Sat urday 31 Aug ust 2019 The Guardian •
National^25
Zoe Wood
The climate crisis and health concerns
have prompted a growing number of
people to change their diets, becom-
ing flexitarian – eating meat only
occasionally – or switching to entirely
plant-based diets. So it was only a mat-
ter of time before their family pets
followed suit.
Rover, Max and Ludo are now the
target of an alt-meat makeover as the
petcare market – which is worth more
than £6bn a year in the UK alone – gets a
21st-century overhaul, backed by high-
profi le investors.
The meat substitute industry is
already big business for humans, with
one newly fl oated pea protein burger
company – Los Angeles-based Beyond
Meat – rocketing to a $10bn valuation.
Now the American pet food start-up
Wild Earth is also attracting deep-
pocketed investors, including the
PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel, and Mars
Petcare, the company behind Pedigree
pet food and brands including IAMS
and Whiskas. It has just launched a
vegan dogfood it claims is “paradigm
shifting” in an industry viewed as an
environmental disaster.
Globally, pets consume about one
fi fth of the world’s meat and fi sh, a
fi gure likely to rise given the recent
trend to feed human-grade meat.
Insects are also being promoted
as an alternative protein source for
both humans and animals, with Brit-
ish brand Yora making pellets out of
grubs, which it says is an easy way to
reduce your dog’s “global pawprint”.
The main ingredient in Wild Earth
dog food is a yeast protein, with the
food – which goes on sale here next year
- billed as having the “umami [meaty]
taste that dogs love”. The yeast pro-
vides “all the nutritional benefi ts of
meat without the negative impact on
the environment”, says Wild Earth’s
chief executive, Ryan Bethencourt.
The grubs used by Yora are the lar-
vae of black soldier fl ies, which the
company describes as “easier to digest
than chicken ”. The packaging prom-
ises it is made from “100% whole grubs
rather than the animal parts you might
fi nd in some dog foods”.
With a teaspoon of eggs produc-
ing 100kg of grubs in two weeks, Will
Bisset, Yora’s head of innovation, said:
“Insects use a fraction of the resources
to farm and our grubs are packed with
essential amino acids and minerals to
benefi t pets. ”
Taste test
Paddy wolfed down his insect protein but it was a resounding no from FigWe asked two Jack Russell crosses,
Paddy and Fig, to try out some
vegetarian and insect-based dog
food. A more traditional meat-based
gravy bone was also on off er.
On the menu were:Yora insect protein kibble (pellets),
£13.99 for 1.5kg (price from website)Lily’s Kitchen bedtime biscuits
with honey, yoghurt, chamomile
and passion fl owers, £2.99 for 100g
(price from website)Whimzees veggie ear , £19.99 for
pack of 18 (Amazon)Pedigree gravy bones original £1.72
for 400g box. (Tesco)Tester No 1 Fig
Adaline Fahey, eight-year-old Fig’s
owner, says she is a keen carnivore
with a taste for bone marrow.
Insect protein kibble Met with
suspicion from Fig, who eventually
pushed it away with her nose.
Treats Bedtime biscuits and the
gravy bone were lined up , and after
much sniffi ng she chose the bone.
With the meaty option gone, Fig
resumed the sniff test but rejected
the calming biscuits.
Veggie ear A resounding no.The increasing humanisation of
pets has led to owners buying simi-
lar products for their animals as they
do for themselves, creating a market
in everything from CBD (cannabidiol)
dog treats to canine activity monitors.
Hownd, a British brand that has
made its name selling ethical canine
spa products and vegetarian hemp
treats – is crowdfunding to develop
its own Wild Earth style dogfood after
growing at more than 20% for the past
three years.
“We are seeing a growing interest in
vegan/vegetarian diets for dogs,” said
its sales and business development
director, Mark Hirschel. “ Consumers
have become far more ethically and
environmentally aware, and under-
stand the issues surrounding the use
of animal ingredients, which include
contamination, cruelty and increased
carbon footprint, among many others.
“Dogs are omnivores, not carni-
vores, and therefore can digest protein
from multiple sources. There is a grow-
ing list of plant-based proteins already
available that are every bit as nutri-
tious as meat protein, and contain
fewer calories and are potentially
harmful eff ects than animal products.”
A 2018 survey by the research fi rm
Mintel found 41% of pet owners were
interested in buying plant-based pet-
food. Among under-35s that fi gure
rose to 47%. But shoppers complain
that vegan dogfood is much dearer
than meat-based equivalents.
Caroline Baranger, a dogwalker
based in Ashford, west of London,
who rears her rescue dogs Mimo and
Lyra on a vegan diet, said the plant-
based brands she had bought were too
expensive and she now prepared their
meals herself: “ They are seen as posh
products because for many people the
cost is problematic .”
Pets at Home, the UK’s biggest pet-
care retailer with 452 stores, stocks a
limited selection of plant-based food.
Its chief executive, Peter Pritchard, is
sceptical vegan dogfood will become
mainstream: “I’ve seen many new pet-
foods and approaches come into this
market over the years and they are
often very fringe and based on beliefs
rather than the cold, hard facts of what
pets need to survive and thrive.”
The British Veterinary Association
(BVA) said cats – which are obligate
carnivores – should not be put on a
vegetarian or vegan diet but that it
was “theoretically possible” for dogs
to become vegetarians.
Daniella Dos Santos, the BVA’s
junior vice-president, said: “Although
we would not recommend it, it is the-
oretically possible to feed a dog a
vegetarian diet, but owners would
need to take expert advice to avoid
dietary defi ciencies and associated
disease. A dog on a vegan diet may
also need synthetic supplementation.”Give your dog a
plant-based bone:
why more pets are
becoming vegan
Fig, a Jack
Russell cross,
pictured with her
owner, Adaline
Fahey, opted for
the meat option
over an array of
vegetable and
insect-based dog
food alternatives
PHOTOGRAPHS: BEN
GURR/THE GUARDIAN Paddy, described as a four-legg ed
dustbin by his owner, Sophie More,
consumed almost all of the food on
off er with gusto‘We are seeing a
growing interest in
vegan/vegetarian
diets for dogs ...
more companies are
getting involved ’Mark Hirschel
HowndTester No 2 Paddy
According to his owner, Sophie
More, three-year old Paddy is a
four-legged dustbin, so was unlikely
to reject any thing.
Insect protein kibble Didn’t touch
the sides. Straight down the hatch,
tail wagging furiously.
Treats He didn’t eat them so much
as inhale the biscuits, so missed
the chamomile and passion fl ower
notes. But is clearly a fl exitarian, as
the bone was also a big hit.
Veggie ear Gave the fake pig’s ear his
best shot, but it was very hard and
he ended up swallowing a massive
chunk whole.41%
The proportion of owners who say
they might buy plant-based food
for their pet, according to MintelRELEASED BY "What's News" vk.com/wsnws TELEGRAM: t.me/whatsnws