(PRESS RELEASE) In response to demand for fresh, healthy and sustainable pet food, leading insect ingredients company Protix launches fresh PureeX, an appetizing fresh insect meat. This new variant on frozen PureeX offers pet food manufacturers and their customers all the health benefits of proteins and lipids from insects, while also lowering the ‘pawprint’ of pet food. For this innovative product, processing is simple and rapid, resulting in an authentic and honest ingredient that is minimally processed and maximally nutritious. In two lab studies with PureeX, the company found a stronger antioxidant activity compared to commonly-used pet food ingredients. In the competitive pet market where consumers want to keep their four-legged friends healthier for longer, the higher antioxidant activity of fresh PureeX delivers a potential added benefit.
Thanks to straightforward rapid processing with a minimum amount of steps, fresh PureeX is an ingredient which is low in biogenic amines, a commonly used measure of freshness. It has a low footprint, just like its counterpart frozen PureeX. In a recently published DIL sustainability report, frozen PureeX scored 24x better in terms of global warming than poultry meat (0.439 kg. CO2 equivalent versus 10.33 kg. CO2 equivalent) and similar data are expected for fresh PureeX. Made in the largest insect ingredients facility worldwide, fresh PureeX promises reliable availability and an appealing price-quality ratio. It complements Protix’s broad portfolio of sustainable tasty insect ingredients, consisting of frozen PureeX, ProteinX (insect meal) and LipidX (insect oil).
According to Statista, global consumer spending on pet food is expected to grow annually by 11.11% (CAGR 2023-2027)*, mainly driven by demographic changes such as the increase in the number of single-person households, and pet humanization. Adoring pet parents are prepared to spend on premium products that reflect their own diet. Fresh PureeX taps into the trend for fresh sustainable food among humans, and pet parents’ desire to feed their pets a similar diet.
Antioxidants are on-trend in pet food. They are a part of cat and dog food to help maintain the cellular balance and keeping animals healthier for longer. In stressful situations such as diseases or infections, our furry friends may naturally produce an excess of ‘pro-oxidant’ molecules (for example free radicals). These pro-oxidants can disrupt the normal biological balance and damage the body. Antioxidants can help in suppressing the negative effect of these molecules. Including fresh PureeX in cat and dog feed is likely to boost the antioxidant capacity, and may potentially support longevity and well-being.
Forward-thinking brands are already incorporating fresh PureeX in their wet and dry formulations and reaping the benefits of an ingredient that is good for pets and for the planet. Persuading owners to switch to a new formulation can be challenging, as Yora Managing Director Glenn Ranking knows. “Protix understands the importance of scientifically-backed claims to convince consumers that insects are packed with goodness, and a source of the essential antioxidants and other nutritional components that prolong longevity and quality of life,” he comments. In support, Protix has conducted two studies to assess the antioxidant potential of (frozen) PureeX, the latter together with Yora.
The first study, completed in 2020, concerned a series of lab tests to assess PureeX alone. One of the tests shows that PureeX was able to suppress the negative effect of pro-oxidant molecules by 90%. Conversely, chicken meal and fishmeal could trigger the production of these harmful molecules by 5-15%.
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The second study was concluded in 2022 and evaluated -also in lab tests- the antioxidant potential of PureeX when used in wet and dry pet food formulas. A key outcome of the study is that greater antioxidant activity was seen in insect-based cat food compared to super premium cat foods in the market. One of the highlights in this respect is that insect-based cat food was able to suppress the negative effects of pro-oxidant molecules, more specifically the so-called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), by approximately 80% in comparison to the control test. In contrast, the non-insect-based premium cat food was able to suppress these pro-oxidant species by approximately 70% when compared to the control sample. For dog food, insect-based and non-insect-based premium and super premium brands performed comparably in terms of antioxidant activity, which is an outstanding result.
For manufacturers in the growing (premium) pet food category, fresh PureeX heralds an exciting opportunity to include ingredients with greater antioxidant potential than commonly used ingredients in tasty, easily digestible, and sustainable formulations that can positively impact pet health. Glenn Rankin from Yora says: “As a partner, Protix continually supports us with great innovations. Our shared vision and passion to create a better world inspire excitement among pet parents for healthier and more sustainable pet food. The launch of fresh PureeX is again a big step forward to lower ‘pawprint’ for the industry.”
