PETS International
Cat food & snacks
March 2009
Fish Ingredients in
Cat Nutrition Products
By: Dr. George Collings
Many people believe a good cat food must
use fish ingredients as a supply of nutrients
and flavour. Simply, cats love fish, do they
not? Fish is good for them, is it not? After all,
we find products named ‘Seafood Medley’,
‘Grilled Tuna’, ‘Gumbo’ and ‘Oceanfish’. We
read about fish like tuna, salmon, catfish,
whitefish, and others being highlighted in
product literature and branding. Much has
been written on the importance of fish in the
diet for humans and in the last decade, the
addition of the key fatty acid DHA from fish
for puppy cognitive ability and for adult
reproduction. But what about fish for cats?
How important is fish in providing good
nutrition for cats?
Current Market
It has been estimated that 2.48 million
metric tonnes of fish are used in the cat food
industry worldwide or approximately 13.5%
of the worldwide catch. An Australian
researcher (Dr. Turchini, for more information
about this research see page 32 of this
magazine) estimated that each cat in
Australia eats 13.7 kg of fish annually while
the average Australian eats 11 kg annually.
Over the last two decades, multiple key
nutritional discoveries have shown the
cat foods use fish meals, fish oils and fish
palatability and to understand how they
health benefits of fish derived omega 3 fatty
digests. Canned or pouch cat foods will use
vary in nutritional quality.
acids in many animals and humans. Fish has
frozen, ground, whole fish.
been used at some level in cat foods since
Fish oils are harvested from processing of
the beginning of extruded and canned diets
Fish meals are dried powders from fish like
fish and have become normative for the
mostly for the protein quality, taste, energy
tuna, anchovy, menhaden, whitefish, salmon,
human food and supplement industries.
and marketing appeal. Today, the additional
catfish and trout. These meals vary in quality
These fish oils are available in various grades
omega 3 fatty acids from salt water fish
and nutrient content from supplier to
for the pet food industry with the key
sources to companion animal and human
supplier as different harvesting, processing
difference being the quality and stability. A
diets have helped benefit overall health.
and drying methods are used.
crude fish oil with many impurities can easily
develop rancidity which can affect the
Types of Fish
Processing can change a good smelling fish
nutritional quality of other nutrients.
Fish ingredients are harvested and
source into an odour that is not appealing to
Fish digests are enzyme digested fish
processed from multiple species under
the cat. It is very important to carefully test
sources that are beneficial for flavour
multiple conditions. Typically, dry extruded
fish meal supplies to determine the effect on
improvement. These are generally sprayed
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www.petsinfo.net
March 2009
Cat food & snacks
PETS International
Dr. George Collings
[email protected]
www.cnutritionsolutions.com
on the outside of a dry extruded product.
Whole fish sources are also used in canned,
pouch or dry products. These fish sources
are frozen at the harvest and ground finely
before adding to the final cat food product.
Other sources of fish include fish broths, fish
protein concentrate, fish hydrolysates and
specific components from fish (e.g. DHA
fatty acid).
All of these fish ingredients provide
nutrients, texture, odour and flavour to the
product. Stability is the biggest challenge
with using any fish ingredient and must be
controlled with proper antioxidants, careful
processing and controlled packaging.
Stability
Photo: Hagit, Tel Aviv, Israel
Many customers have opened up dry cat
food packages to find a very objectionable
reduce the strong fishy smell which is
offered in a wrong shape with sharp edges
fishy odour or a strong plastic rancid odour.
objectionable to many consumers. The
can reduce the palatability and consumption
Some fishy odours are hard to mask in the
better the quality of ingredient – the better
of the food by the cat. Cats are extremely
final product. Some companies mistakenly
the product will be for the cat. Rancid
influenced by mouth-feel of the finished
sprayed unstable crude fish oil on the
products promote many potential nutrition
food along with smell and taste.
surface of their extruded cat foods only to
and health problems.
As I watch my own cats run to the kitchen
find they had very rancid products in a few
short months. Some have not checked the
Nutrition
when I open up a pouch of tuna or broil a
rancid process of the fish meal used.
Fish ingredients vary in nutritional content
salmon filet, it is clear that cats recognise the
as well. Their use in feline nutrition offers
odour of fish and are attracted to it. Cat
The key to ensuring good quality products
many benefits to the product quality:
products made with high quality fish
made with fish is to purchase from high
• high quality balanced proteins;
ingredients and the extra care needed in
quality sources and to use highly stabilised
• higher level of energy from fats;
processing offer many benefits to the overall
products. Fish supplies should be used
• specific omega 3 fatty acids for overall
well-being of cats. Consumption of fish by
quickly and tested frequently to ensure
health;
product quality. It is best that stabilisation
• improved palatability, and
begin at the source and not just at the pet
• Calcium and phosphorus for bones and
food plant. Stabilisation with good natural
cats around the world is normal and part of a
healthy life.
teeth.
antioxidants at sufficient concentrations will
help reduce the rancidity process from the
Many dry cat foods offer the finished
beginning. However, fish fatty acids are very
products in multiple fish shapes (which are
difficult to stabilise. Good fish oil suppliers
not important to the cat), but certainly
offer new alternatives that are micro-
attract the consumer. These fish shapes vary
encapsulated ensuring processing stability,
greatly from brand to brand and are
reduced odour and better shelf life. Some
sometimes overlooked in the product
fish products are deodorised as well to
development process. Good nutrition
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