Well… “We are what we eat – eats!”
An increasing number of pet owners want to provide their pets with a natural healthy diet free from preservatives, dyes and other additives, and go out of their way to ensure their pets eat well. Pet owners know that one of the best ways to keep a pet healthy is to provide the best food they can afford. This means different things for different people.
While it is just gaining traction in the U.S., edible insects are not a new concept throughout the world. Roughly in 80 percent of the countries, people eat insects.
According to estimates, more than 2 billion people worldwide eat insects every day. For many people it is the only available meat meal rich in protein, sugars and vitamins. Insect meat is rich in amino acids, fats, sugars, and has a high concentration of vitamins B and K. People have been eating insects for thousands of years? So why not your precious pets?
We chose crickets and Mealworms as the base of our products because of their exceptional nutrition profile. They are a good source of protein and healthy fats, and provide micronutrients such as iron, calcium, and B-Vitamins. As a complete protein source they contain all of the essential amino acids.
We also love the sustainability story of crickets and other insects. Crickets and Mealworms are one of the most sustainable sources of protein producing less greenhouse gases and requiring minimal water, feed, and space. Because they are an incredible source of protein: 100 grams of crickets has 21 grams of protein, compared to beef’s 26 grams. Crickets need one-twelfth the feed of beef, and don’t need to be pumped full of antibiotics in order to raise in mass.
With all the nutrition and environmental benefits, insects just make sense. They are a sustainable protein source that is good for you, good for the environment, and good for your pet!
Here at Bonyappetit Pet Treats & More LLC, we will start out with our Cricket line of pet treats for dogs first. Crickets, like other insects, contain fibers, such as chitin, that are different from the dietary fiber found in foods like fruits and vegetables. Fiber serves as a microbial food source and some fiber types promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, also known as probiotics.
Cricket flour from Bonyappetit Pet Treats & More LLC packs a protein punch, and it offers other advantages over common pet food ingredients such as organ meat and various byproducts of poultry and beef processing. It’s also one of a number of low-calorie, low-fat ‘novel’ protein sources that pet food manufacturers are investigating as options for fighting obesity in pets. (http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/5970-novel-proteins-can-fight-pet-obesity) Cricket flour is also an alternative for dogs that suffer from food sensitivities to animal protein, which can cause gastrointestinal and skin problems.
Insects in pet food may have positive implications for human health, too. Crickets and mealworms are far less likely to carry transmissible diseases which have become a major public health concern in the past few decades. Bird flu, swine flu, and mad cow disease are just a few examples of zoonotic diseases transmitted to humans via industrial livestock. Replacing livestock with insects as a major protein source would reduce the risk of transmitting diseases through infected meat (as is the case with mad cow disease) or through human contact with livestock (crickets and other edible insects are unlikely to transmit diseases to humans or other mammals). (http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ken-tudor/2014/january/insects-pet-food-protein-future-31265)
With these super ingredients, your pets will get a balanced and condensed mix of nutrients that normally have to be sourced from all kinds of additives. High-performance for your dog, low-impact for the planet – what more could you wish for? Your pets are ready…are you? It might well turn out that your pets, without really knowing it, can lead us through one of the greatest food revolutions.
