Balchem Research Protects Natural Order of Pet Food

Every pet owner, deep down, hopes that their dog remembers that he or she is descended from wolves. We want our pets to be snugglers on the couch, but fierce and protective when it matters. This is why so many pet food brands stress the great outdoors on their packaging. It hits consumers on a primal level.

The problem with switching a dog today to a raw meat-based diet is that while our pets do physically resemble their wild ancestors, they’re actually built quite differently, and their systems aren’t necessarily conditioned to digest raw meat the way they do processed, packaged dog food. Dog food, and most human foods that might be passed to the dog under the dinner table, are processed in some way to kill pathogens that can wreak havoc.

Raw, uncooked meat hasn’t gone through the “kill step” to eliminate harmful bacteria. This step — usually cooking at a high temperature — drastically reduces levels of harmful pathogens in food. Without the kill step, your dog could get sick from eating the meat — and any human who handles the food also risks contact with salmonella or other bacteria. And no one wants that.

Encapsulating Raw Food Safety

The raw diet is a small but growing segment of the industry that harkens back to these ancestral days. Bill Barr is committed to the whole pet food industry and is proud to be partnered with Balchem as we create solutions for this growing area of interest.

Balchem specializes in creating encapsulated acids like citric to mitigate the presence of pathogens in pet food. Encapsulation of acids is important because typical acids can work too quickly and “denature” the meat, breaking down vital proteins and causing contamination. Balchem’s encapsulation of acids provides a slow release, which better controls the pH while eliminating many pathogens without the danger of denaturing.

They not only make the meat safer; they make it more appealing on both a visual and visceral level.

Backed by Science

In conjunction with Kansas State University, Balchem conducted research trials to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of encapsulated lactic acid on salmonella in raw meat product. Researchers applied three different treatments of encapsulated lactic acid to raw meat and kept track of the salmonella counts. They discovered not only a significant reduction in salmonella but a continued reduction, meaning that the encapsulated acid continued to kill the pathogen long after it was expected to lose effectiveness.

Trusted Partners, Trusted Solutions

Bottom line: This isn’t a guess. We’d never endorse a product or method that might put you or your pets at risk. These studies by one of the most reputable universities in the country in conjunction with a Bill Barr partner have shown that encapsulated acids might be the solution for safely feeding raw-meat-based diets to pets. The treatments effectively controlled salmonella while minimally impacting the actual quality of the product.

Safe and healthy pet food, no matter the level of processing?

That’s a solution to howl about.