Sources of ingredients
Carbohydrates are one of the three main nutritional sources for cats. The pet label stipulates that the content of this nutrient can not be listed, and the manufacturing process of dry feed must add grains to increase the viscosity and play a role in shaping, so grains have become the basic conditions and main members of cat food.
The necessity of grains is of great benefit to manufacturers. Starch can shape the feed, grain roots and legumes can provide calories that do not meet the nutritional needs of cats (vegetable protein and starch), Plant by-products also provide fiber that can aid in weight loss.
Therefore, cereals, roots, beans, and plant fibers have been widely added to pet food for many years due to some technical justification or added value.
Of course, the proportion of raw materials will account for the weight accordingly. For the cat food industry, whether it is grain-free or grain-free, carbohydrate-containing ingredients (grains) are added to the feed or canned food. , plants, beans) the biggest use is easy to obtain, can reduce costs.
Calculation
To calculate the carbohydrate content, first find the following from the Nutrition Facts Table Ingredient content:
Crude Protein min
Crude Fat min
Moisture max
Crude Fiber max
Ash max
Some nutrients do not contain moisture, but it will be specially marked dry matter ratio. If it contains moisture, it is the proportion of wet weight.
Slightly high-quality cat food will clearly list these five proportions. If the five proportions add up to more than 100%, the labeling is not clear, and the safety of such cat food needs to be studied.
Calculation formula:
100%-crude protein%-crude fat%-water%-fiber %－ash%=carbohydrate%
But water does not contain protein, fat and cellulose, so it is more practical to convert the wet weight ratio to the dry weight ratio.
Dry Matter Weight=100% – Moisture%
Example: Dry Matter 90%, Moisture 10%, Protein 30%
Dry Matter Protein Content calculation: 30%÷90%=33%
The algorithm for dry matter fat and dry matter carbohydrates is also the same, that is,
Dry matter A component% = wet weight A component % ÷ (100% – moisture %)
meaning
So what is the meaning of this calculation? ?
First of all, it helps us to make a clear judgment based on the cat’s physical condition when purchasing cat food. For example, if the carbohydrate content is too high, it is not suitable for cats to be used as weight loss food.
Secondly, wet food (canned/raw meat) and dry food (cat food) in their respective nutrient composition tables, the values of the same nutrient source are quite different, and the moisture content of wet food is 70% The range of ~80%, and the moisture content of dry food is about 10%. If the moisture content is not removed, the nutritional ratio of wet food is far less than that of dry food.
For example:
(canned): 80% moisture, 10% protein
(cat food) : Moisture 10%, protein content 40%
Calculation of dry matter protein content of canned food: 10%÷(100% – 80%)=50%
Dry matter protein of cat food Content calculation: 40%÷( 100% – 10%)=44%
Although the protein content of wet food is lower than that of dry food on the nutrient list, the protein content of wet food is higher than that of dry food. .
Dry food, because of the process, almost inevitably contains starch (excluding peak). If the dry food is about 20% of the dry weight of carbohydrates, the content is low.
The content given by the manufacturer is not an exact value. Generally, there will be a minimum value and a maximum value. However, due to regulations, it must be listed, so you can make a value according to the value listed by the manufacturer. approximate judgment.
If the economy can afford it, it is recommended to use homemade wet food as the staple food, which can not only replenish water, but also avoid starch sources such as grains and beans.
