A great catch
A well-balanced diet is essential for healthy living. That goes for humans as well as pets. Good food provides the body with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals required to function optimally and prevents a wide range of serious health problems. For good reason, functional foods and supplement-enriched products have become an inextricable part of our everyday menu. And now pets get to taste the same benefits.
Health benefits
Functional foods and supplements are food-related products laced with bioactive, plant- or animal-sourced components. Dosed correctly, they can offer many health and medical benefits. Increasingly, the pet food industry acknowledges the value of dietary additives. For senior pets, for instance, vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended to counter dental problems, boost cognitive activity and prevent treatment for age-related diseases. Also, adding proteins to the daily menu of indoor pets helps them to keep a stable weight.
By restoring the delicate nutritional balance, supplement-enriched pet foods add to the quality of life of our pets.
Fish oil à la carte
Of all the dietary supplements, fish oil is one of the most commonly consumed. In the northern parts of Europe, people have been using cod liver oil for ages to boost their immunity and compensate for the long, dark winters, and today more than one fifth of all Americans take fish oil supplements on a daily basis.
As one of the most researched nutrients on the market, omega-3 fatty acids have a well-proven track record. They are recommended to improve overall health, enhance brain activity and offer a natural solution to aching joints and stiff muscles, to name just a few benefits.
But, however great the potential of fish oil, it is the balancing that makes the supplement truly effective. Different applications require different compositions – that is why at IQI we serve fish oil à la carte, a special blend of DHA and EPA made to the exact specifications of our clients.
Proven remedy
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) are two highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. Without going into too much detail, the difference between the two nutrients is best explained by their functioning in different conditions and life stages.
Research shows that DHA has a beneficial effect on the developing brain and the maturation of puppies and kittens, while EPA is purported to have a positive effect on the overall health and immunity of older pets. And blended together in specific ratios, DHA and EPA offer a remedy to a variety of clinical disorders.
Omega-3 fatty acids are proven effective in the treatment of arthrosis and skin and fur problems, and increasing evidence supports the use of omega-3 fatty acids for inflammatory diseases, such as atopy and renal disorders as well as cardiovascular problems, hyperlipidemias, and osteoarthritis.
Although the therapeutic effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids has been evaluated to a greater extent in dogs than in cats, it is safe to say that all pets benefit from fish oil supplements, provided they come perfectly balanced.
Two centuries of fish oil experience
The effectiveness of omega-3 supplements is not only determined by their composition; the quality of the ground material is equally important. To follow the exact recipe, you first have to catch the right fish. As difficult as it may seem, a Dutch-based family firm has mastered both disciplines. Building on nearly two centuries of fish oil trading experience, Smit & zoon stands out as an excellent sourcing specialist with great technical knowhow. Acting at the forefront of sustainable fishery, they have the quality sources and the expert know-how to deliver all the desired EPA-DHA ratios, no matter how strict the specifications.
Access to the source
As functional foods and dietary supplements are becoming increasingly common in the pet food industry, IQI and Smit & zoon have decided to join forces to secure the future. With the takeover of
Smit & zoon’s Functional Oils division, IQI now has all the experience and technical expertise it needs to meet its customers’ specific demands. More importantly, with direct access to the source, IQI can live up to its promise of 100% traceability and guarantee the best quality from source to shelf.