began in the early 20th century, when the purpose of research and development was to allow astronauts to eat fresh and nutritious food even in space. So cut the ingredients into the required shape and size, and put them into the quick freezing warehouse at minus tens of degrees to freeze the ingredients. Quick freezing can reduce the water crystals in the meat. After a few hours, it was pushed into the freezer and lyophilized for tens of hours. Then use a vacuum to sublime the ice. During this process, the ingredients will maintain their original size and shape and have good stability. But it is undeniable that from machines, labor to food ingredients, the production cost of this process is indeed very high.

Freeze dried dog treats compared with traditional puffed dog food, the fat, vitamins, and protein in the ingredients will not be lost due to high temperature and the palatability is better, and the raw material nutrition is also preserved more perfectly. And freeze-drying is almost free of water, light in quality, crisp in taste, and original flavor, easy to store.

However, freeze-dried food is not as chewy as ordinary natural food. We should pay attention to preventing pet calculus and other things. In addition, we have to decide whether to feed freeze-dried food or natural food according to our own economic conditions. Natural food has a history of many years, the process is very mature in all aspects, nutrition can fully meet the daily needs of pets!

Plain food

At present, the latest emerging raw food is actually a processing technology, which uses pure natural food. Through the original processing technology, the taste of the food itself is preserved, and the nutrition of the food itself is retained to the maximum extent.

To put it simply, plain food should be a combination of the advantages of natural food and grain-free food. In addition, some special adjustments have been made for pet food according to the physiological characteristics of dogs. Because dogs evolved from wolves, they still maintain the characteristics of carnivorous, but the dog's sense of taste is not developed, and the sense of smell is very developed. The original grain is directly added with freeze-dried meat floss to improve the palatability, and the price of freeze-dried is more expensive, so only a few brands currently adopt this method.

The idea of simple foods is consistent with the genetic nature of cats and dogs. In fact, cats and dogs have been eating food (taste of the ingredients themselves) for thousands of years, which is why dogs always come back with a bone in their mouth.

The above four types of dog snacks have their own characteristics. If you are smart, you should polish your eyes and choose carefully for the pets at home, because it is related to its lifetime health.