Cracking the secret: eggshell membrane in pet food
Often considered waste, this byproduct can be naturally extracted and is highly functional. Using it in pet products could capitalize on nutritional trends.
Upcycling eggshell membrane – a byproduct of the egg industry – reveals a high-protein nutrient. The main nutritional support for pets relates to inflammation and therefore joint, skin and gut health. With consumers looking for convenience, this ingredient has the potential to tick multiple boxes.
Beneficial potential
Eggshell, with its various components, creates a complex material. The membrane is separated from the eggshell through a patented method and contains more than 400 proteins. As a result, its functionality is due to multiple pathways.
Eggshell membrane provides protein substrate, which can be converted to the building blocks for joints in the bodies of dogs and cats. It also contains compounds involved in the reduction of inflammation, the benefits of which can be seen in joint, skin and gut health.
Supporting joint health
Eggshell membrane contains multiple key proteins for joints including collagen types I, V, X, elastin and keratin. It also includes moderate levels of glucosaminoglycans (GAGs), chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronic acid and glucosamine – ingredients frequently seen in joint supplements for dogs and cats, as well those for humans.
Alongside the building blocks of protein, eggshell membrane also mitigates metabolic pathways with a detrimental effect on joints. This is because the natural composition of eggshell membrane exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic effects through the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-KB) binding activity.
In addition, the eggshell membrane supplementation may increase SOD1 activity and thereby antioxidant properties.
Studies have shown that dogs whose diets were supplemented with eggshell membrane showed a decrease in inflammation markers, and those suffering from joint inflammation showed lower pain scores and an increase in both the range of joint movement and in overall movement scores. The effect on pain scores was visible within days from starting supplementation.
Boosting gut health
In the gut, inflammation can lead to issues in gut integrity and result in digestive upsets. Supplementation with eggshell membrane in some species has been shown to reduce inflammation-related bacteria in the gut and improve gut integrity. Supporting microbiota provides a platform for good overall health status, as microbiota play a major role in health and immunity.
Furthermore, the non-digestible fraction serves as a substrate to be fermented by gut microbes and increases microbiota diversity. It promotes the growth of bacteria associated with health and producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which in turn provides an environment in the gut that accommodates a diverse microbiome and the development of healthy gut cells.
Applications in pet food
Eggshell membrane lends itself well for use in pet food. Its complex protein structure does not break easily and regular pet food production processes including extrusion and retort do not impact efficacy.
Upcycling this byproduct from the human food industry creates high value by making joint, skin and digestion claims with one ingredient. This looks attractive for functional treats and snacks, in particular.
Care should be taken to check the purity of the eggshell membrane and whether the sourced material has been studied for its health benefits. Impurities including calcium carbonate from the eggshell reduce the purity of the ingredient and increase its calcium and ash content.
Medicinal claims (e.g. treating, curing or preventing a disease) may not be made for pet food items according to EU Regulation 767/2009. Claims regarding antioxidant activity may reference scavenging of free radicals, however these statements may not reference counteracting harm done by those free radicals to cells, because that could be considered medicinal.
The wording ‘anti-inflammatory’ should not be used for the same reason. Eggshell membrane does not allow pet food to be claimed for a particular nutritional purpose (PARNUT) through EU Regulation 2020/3544.
Tapping into nutritional trends
Pet supplements including eggshell membrane focus on supporting normal function of the joints, skin and digestion, together with supporting joint development in large breed dogs.
The target audience includes customers looking for natural, ethical and convenient ingredients. Eggshell membrane naturally offers high nutritional values, and using a chemical-free extraction process supports a claim as a ‘natural’ ingredient in line with legislation.
It is also a vegetarian, upcycled ingredient and so is suitable for both the conventional consumer and those looking for sustainable and human-grade ingredients.
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