ISSUE FOCUS 28 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2024 close to the European legal limit of 0.568 mg selenium per kg dry matter (DM). In young animals, the selenium recommendation is relatively high and close to the EU legal limit. These levels are higher as the FEDIAF incorporates an additional safety margin due to the potentially low availability of selenium in pet food. The pet food production process can have a significant effect on the bioavailability of selenium in pet food5, which likely explains why an explicit distinction is made in the minimum requirements for selenium in both dry and wet diets for adult pets. In canned diets, the sterilization process can strongly decrease the digestibility of selenium6,7. SELENIUM IN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DIETS The limited available information on selenium levels in vegetarian pet diets compared to traditional meat-based diets sparked our curiosity about the application of selenium in commercially available pet foods. In a small practical trial, 12 dry kibble diets for adult dogs, from 6 different brands, were bought in (online) pet stores. A brand was selected when it had both a vegetarian and lamb-based diet in the assortment. In order to keep the origin of the meat the same, lamb-based diets were chosen, as both vegetarian and lambbased diets are often promoted for dogs sensitive to specific nutrients. On the pet food labels, the amount and source of supplemented selenium was declared. Total selenium analysis was performed by the University of Ghent, Belgium. Based on these results and the label information, an estimation of the selenium content from the raw materials was made. The total amount of selenium in lamb-based diets was numerically higher compared to the vegetarian Activity level / age Stage Min. recommendation (mg Se/kg DM) EU legal limit (mg Se/kg DM)* Growth & reproduction Adult cats (MER of 100 kcal/kg0.67) Adult cats (MER of 75 kcal/kg0.67) Active cats / senior Neutered / indoor cats 0.568 0.300 0.210 (dry diet) 0.280 (dry diet) 0.260 (wet diet) 0.350 (wet diet) *In the EU, for organic selenium a maximum supplementation level of 0.2273 ppm mg/kg DM (=0.2 mg/kg complete feed with 12% moisture) applies Activity level / age Stage Min. recommendation (mg Se/kg DM) EU legal limit (mg Se/kg DM)* Moderate activity Low activity / senior Early growth (< 14 weeks) Late growth (≥ 14 weeks) Adult dogs (MER of 110 kcal/kg0.75) Adult dogs (MER of 95 kcal/kg0.75) 0.400 0.400 0.568 0.180 (dry diet) 0.200 (dry diet) 0.230 (wet diet) 0.270 (wet diet) Figure 2. Selenium recommendations in pet food (FEDIAF, 2024)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==