Pet food with vegetable ingredients

Quinoa is known as a superfood and provides a wide range of essential nutrients for humans and animals. Quinoa is a highly nutritious seed native to South America, where it has been an important food source for 6,000 years. When heated, the superfood is safe for dogs and is considered a healthy supplement for them, according to Limagrain.

With PetFlour Quinoa, Limagrain Ingredients launches a heat-treated quinoa flour product specifically for dog food. The quinoa undergoes a special process in which it is heat-treated. After this process, the flour can be used in many different pet food applications due to its good flowability, good hydration, good dough workability and better availability of nutritional value, it adds.

Quinoa provides a complete source of protein and contains all nine essential amino acids, according to the company. It also provides fiber, B vitamins and iron, is an alternative to wheat flour and is sustainable because quinoa comes from the Netherlands and Belgium.

Legume-based products have been used in pet foods for many years, but interest is growing. One reason is the rapid growth of grain-free pet food, but the nutritional and functional properties are also of interest in various pet food applications, it adds.

Limagrain Ingredients has therefore developed PetFlour Faba, a heat-treated field bean flour specifically for dog food. In the past, the use of field beans in pet food was limited due to the presence of antinutritional factors (ANFs). However, recent advances in plant breeding would have helped to reduce the presence of ANF, while advances in animal feed processing technology have resulted in the ability to effectively control the presence of certain ANF. Limagrain Ingredients' new field bean meal offers a formulation with higher nutritional value.

Faba beans undergo a special process in which the bean is heat treated. After this process, the flour has a protein content of 28.8%, as well as pregelatinized starch, fiber and a small amount of oils.

Faba beans contain galacto-oligosaccharides, which have a prebiotic effect and improve animal health. The limagrain process improves the availability of galacto-oligosaccharides and reduces antinutritional factors. Field bean meal is also low-glycemic, keeping the animal fuller longer due to slower digestion. Other nutritional benefits include: high levels of B vitamins and iron. In addition, it serves as a source of calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and natural antioxidants.