Dogs are carnivores, right? Don't they have to eat meat to be healthy? Dog food with insects? Many people find the idea very (or even too) original. But science tells us that from a nutritional point of view, insect proteins are perfectly suitable for dogs and cats. As well as for human consumption!
What is protein?
Protein is essential to your pet's good health. Meat is one source of protein, but it's not the only one. At Bazoef, we have chosen to replace meat with insect protein.
The dietary composition of a kibble often includes carbohydrates, fat and fiber, as well as protein. Protein plays a crucial role in building and repairing the body. They are essential for growth and good health.
What makes a good protein?
Not all proteins are of the same quality. There are thousands of different kinds, and not all are of good nutritional quality. For example, hair and bones are made up of protein, but have no place in a balanced diet!
You need to know that proteins are long chains of molecules called amino acids. During digestion, these chains are broken. The amino acids are then put back together by the body, to make the exact proteins the animal needs.
For the protein to be suitable, it is necessary that the right amino acids are present in the protein eaten in the right proportions. If the protein eaten has all the right amino acids, then it is said to be of good nutritional quality.
In short, for a protein to be of good quality, it must have all the right amino acids that the body needs to build and maintain itself.
Each animal species has different needs. So a dog will need different amino acids than a rabbit, a cat or a human.
In lower quality dog and cat food, there are sometimes "leftovers" from slaughterhouses, which are all the things that humans don't want to eat and are made up of proteins of questionable nutritional quality.
But what about insects?
At Bazoef, we use mealworms, which are the larvae of a beetle called Tenebrio Molitor.
In mealworms absolutely everything is used. There are no remains (bones, hairs, skins, …) to throw away and the proteins are of very good quality.
Research has been done to find out if proteins from mealworms contain all the amino acids essential for good dog health in the right proportions. To do this, the scientists compared insect proteins to chicken, fish and soy proteins and finally, they compared this to the needs of dogs and cats. The results ? They show that all the amino acids necessary for the growth of dogs are present, in sufficient quantity, in mealworms. Their proteins are of excellent quality and are perfectly suitable for feeding pets! They are also more digestible than chicken proteins.
Why does Bazoef use insect protein?
At Bazoef, we choose to use insect protein because it is of a excellent nutritional quality and contain everything your dog needs. The most important thing for us is that your dog is healthy and enjoys eating.
But we are also concerned about the planet. The production of mealworms is significantly more environmentally friendly than the production of meat. The agricultural area and the amount of water used to produce the same amount of protein as well as the greenhouse gas emissions are 2.5x less than for chicken and up to 14x less than for beef. More room for nature therefore!
In addition, their production does not generate waste. No inedible skins, bones and cartilages. Just excellent proteins... and compost!
By giving Bazoef to your animal, you are giving it high quality nutritious food and you are also doing something for the planet!
