Animal-free pet food producer VegDog has launched a new dog treat made using microbial protein, described as the first product of its kind on the market.
The manufacturer has teamed up with German biomass fermentation company MicroHarvest to source the protein, which is created by using microbes to convert agricultural byproducts into proteins via fermentation. Organisms typically used in microbial fermentation include yeasts, fungi, algae and bacteria.
The new product, VegDog Pure Bites, combines microbial protein from MicroHarvest with potato and apple pomace. As it is hypoallergenic, it is described as particularly suitable for dogs with severe intolerances and allergies, including those that cannot tolerate conventional protein sources.
In sustainability measures, MicroHarvest’s microbial ingredient footprint of 1.4 kg CO2 equivalent per kg of product makes it equal to insect proteins and significantly better than plant-derived proteins the company says.
VegDog founder and chief executive Tessa Zaune-Figlar said: “Our goal at VegDog is to show dog owners that they do not have to rely on meat-based products to feed their pets.
“With this modern approach and our high-quality, healthy and tasty products, we have been able to pioneer a new market. By collaborating with our partner MicroHarvest, we are opening a new chapter and bringing to market a promising snack that demonstrates our ability to innovate.”
Head of R&D Dr Carla Steffen added: “At VegDog, we are constantly searching for innovative protein sources that benefit our dogs as well as our planet.
“It is of high importance to us to formulate our products based on scientific evidence. As the microbial protein of MicroHarvest is proven to be highly digestible, palatable and sustainable, it ticks all of these boxes.”
The novel treat will be presented to the pet food industry on May 6 at the 2024 Pet Food Forum taking place in Nuremberg, Germany, during the Interzoo exhibition.
