Current Vision of Functional Foods when feeding of Cats and Dogs

Providing pets with a nutritionally balanced diet is the responsibility of the guardians. In this context, numerous innovations related to the development of healthier foods and specific properties called "functional foods" have emerged, fostering a prosperous market.

Cats and dogs present significant differences in the processes related to the digestion of food. Thus, while cats are carnivorous, dogs appear to be omnivorous like humans (1), sharing carnivorous traits such as: lack of salivary amylase, short gastrointestinal tract, and deficit in vitamin D synthesis (2). Some studies show epidemiological relationships between food components and high-incidence current diseases, such as allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, oral health, etc. (3), with obesity being the most commonly observed nutritional problem in companion animals (4).

Cats and dogs have lived with humans for thousands of years (5), leading to a strong mutual emotional bond. In today's society, human beings regard their pets as close beings of emotional, therapeutic, and even psychological support, which has led to their full introduction into homes, intimately sharing the lifestyle with their guardians (6). In general, most of the owners consider them as one more member of the family according to some statistics (63% of them in the United States and more than 71% in Italy) (7 and 8), coexistence with these animals proliferates; for example, in Spain there are 5.8 million cats and 9.3 million dogs in households (9). This trend towards humanization, especially in urban areas, has led to tutors selecting foods made with ingredients for consumption or human grade, erroneously considering them to be more appetizing, digestible and safe (7). However, this categorization is not legislated in any animal feed regulations or regulations.

On the other hand, as is the case with their owners, companion animals are increasingly affected by diseases linked to health problems related to overweight and obesity (10), such as diabetes, cancer, respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal system and skin disorders, which projects a reduction in life expectancy. The reasons and/or practices that cause these health problems in our pets are mainly (11 and 12):

• Excessive caloric intake due to errors or deficits in the follow-up by the owners of the recommended nutritional guidelines.
• An absence or excessive decrease in physical activity routines.
• The transmission of bad eating habits from their owners to pets (13).
• A certain confusion among consumers in the face of a wide and varied range of food.

Therefore, guardians play a fundamental role in the health of their animals, mainly through the selection of food through the commitment and responsibility of maintaining the health and well-being of their pets by providing a nutritionally balanced diet (3 and 5).

Today's consumers have a growing interest in knowing more about the nutritional content of food (quantity and quality), with special detail on those nutrients that may have adverse effects on health such as certain fats, excess sugars, some anti- feeding etc. (14 and 15). There are different studies that have shown some deficiencies in the labeling of its products by the pet food industry, the most common being: inadvisable nutritional profiles, breaches of legislation, poor labeling of ingredients/contents (16). The correct labeling will contribute decisively when selecting a food product for pets.

Likewise, guardians look for ways to improve the health, quality of life, longevity and well-being of their companion animals, looking for food that is most similar to human food because they tend to anthropomorphize their pets (6).

This context is inducing the appearance of numerous innovations in the development of healthier foods, among which the so-called "functional foods" stand out, with a prosperous future market. Functional foods are those that, in addition to providing essential nutrients (water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals), provide health benefits when consumed regularly as part of a diet (17). In the function of foods with beneficial properties, the presence of functional ingredients (bioactive compounds, also called nutraceuticals) is key, and their development is possible through strategies that allow the addition of these functional ingredients, increasing their content or limiting others that could have a negative or deleterious effect. However, this new type of product, more nutritionally and functionally specialized, requires consumer awareness, making the pet food sector responsible for transmitting the necessary knowledge so that the qualities of functional foods are understood and known.

This type of food constitutes a new category of products within pet food. In recent years, there has been a great interest in functional foods in the pet sector (18), even knowing that consumers are not aware or aware of their existence, the transmission-understanding of the labeling of these products being essential. products for cats and dogs by consumers. The consumption of these functional foods would complement the supply of conventional products, provided that the production processes are capable of offering competitive prices to be purchased regularly.

