INSECTS, A SAFE SOURCE OF PROTEIN FOR OUR ANIMALS?
“Have you ever seen a dog chase a cow? No, what about an insect ?” It may seem a little surprising at first, but insects are a source of quality and safe nutrition and protein for our pets.
From a nutritional point of view, insects are an ideal food source for them. After all, let's not forget that insect protein is animal protein, so it naturally fits into the diet of our four-legged friends.
In addition, insects are a safe, traceable and high-quality protein source with no risks to their health. Therefore, our kibble is completely adapted to your pets, with a few details below for those who want to know everything about this innovative diet!
QUALITY INSECTS: TRACEABLE, WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS OR GROWTH HORMONES (hurray!)
Our kibble is made from Hermetia Illucens larvae, also known as black soldier flies. Find out how the insects are farmed here . These larvae are then processed into flour, which makes up our kibble.
Our main farms are located in France and Holland. They all comply with Regulation No. 178/2002, also known as the "Food Law," which ensures that no food product can be placed on the market if it is considered unsafe.
All our suppliers are also subject to regulations No. 183/2005 and No. 1069/2009, which ensuring proper hygiene for animal food and compliance with health rules applicable to animal by-products, including traceability throughout the entire process.
Thus, they all have a registration or approval number which proves that they comply with the regulations in force with regard to health safety. In order to obtain this number, the farms are inspected by the Departmental Directorate for Population Protection (DDPP), and once approved or registered they are subject to regular visits which helps maintain a guarantee of quality and safety.
In addition, our farmers are able to provide us with certificates that show the total absence of medicinal substances, growth hormones and antibiotics.
The larvae are fed a balanced mix from local sources which utilises agricultural by-products. Our insects consume seasonal vegetable co-products from nearby farms. Tomatoes and cucumbers in summer, cabbages and carrots in winter: only good things! Finally, our suppliers guarantee that there are no traces of undesirable substances or pesticides in the insect flour.
So no need to be afraid, insects are good !
Once the flour is produced, it is sent to our factories to produce our kibble. Here again, the flour remains traceable throughout its transport to the factory. Flour compliance checks are carried out upon receipt, to once again guarantee optimal quality and safety! Then, throughout the process, the HACCP method is implemented by our factory. This method allows us to identify potential risks that may appear at all stages of the process, and which may have a negative impact on health and/or the product. Effective actions must then be put in place to minimise these risks. Traceability is also recorded throughout the process. A real effort to arrive at a quality product for our four-legged companions!
We also carry out regular visits to our factories: transparency is the key word!
If you would like to know more about how kibble is made, please click here .
Why not feed my pet insect protein instead of poultry protein in terms of nutrition?
In addition to being safe for your pet's health , insect protein also has very interesting nutritional characteristics .
The quality of a protein is measured by its amino acid content. These are essential for the functioning of the body. In their study Protein quality of insects as potential ingredients for dog and cat foods , authors Bosh, Zhang, Oonincks and Hendriks showed that black soldier fly larvae have a crude protein content of 56% and have a better amino acid content than chicken. The amino acid content of insect protein reaches 63% for dogs and 79% for cats, compared to the amino acids of chicken protein which are 45% for dogs and 56% for cats. Black soldier fly protein is therefore richer in amino acids than chicken protein proving the high nutritional quality of this insect protein.
Additionally, according to an article published in All About Feed in 2023, the black soldier fly contains lauric acid , which represents 50-60% of total lipids and is interesting from a nutritional point of view. This lauric acid has beneficial effects on dogs' brains, especially in older dogs or those with epileptic seizures. Lauric acid also has strong antimicrobial properties, again helping to ensure the health of our animals .
Insects and health : it's one and the same! To learn more about our kibble, go here .