Buff P R, Carter R A, Bauer J E, Kersey J H
The Nutro Company, Franklin, TN 37067
The Nutro Company, Franklin, TN 37067.
J Anim Sci. 2014 Sep;92(9):3781-91. doi: 10.2527/jas.2014-7789. Epub 2014 Jul 8.
The purpose of this review is to clarify the definition of "natural" as it pertains to commercial pet food and to summarize the scientific findings related to natural ingredients in pet foods and natural diets on the impact of pet health and physiology. The term "natural," when used to market commercial pet foods or pet food ingredients in the United States, has been defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials and requires, at minimum, that the pet food be preserved with natural preservatives. However, pet owners may consider natural as something different than the regulatory definition. The natural pet food trend has focused on the inclusion of whole ingredients, including meats, fruits, and vegetables; avoiding ingredients perceived as heavily processed, including refined grains, fiber sources, and byproducts; and feeding according to ancestral or instinctual nutritional philosophies. Current scientific evidence supporting nutritional benefits of natural pet food products is limited to evaluations of dietary macronutrient profiles, fractionation of ingredients, and the processing of ingredients and final product. Domestic cats select a macronutrient profile (52% of ME from protein) similar to the diet of wild cats. Dogs have evolved much differently in their ability to metabolize carbohydrates and select a diet lower in protein (30% of ME from protein) than the diet of wild wolves. The inclusion of whole food ingredients in natural pet foods as opposed to fractionated ingredients may result in higher nutrient concentrations, including phytonutrients. Additionally, the processing of commercial pet food can impact digestibility, nutrient bioavailability, and safety, which are particularly important considerations with new product formats in the natural pet food category. Future opportunities exist to better understand the effect of natural diets on health and nutrition outcomes and to better integrate sustainable practices in the production of natural pet foods.
本综述的目的是阐明与商业宠物食品相关的“天然”的定义，并总结与宠物食品中的天然成分和天然饮食对宠物健康和生理影响相关的科学发现。在美国，当“天然”一词用于营销商业宠物食品或宠物食品成分时，美国饲料管理官员协会已对其进行了定义，该定义至少要求宠物食品使用天然防腐剂进行保存。然而，宠物主人可能会认为天然的含义与监管定义有所不同。天然宠物食品的趋势集中在包含完整成分，包括肉类、水果和蔬菜；避免使用被认为是经过大量加工的成分，如精制谷物、纤维来源和副产品；以及按照祖传或本能的营养理念进行喂养。目前支持天然宠物食品产品营养益处的科学证据仅限于对膳食宏量营养素概况、成分分级以及成分和最终产品加工的评估。家猫选择的宏量营养素概况（来自蛋白质的代谢能占52%）与野猫的饮食相似。狗在碳水化合物代谢能力方面的进化差异很大，它们选择的蛋白质含量较低（来自蛋白质的代谢能占30%）的饮食，与野狼的饮食不同。与分级成分相比，天然宠物食品中包含完整食物成分可能会导致更高的营养浓度，包括植物营养素。此外，商业宠物食品的加工会影响消化率、营养素生物利用率和安全性，对于天然宠物食品类别中的新产品形式来说，这些是特别重要的考虑因素。未来有机会更好地了解天然饮食对健康和营养结果的影响，并在天然宠物食品生产中更好地整合可持续做法。