Recently, a study has confirmed that many (most) veterinarians agree with the use of functional foods when they perceive these products to be safe and effective, suggesting that rigorous scientific rigor be applied in their marketing (18).

In conclusion, companies in the pet food sector are considerably increasing the incorporation of functional foods in the diets of cats and dogs, despite the limited scientific evidence that supports their effect on these animals, so it is necessary to encourage research to determine its justification, safety and efficacy.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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2. NRC. National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. 2nd ed. National Academies Press; Washington, DC, USA.

3. Wernimont, S.M., Radosevich, J., Jackson, M.I., Ephraim, E., Badri, D.V., MacLeay, J.M. et al. (2020). The Effects of Nutrition on the Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Cats and Dogs: Impact on Health and Disease. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 1266.

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5. Grześkowiak, Ł., Endo, A., Beasley, S., & Salminen, S. (2015). Microbiota and probiotics in canine and feline welfare. Anaerobe, 34: 14–23.

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7. AVMA. American Veterinary Medical Association (2012). US Pet ownership & demographics sourcebook. AVMA: Schaumburg, IL.

8. Russo, N., Vergnano, D., Bergero, D., & Prola, L. (2017). Small pilot survey on parents' perception of the relationship between children and pets. Veterinary Science, 4: 52.

9. ANFAAC. (2021). Census study. National association of pet food manufacturers (ANFAAC).

10. Theysgeur S, Cudennec B, Deracinois B, Perrin C, Guiller I, Lepoudère A, et al. (2020). New bioactive peptides identified from a Tilapia byproduct hydrolysate exerting effects on DPP-IV activity and intestinal hormones regulation after canine gastrointestinal simulated digestion. Molecules, 26: 136.

11. Chandler, M., Cunningham, S., Lund, E. M., Khanna, C., Naramore, R., Patel, A., & Day, M. J. (2017). Obesity and Associated Comorbidities in People and Companion Animals: A One Health Perspective. Journal Comparative Pathology, 156: 296–309.

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13. Marshall-Pescini, S., Passalacqua, C., Miletto Petrazzini, M.E., Valsecchi, P., & Prato-Previde, E. (2012). Do dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) make counterproductive choices because they are sensitive to human ostensive cues? PLoS One, 7, e35437.

14. Brugiapaglia, A., Lussiana, C., & Destefanis, G. (2014). Fatty acid profile and cholesterol content of beef at retail of Piemontese, Limousin and Friesian breeds. Meat Science, 86: 568–573.

15. Realini, C. E., Guàrdia, M. D., Díaz, I., García-Regueiro, J. A., & Arnau, J. (2015). Effects of acerola fruit extract on sensory and shelf-life of salted beef patties from grinds differing in fatty acid composition. Meat Science, 99: 18–24.

16. Hill, R.C, Choate C.J., & Scott, K.C. (2009). Comparison of the guaranteed analysis with the measured nutrient composition of commercial pet foods. Journal American Veterinary Medical Association, 234: 347–351.

17. Hasler, C.M. (2000). The Changing Face of Functional Foods, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 19: 499S–506S.

18. Elrod, S.M., & Hofmeister, E.H. (2019). Veterinarians' attitudes towards use of nutraceuticals. Canadian Journal Veterinary Research, 83: 291–297.

AUTHORS

Dr. Domingo Ruiz-Canoa,* - A)

Mr. Ginés Sánchez Carrascob - B)

Professor Marino B. Arnaoc - C)

Postal addresses of the authors

A) R&D Department of ALINATUR PET FOOD, S.L., Lorca, 30817-Murcia, Spain.

B) Production Department of ALINATUR PET FOOD, S.L., Lorca, 30817-Murcia, Spain.

C) Department of Plant Biology (Area of Plant Physiology), Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, 30100-Murcia, Spain.

* Correspondence author:

Domingo Ruiz Cano

e-mail: [email protected]