Impact of Processing on Nutrition

It’s easy to assume that the safest food is the best food—especially if safety means zero bacteria. But when pet food undergoes intense processing to eliminate all microbial life, the unintended consequence is a loss of nutritional value.

Intervention methods like cooking, pasteurization, and chemical treatment can effectively kill pathogens. But they also damage or destroy nutrients essential for a healthy immune system: 

• Heat-Sensitive Vitamins:  Many natural vitamins are destroyed during high heat processing, requiring synthetic supplements to be added back in.  
• Enzymes helpful for digestion:  Heat destroys natural enzymes.  A few manufacturers add back in after processing, but most processed products do not contain natural enzymes.
• Antioxidants:  Fresh whole foods are naturally rich in antioxidants and other substances known to boost the immune system and help to fight disease and illness.  These are not present in highly processed foods.
• Beneficial bacteria that support gut health.  High heat destroys the beneficial bacteria which can leave the pets system less able to fight off the bad.

There’s growing concern that heavily processed pet foods, even those labeled “complete and balanced,” may contribute to chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases over time.

To meet AAFCO nutrient profiles, after processing many pet food makers must add synthetic vitamins and minerals. These ingredients meet minimum nutritional requirements on paper but may not be as effective, may be more difficult to absorb, or may not be as safe as their natural counterparts. Synthetic vitamins and minerals have been shown to be significantly less or more bioavailable, depending on the nutrient, than whole food nutrients, which can disrupt proper absorption in the body.

While companies add essential vitamins and minerals back into the food, most do not replace the live enzymes and beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in fresh whole foods.  This leads to an imbalance in the pet’s system.

As pet parents we need to balance the need for food safety with the need for long term health, and recognize the difference between “sterile food” and “safe food”.  While “zero” may sound safer it could be setting them up for long-term health issues.