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Would you feed your best friend insects to save the world? What if it was also good for your best friend… who happens to have four legs?
Meet Feed For Thought: premium, small batch, vet-formulated complete and balanced dog food made from whole insect protein.
There is an increasing trend in the ‘humanisation’ of pet food, driving demand for high-grade meat and raw meat in competition with the human food chain. And why not? No one wants to feed their dog fatty meat full of growth hormones and antibiotics.
Enter Feed For Thought, an Australian start-up premium dog food with a subscription service (RRP: $106 per 5kg bag on subscription) that represents progress towards ‘future fit’ food.
For those who have embraced the keep cup, the reusable shopping bags and support innovative Australian businesses like Zero Co and Who Gives A Crap, insect protein in pet food could be your next ‘planet friendly’ purchase. It offers the chance to nourish your dog without consuming the earth.
Canberra-based Feed For Thought’s founder, Alison Gordon, was inspired to create Feed For Thought after spending eight Australian summers in the depths of Antarctica and the Arctic while working as an Expedition Leader. Witnessing first-hand what climate change means, year after year, Alison saw the enormous anthropogenic impacts on the global eco-system.
For those who have embraced the keep cup, the reusable shopping bags and support innovative Australian businesses like Zero Co and Who Gives A Crap, insect protein in pet food could be your next ‘planet friendly’ purchase. It offers the chance to nourish your dog without consuming the earth.
Canberra-based Feed For Thought’s founder, Alison Gordon, was inspired to create Feed For Thought after spending eight Australian summers in the depths of Antarctica and the Arctic while working as an Expedition Leader. Witnessing first-hand what climate change means, year after year, Alison saw the enormous anthropogenic impacts on the global eco-system.
Founder Alison Gordon with Malinois Max |
Alison spent two and a half years learning about the Black Soldier Fly and the nutritional value they could offer based on the environment in which they live and what they ate.
Now, Feed For Thought uses Black Soldier Fly Larvae farmed at Future Green Solutions in Western Australia.
Now, Feed For Thought uses Black Soldier Fly Larvae farmed at Future Green Solutions in Western Australia.
Here, founder Luke and his team feed the larvae barley spent grains (a by-product of the brewing process) and carrots.
The protein comes from the larvae, which is the life-cycle stage before the fly reaches adult form. The larvae grow quickly, so don’t need growth hormones.
Their composition includes lauric acid and essential fatty acids which show natural antimicrobial benefits, so they don’t need antibiotics to stave off disease.
Photo credit: Future Green Solutions Australia |
The larvae thrive in high densities, so are not cruelly cooped in close quarters and we use the whole grub, which gives the benefit of a whole protein.
The well-balanced amino acid profiles of the larvae are shown to be comparable to meat and fishmeal. The exoskeleton of the grub contains chitin, showing pre-biotic benefits, and the novel protein structure all enhance the interest for use of insects in diets that are intended for pets diagnosed with food allergies or intolerances.
Founder Alison says that Feed For Thought’s palatability and digestibility trials have yielded outstanding results.
Feed For Thought’s insect-based formula is manufactured in Western Australia using Australian ingredients such as Sorghum - a native, ancient and drought-resistant wholegrain.
Feed For Thought’s insect-based formula is manufactured in Western Australia using Australian ingredients such as Sorghum - a native, ancient and drought-resistant wholegrain.
Alison works alongside a vet and a vet nutritionist, while undertaking rigorous tests to ensure the formula meets food safety and nutritional standards.
Feed For Thought’s typical nutrient profile:
- Crude Protein (min.): 30%
- Crude Fat (min.): 10%
- Crude Fibre (max.): 5%
- Moisture (max.): 8%
- Calcium (min.): 1%
- Phosphorus (min.): 0.8%
- Salt: <0.1%
- Metabolizable Energy: 3900 Kcal/kg
Tackling Climate Change together
There are many reasons why insect protein is a sensible choice when it comes to sustainable pet food. Compared to beef, insect-based food uses less land and water per kilogram.
Specifically, the Black Soldier Fly Larvae take up 80% less land than beef (per kilo of protein) and are also fed on 100% surplus food, reducing food waste.
Farming the insects doesn’t require fertilisers or pesticides, which means lower green house gas emissions. Our pets consume between 12-20% of all meat globally, accounting for a decent proportion of the demand for traditionally farmed meat.
Insect-based dog food has been around for the last few years in Europe, but it hasn’t taken hold as a whole food in Australia.
So far, it’s still more of a novel idea but the positive effects on dog health and the environment prompted Alison to take on the big dog food companies and make this option available to Australians.
Alison has taken the sustainability one step further and measured the carbon emissions of each 5kg bag, then offset those emissions to deliver Australia’s first carbon offset dog food (of course in recyclable packaging).
Substituting part or all of your dog’s diet with insect protein is a good way to transition and do an extra bit for the environment and your best friend.
Price & Where to Buy:
Feed For Thought has an all breed 5kg bag of kibble for dogs aged 1 year and over.
Substituting part or all of your dog’s diet with insect protein is a good way to transition and do an extra bit for the environment and your best friend.
Price & Where to Buy:
Feed For Thought has an all breed 5kg bag of kibble for dogs aged 1 year and over.
RRP: $125 (single purchase) or $106 (on subscription) online at www.feedforthought.com.au
Feed For Thought can be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/feedforthoughtau
and Instagram @feedforthoughtau
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