MicroHarvest, a biotechnology company dedicated to sustainable protein production, has announced the launch of VEGDOG Pure Bites, a “first-of-its-kind” dog treat made with their microbial protein.
The dog treat, result of a partnership with pet food producer VEGDOG, is MicroHarvest first commercial product and will be available May 6th at the 2024 Petfood Forum Europe, in Nuremberg, Germany.
A welcome product by dogs and owners
The VEGDOG Pure Bites is a combination of microbial protein from MicroHarvest and potato and apple pomace. According to MicroHarvest, palatability tests results of the product showed that “dogs showed a 10% higher acceptance rate of microbial protein threats compared to those made exclusively with poultry”. Furthermore, the company adds, the treat showed “great digestibility and nutritional profile” and it possesses hypoallergenic properties, making it accessible for dogs with severe intolerance and allergies.
According to VEGDOG’s founder and CEO, Tessa Zaune-Figlar, their goal at VEGDOG “is to show dog owners that they do not have to rely on meat-based products to feed their pets.” She adds that “with this modern approach and our high-quality, healthy and tasty products, we have been able to pioneer a new market. By collaborating with our partner MicroHarvest, we are opening a new chapter and bringing to market a promising snack that demonstrates our ability to innovate.”
In an acceptance study conducted by MicroHarvest in partnership with Wageningen University among 1,162 UK and German dog owners, about 77% of the respondents indicated willingness to purchase dog treats containing microbial protein, and 78% indicated the same for complete dog food containing microbial protein.
Scalable and sustainable protein
“Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for pet food shoppers,” said MicroHarvest co-founder Katelijne Bekers. “Still, there are other purchase drivers to consider, like palatability, digestibility, as well as specific nutritional benefits, like low-fat content. These are all benefits that our protein over-delivers on. With increasing pressure on the supply chain of animal-derived protein ingredients, our solution is a great way to differentiate the protein source choice for pet food manufacturers, being both highly reliable and scalable.”
According to MicroHarvest, their ingredients footprint, which amounts to 1.4kg of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of product, is comparable to insects and emits two to three times less CO2 compared to plant-based solutions.
“We are constantly searching for innovative protein sources that benefit our dogs as well as our planet”, said Dr. Carla Steffen, head of R&D at VEGDOG. “It is of high importance to us to formulate our products based on scientific evidence. As the microbial protein of MicroHarvest is proven to be highly digestible, palatable, and sustainable, it ticks all of these boxes.”
Apart from pet food, MicroHarvest is also developing other applications for their microbial protein such as livestock and aquaculture feed, with the possibility of, eventually, food application for human consumption.
P-BIO
April 26, 2024
