Cat Food Ingredients?
Ever wonder what this stuff is on the label of your cat or dog food?
Guar Gum
Wheat Gluten
Tricalcium Phosphate
Dicalcium Phosphate
Titanium Dioxide
Zinc Oxide
Sodium Selenite
Crude Protein & Protein Requirements
Here is a little information to help you make heads or tails out of a few items that may show up on your label.
Guar Gum
Also called guaran, is a natural gum; an edible thickening agent extracted from the leguminous guar bean
(Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) shrub. It has very similar properties to locust bean gum, which is extracted from
the seeds of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). It is typically produced as a free flowing, pale off-white colored,
coarse to fine ground powder. It is nearly odorless.
The largest market for guar gum (EU food additive code E412) is in the food industry, where guar gum is used
as a thickener and binder of free water in sauces, salad dressings, ice creams, instant noodles, pet foods,
processed meats, bread improvers and beverages to name some.
Uses
Bakery - increases dough yield, gives greater resiliency, and improves texture and shelf life; in pastry fillings, it
prevents "weeping" (syneresis) of the water in the filling, keeping the pastry crust crisp.
Dairy - thickens milk, yogurt, kefir, and liquid cheese products; helps maintain homogeneity and texture of ice
creams and sherbets
Meat - functions as lubricant and binder.
Dressing and sauces - improves the stability and appearance of salad dressings, barbecue sauces,
relishes, ketchups and others
Misc. - Dry soups, sweet desserts, canned fish in sauce, frozen food items and animal feed.
Guar gum is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) with differing percentages set for its allowable
concentration in various food applications.[15]
Nutritional and medicinal effects
Guar gum is a soluble fiber. Until 2006 the dietary fiber supplement Benefiber® consisted of 100% partially
hydrolyzed guar gum. (Starting in 2006 Novartis changed Benefiber powder ingredients to consist of 100%
wheat dextrin.)
Guar Gum is a water soluble bulk forming laxative, and as such, it is claimed to be effective in promoting
regular bowel movements and relieve constipation and chronic related functional bowel ailments; such as
diverticulosis, Crohn's disease, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, among others. The increased mass in
the intestines stimulates the movement of waste and toxins from the system, which is particularly helpful for
good colon health, because it speeds the removal of waste and bacteria from the bowel and colon. In
addition, because it is soluble, it is also able to absorb toxic substances (bacteria) that cause infective
diarrhea.
Several studies have found significant decreases in human serum cholesterol levels following guar gum
ingestion. These decreases are thought to be a function of its high soluble fiber content.
Guar gum is of interest with regards to both weight loss and diabetic diets. It is a thermogenic substance.[16]
Moreover, its low digestability lends its use in recipes as a filler, which can help to provide satiety, or slow the
digestion of a meal, thus lowering the glycemic index of that meal. In the late 1980s, guar gum was used and
heavily promoted in several weight loss products. The USFDA eventually recalled these due to reports of
esophageal blockage from insufficient fluid intake. For this reason, guar gum is no longer approved for use in
over-the-counter weight loss aids in the United States. Moreover, a meta-analysis that combined the results of
11 randomized controlled trials found that guar gum supplements were not effective in reducing body weight.
[17]
Wheat Gluten
Also called seitan (pronounced SAY-tahn), wheat meat, wheat-meat, wheatmeat, gluten meat, or simply
gluten - is a foodstuff made from the gluten of wheat. It is made by washing dough made from wheat flour in
water until the starch is rinsed away, leaving only the gluten, which can then be cooked and processed in
various ways.
Wheat gluten, although not as well known, is an alternative to soy-based meat substitutes such as tofu; some
types may taste even more like meat than tofu due to their chewy and/or stringy texture. It is often used in place
of meat in Asian, vegetarian, Buddhist, and macrobiotic cuisines.
Wheat gluten is most popular in China, where it was first developed, as well as in the cuisines of other East
and Southeast Asian nations. In Asia, it is commonly found on the menus of restaurants catering primarily to
Buddhist customers who do not eat meat, but who nonetheless enjoy eating meatless versions of meat
dishes.
