When contemplating a new ingredient for your feed or supplement, it is important to consider which pet lifestyle challenges your product wants to address and the health benefits it aims to provide.
That's why it's crucial to have a thorough understanding of the nutrients and effects these ingredients can provide. Krill is a well-researched ingredient that offers several health benefits for both humans and pets.
With its three main nutrients – phospholipid omega-3, astaxanthin, and choline – there are many potential claims and concepts you can use when adding this ingredient to your formulas.
A powerful and health-promoting mix of nutrients
The phospholipid-omega-3 in krill is a highly effective molecule that delivers essential fatty acids EPA and DHA directly to the cells in a pet's body. These marine omega-3s work to reduce inflammation in cell membranes.
Additionally, the antioxidant astaxanthin provides further support in reducing inflammation, boosting the immune system, and preventing cell damage.
Choline, an essential component of nerve transmitters, plays a crucial role in brain function, cognitive function, and muscle function. It also aids in preventing fatty liver disease by facilitating the transportation of fat out of the liver.
These nutrients combined can be utilized to address various health concerns around inflammation-driven conditions such as joint and mobility issues, mild dermatitis and atopy, cognitive dysfunction, inflammatory bowel disease, and overweight, among others.
Additionally, they are beneficial for promoting overall skin and coat health, supporting high activity and performance, aiding in cognitive development in puppies and kittens, and maintaining a healthy heart and liver, etc.
Read more: How Can Our Ingredient Boost Your Pet Food Brand
Claims and concepts to add to your pet food with PL Nutri Plus
By relying on the available scientific evidence published on these topics, it is possible to determine the approximate inclusion rates of PL Nutri Plus meal that can have an impact and thereby be supported by a claim.
For example, incorporating PL Nutri Plus meal at a rate of 3% in a complete feed provides more than double the recommended amount of marine omega-3s by NRC (2006), allowing for health claims such as "Supports a shiny coat," "Aids in cognitive development," "Beneficial for immune/heart/liver health," or "Supports the overall well-being of your cat/dog."
It is also possible to focus on the nutrients themselves, having claims such as “High in phospholipid omega-3”, “Good source of choline”, and “Boosted with natural antioxidants”.
By increasing the inclusion rate to 6.5%, the doses of EPA and DHA in PL Nutri Plus meal will be similar to those found effective against mild dermatitis, itchy skin, and atopy (Bauer 2011). In these cases, claims that could be used include "Supports the skin barrier" and "Provides vital nutrients for sensitive skin."
When combining 8% PL Nutri Plus meal with 1.4% krill oil, the levels of omega-3s approach doses that have been shown to support aging dogs with cognitive dysfunction (Christie et al, SACN 5th ed). A suitable claim for such a product could be "Helps maintain good cognitive function."
To provide a positive impact on dogs with joint and mobility issues, incorporating 8% PL Nutri Plus meal along with 2.5% krill oil aligns with the recommended treatment dose found in published studies on osteoarthritis (Rouch et al, 2010. Bauer, 2011). This combination can support claims such as “Helps to keep your pet agile”, “Supports mobility and immune function” and “Aids in reducing inflammation”
Download: QRILL Pet PL NUTRI Plus Brochure & Data Sheet
Claims and concepts to add to your supplements with PL Nutri Plus
When formulating supplements, it is important to show caution in dose recommendations because it is difficult to determine the exact amounts of omega-3s, choline, and antioxidants that are already present in the pet's complete feed or other supplements they may be receiving.
If a supplement recommends a "full treatment dose" for any of the concepts described above, it is advised to include a disclaimer on the packaging label. This is to ensure that the pet is not already on e.g. a clinical diet for a similar condition, resulting in too high nutrient intake for the pet. It might be an alternative to instead recommend 50% of the “treatment dose” and advise the pet owner to use a high-quality premium diet as a complete feed.
For a supplement promoting general health, doses similar to a 3-5% PL Nutri Plus inclusion in complete feed is a great way to target softer health claims, such as a "shiny coat," "good for brain/heart/liver," "supports immunity," or simply "helps maintain your pet's health." Nutrient claims like “High in phospholipid omega-3”, “Good source of choline”, or “With the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin” are also good alternatives.
Conclusion
The diverse range of nutrients found in QRILL Pet PL Nutri Plus offers the opportunity for a multitude of claims and opens up exciting possibilities!
If you would like to learn more, please don't hesitate to reach out to us for additional information, inspiration, and support with formulation.
