ISSUE FOCUS 28 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2022 “Pet food digestibility refers to how much food is actually digested, used and absorbed by the animal. Higher digestibility values are desirable because this means that the pet is receiving a greater amount of nutrition from the bag of food, which translates to less poop and better health. Improving pet food digestibility, however, does not need to be a challenge. One solution — Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) — is known for both its health and environmental benefits.” It has been estimated that pet owners spend $300–500 or more every year on food alone for their dogs and cats. That may not seem significant, but add in all the other costs that come with owning a pet and the total spent per year reaches a high number pretty quickly — and that does not even include the many non-bank-account-related costs that can pile up. When it comes to determining the value of the food they feed their furry companions, pet owners rarely consider overall pet food digestibility. WHY IS THAT VALUE IMPORTANT? Well, pet food that is formulated with excess protein and/or poorly digestible micronutrients will not be used by the animal. This means that not only is the pet receiving a lower level of nutrition, but more waste is also being excreted by the animal, which has environmental implications. Improving pet food digestibility, however, does not need to be a challenge. One solution — Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) — is known for both its health and environmental benefits. Let’s dive in to how this additive can help improve your pet food company brand. PROTEIN IS A LARGE PLAYER IN PET FOOD DIGESTIBILITY First things first: Pet food digestibility refers to how much food is actually digested, used and absorbed by the animal. Higher digestibility values are desirable because this means that the pet is receiving a greater amount of nutrition from the bag of food, which translates to less poop and better health. Generally speaking, a digestibility of around 80% for is average pet food; anything below 75% is considered very poor-quality food, and anything above 80% is considered exceptional. To take this full-circle, this means that, on average, 20% of what’s in the pet food bag will be excreted as waste by your dogs and cats. IMPROVING PET FOOD DIGESTIBILITY WITH YUCCA SCHIDIGERA Emily Dickson North American Multi-Species Marketing Coordinator Alltech Inc
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