Because it was first popularized in western nations during the second half of the 20th century through its
promotion by proponents of the macrobiotic diet, seitan (the name by which it is known in macrobiotic circles)
is also the name by which wheat gluten is best known in most English-speaking nations. In the West,
prepared wheat gluten is generally available only in Asian markets and health food stores (although gluten
flour is commonly available in supermarkets).
Tricalcium Phosphate
is a compound with formula Ca3(PO4)2. It is also known as calcium orthophosphate, tertiary calcium
phosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, or "bone ash"
Uses
Calcium phosphate is an important raw material for the production of phosphoric acid and fertilizers. Calcium
phosphate is also a raising agent (food additives) E341. Is a mineral salt found in rocks and bones, it is used
in cheese products.
Dicalcium Phosphate
Also known as calcium monohydrogen phosphate, is a dibasic, calcium phosphate.It is usually found as the
dihydrate, with the chemical formula of CaHPO4 • 2H2O, but it can be thermally converted to the anhydrous
form. It is practically insoluble in water, with a solubility of 0.02 g per 100 ml at 25°C. It contains about 23
percent calcium (dihydrate form), and is mainly used as a dietary supplement in prepared breakfast cereals,
enriched flour, and noodle products, and as a tableting agent.
Titanium Dioxide
Also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO2.
When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891.
As a pigment of high refraction|refringence Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white pigment because
of its brightness and very high refractive index (n=2.4), in which it is surpassed only by a few other materials.
When deposited as a thin film, its refractive index and color make it an excellent reflective optical coating for
dielectric mirrors. TiO2 is also an effective opacifier in powder form, where it is employed as a pigment to
provide whiteness and opacity to products such as paints, coatings, plastics, papers, inks, foods, and most
toothpastes. Used as a white food dye, it has E number E171. In cosmetic and skin care products, titanium
dioxide is used both as a pigment and a thickener. It is also used as a tattoo pigment.
Zinc Oxide
And its derivatives contributing special fungi-static and chemical properties to the processing and packaging
of various animal and vegetable products.
In the packaging of meat, fish, corn and peas, for examples, Zinc Oxide has long been incorporated into the
varnish linings of the metal containers to prevent formation of black Sulfides which discolor the food.
Sodium Selenite
Na2SeO3, is a selenium compound. It is a source of selenium in many food supplements.
Sodium Selenite is listed in the Material Safety Data Sheets from Environmental Health and Safety as a
dangerous poison in large amounts, similar to arsenic, because the Carrageenans or carrageenins are a
family of linear sulphated polysaccharides extracted from red seaweeds. The name is derived from a type of
seaweed that is abundant along the Irish coastline near the village of Carragheen. Gelatinous extracts of
carrageen seaweed (also known as Irish moss) have been used as food additives for hundreds of years [1].
Research has raised concerns about the health implications of carrageenan consumption.ent Selenium is
poisonous in large amounts. It attacks sulfhydryl enzymes in people and animals.
Although selenium is poisonous, it should be noted that selenium is essential in small amounts. Humans
and animals require selenium for the function of a number of selenium-dependent enzymes, also known as
selenoproteins[1]. For this reason, Sodium Selenite can be found as a listed ingredient in various foods such
as dog biscuits.
Health concerns:
There is evidence from studies performed on rats, guinea pigs and monkeys which indicates that degraded
carrageenan (poligeenan) may cause ulcerations in the gastro-intestinal tract and gastro-intestinal cancer [4].
Poligeenan is produced from carrageenan subjected to high temperatures and acidity. The average
carrageenan molecule weighs over 100,000 Da while poligeenans have a molecular weight of less than
50,000 Da. A scientific committee working on behalf of the European Commission has recommended that the
amount of degraded carrageenan be limited to a maximum of 5% (which is the limit of detection) of total
carrageenan mass. Upon testing samples of foods containing high molecular weight carrageens,
researchers found no poligeenan.
