The purpose of adding feed additives: to improve the nutritional value of pet food, increase the utilization rate, and promote animal production; improve the physical properties of pet food, increase storability; improve animal health, and improve product quality.

Nutritional additives are small or trace substances added to pet food to balance nutritional components, improve utilization, and directly exert nutritional effects on animals, mainly including amino acids, vitamins, trace mineral elements and other nutritional additives.

amino acids, vitamins

As an effective means to improve the utilization rate of dietary protein, adding amino acid is the largest additive in the formula. Amino acids commonly used in pets are methionine, arginine and lysine, and taurine is widely used in cat food.

Amino acids are the main components of protein synthesis in animals, and the main function of adding amino acids is to make up for the shortage of amino acids and make full use of other amino acids.

Vitamins are the most commonly used and most important class of additives. Among various vitamin additives, the usage of choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin E and niacin accounted for the largest proportion. There are many kinds of vitamin additives, which can be divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble according to their solubility. Usually, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B2, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline chloride and vitamin B12 need to be added. 

Trace element additives, enzyme preparations

The trace elements needed by animals mainly include iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine and selenium. In addition to providing essential nutrients for animals, these trace elements can also activate or inhibit certain vitamins, hormones and enzymes, which are important for ensuring the normal function of animals. Physiological functions and substance metabolism play an extremely important role, and have functions such as regulating the body's metabolism, promoting growth and development, and enhancing disease resistance.

Commonly used trace element additives include potassium chloride, ferric sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, etc.

Enzyme preparation refers to an additive made of one or more enzymes produced by biotechnology, carriers and diluents using a certain production process, which can improve animal digestion, improve digestibility and nutrient utilization, and transform and eliminate feed anti-nutritional factors and make full use of new resources.

Including protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, xylanase, beta-glucanase, mannanase, phytase. Common enzyme preparations in pet food are protease, lipase and amylase.

Probiotics

Commonly used probiotics include Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus lactis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, etc.

Most microecological preparations for pets contain probiotics such as various types of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and compound preparations are more effective than single-bacteria preparations.

Prerequisites: The bacteria can tolerate acidic environments, tolerate bile salts, be able to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells of dogs, and be able to produce substances similar to bacteriocins.

How to use: In order to prevent inactivation, the post-spraying process is generally used; in order to ensure a sufficient number of viable bacteria, stable and continuous addition is required.