Pushing the boundaries of pet nutrition to improve our pets health

Science of nutrigenomics

‘You are what you eat’ is attributed to the 20th century American nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, who popularized the belief that diet is important for our health. However, the concept goes back even further to the writing of the 18th century French foodie Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. Whilst their views might not have been widely understood at the time, the development of the science of nutrigenomics in the 21st century is proving that these beliefs are indeed true and apply both in pets and their human owners. 

The concept of functional foods

Historically food has been seen mainly as a source of essential nutrients like proteins, fats, carbohydrates vitamins and minerals. However, from the late 20th century the concept of functional foods entered our everyday vocabulary. One of the best-known examples of functional foods, used in both pet and human food is fish oils. These are fats from marine sources that deliver essential nutrients and benefit both cognitive behaviour and cardiovascular function. Since the mid-1990s, petfoods containing fish oils have also been used for skin and coat condition in dogs.

Functional ingredients in petfood 

Although there are breed specific conditions in pets and other differences, pets and pet owners share some common health problems and illnesses. As part of the humanization trend, we now see the same functional ingredients in both pet and human food to help alleviate some of these ‘shared’ problems: 

• joint health (arthritis) – fish oils
• gut health – prebiotic fibres
• cardiac health – fish oils
• cognitive health – polyphenols 

However, until recently there has been little strong scientific understanding of the roles of these ingredients in promoting health.

Nutritional genomics 

Nutrigenomics was born as a spin off from the Human Genome Project (1990-2003) to map the human genome. Combining nutritional sciences and genomics (the scientific of genes and gene functions), nutrigenomics helps us better understand the impact of the food we eat on our health. 

Although still in its infancy, it has scientifically proven the links between what we eat and chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Using nutrigenomics, we now better understand which nutrients in our food are beneficial and those that are harmful. This offers the potential to educate us how to eat a healthy diet and simultaneously improve our health.

Nutrigenomics is based on five fundamental principles: 

• Risk factors for common diseases include ‘poor’ diets. 
• Molecules in our diet can affect the genes behave and change gene structure leading to disease.
• The effect of diet on health and disease depends on an individual’s genetic makeup.
• Development of chronic diseases can be affected by the influence of diet on gene behaviour.
• Intelligent nutrition i.e. diets based on an understanding of genetics, nutrient requirements and status have the potential to prevent and mitigate the effects of chronic disease.
• Whilst the study of nutrigenomics has mainly been applied to human health and nutrition it also has applications in pet nutrition.

Pet nutrigenomics

An early example of petfood functional food claims based on nutrigenomics goes back to 2005, with the launch of Hill’s Prescription Diet j/d Canine pet food for dogs with osteoarthritis. Based on nutrigenomics, clinical trials showed osteoarthritis symptoms were alleviated and dogs eating this food experienced a better quality of life. 

Since then Hills and other companies like Golden Eagle Petfoods have further commercialized pet nutrigenomics to improve pet health and wellbeing and lessen the effects of common pet illnesses.

Uber-premium petfoods 

Part of petfood humanization and premiumization has been the development of products categorised as economy / standard, premium and super-premium. A key difference is that premium or super-premium products are more likely to contain functional food ingredients than standard products, e.g. turmeric. 

However, what is next in terms of differentiation above and beyond super-premium? Maybe the answer lies in a potential marriage between nutrigenomics and 3D food printing, to create products that we might designate uber-premium. This would allow manufacture of foods to combat illness in specific pets, breeds or common pet illnesses.

Creating 3D printed food requires special 3D printers and food ingredient solutions to create food structures. 3D printing is itself already a reality and is used for creating food and engineering concepts. Whilst 3D food printing might sound like science fiction recent examples and concepts include:

• Creation of nutritious, complete foods for the elderly or patients with dysphagia (Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology: November/December 2016 – Volume 50).
• Ensuring food security through supply of safe, nutritious, sustainable foods (Frontiers in Life Science,2016, 9:3).
• Gastronomy (4 Famous restaurants that use 3D printers , see    bit.ly/2nNecOC).

3D printing

Realisation of uber-premium 3D printed petfood formulated using both traditional pet nutrition and nutrigenomics is not without its challenges e.g. niche market, breed specific conditions, blurring distinction between nutrition and medicine etc.

However, with strengthening of the pet human bond, further implementation of human nutrigenomics and advances in science and technology, who is not to say that that uber-premium petfood based on 3D printing and pet nutrigenomics will not become a reality?