Crude Protein
The guaranteed analysis specifies the product's minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat. It also
gives the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. ("Crude" refers to a specific method of
measuring the nutrient, and is not an indication of quality.) Although not required, some manufacturers also
specify the percentages of other nutrients, such as ash and taurine in cat food, and calcium and phosphorus
in dog food.
The amounts of crude protein and most other nutrients appear less for canned products than for dry ones
because of differences in moisture content. Canned foods typically contain about 75 percent water, while dry
foods contain only about 10 percent.
Protein quality
Every protein source contains different levels of amino acids and each protein is different in its ability to be
broken down into amino acids. So not all proteins are created equal. Some are better for pets than others.
The ability of a protein to be used by the body and its amount of usable amino acids is summarized as protein
quality (biological value). Egg has the highest biological value and sets the standard for which other proteins
are judged. Egg has a biological value of 100. Fish meal and milk are close behind with a value of 92. Beef is
around 78 and soybean meal is 67. Meat and bone meal and wheat are around 50 and corn is 45. Things like
hair and feathers would be very high in protein but would be down at the bottom of the list for biological value.
The actual composition of individual proteins as well as the utilization of amino acids is very detailed and
beyond the scope of this article, but in summary, we see that all proteins are not created equal.
Protein requirements
Protein requirements vary from species to species and can vary greatly during the rapid growth stages and for
elderly animals with compromised kidneys. I will explain some of the special circumstances that require
altered levels of protein but as a rule the following levels apply.
Species and Growth Stage Recommended Protein % Recommended Fat %
Kitten 30% 20%
Adult cat 25-30% 15-20%
Ingredient list
All pet foods must list the ingredients present in the food. The ingredients must be listed in order of weight.
This is one of the best ways to determine the quality of the food. With a little knowledge of the ingredients, you
can choose a food that is highly digestible and free of unwanted products. Be careful of one tactic used by
manufacturers to disguise less desirable ingredients. Breaking an ingredient into several different smaller
ingredients and listing them individually is used to lower these undesirable ingredients farther down the
ingredient list. For example, a product list could contain chicken, ground corn, corn gluten, ground wheat, corn
bran, wheat flour, wheat middling, etc. If we were to group all of the corn ingredients as one, they would
probably far out-weigh the amount of chicken, and wheat. As a consumer, you must read all of the ingredients
carefully including the ingredients at the end, to know the type of preservatives and colorings that are used. I
have listed a few of the more common ingredients and their definitions.
Meat: Meat is the clean flesh of slaughtered animals (chicken, cattle, lamb, turkey, etc.). The flesh can include
striated skeletal muscle, tongue, diaphragm, heart, esophagus, overlying fat and the skin, sinew, nerves and
blood vessels normally found with that flesh.
Meat By-products: Meat by-products are clean parts of slaughtered animals, not including meat. These
include lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and stomach and intestines freed of their contents. It
does not include hair, horns, teeth, or hooves.
Poultry By-products: Poultry by-products are clean parts of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, and
internal organs (like heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, abdomen, and intestines). It does not contain feathers.
Fish Meal: Fish meal is the clean ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, with or without
the oil extracted.
Beef Tallow: Beef tallow is fat derived from beef.
Ground Corn: Ground corn is the entire corn kernel ground or chopped.
Corn Gluten Meal: Corn gluten meal is the by-product after the manufacture of corn syrup or starch, and is the
dried residue after the removal of the bran, germ, and starch.
Brewers Rice: Brewers rice is the small fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from larger
kernels of milled rice.
Brown Rice: Brown rice is the unpolished rice left over after the kernels have been removed.
Soybean Meal: Soybean meal is a by-product of the production of soybean oil.
BHA: BHA is butylated hydroxyanisole, a fat preservative.
Ethoxyquin: Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative that is used to prevent spoilage in dog food.
Tocopherols: Tocopherols (e.g., vitamin E) are naturally occurring compounds used as natural preservatives.
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