Purina pet food is full of tasty and nutritious ingredients that your pets will enjoy. This includes animal-based ingredients, which are great for protein, minerals, plant-based ingredients and additives, which help for example to preserve the quality of the food. We ensure all our pet food is complete and balanced, meaning you can count on us to make sure your pet has the right proportion of everything he or she needs, in each bowlful.
If you are looking for what ingredients are in pet food, you will find the answer on the product label. Labels will tell you which ingredients are in our products. However, as labels follow European labelling legislation requirements, the description of the ingredients can often sound quite technical and may not be easy to understand.
So, let’s bring some greater clarity to help you understand what’s in a Purina pet food product.
In a Purina pet food product you will find the right combination of these ingredients:
• ANIMAL-based ingredients: for example, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, salmon, tuna fish…– sources of high-quality protein. Often-referred to on labels as ‘meat and animal derivatives or ‘fish and fish derivatives’ and also known as by-products, these are the parts of animals which are surplus from the human food chain, these ingredients come from animals slaughtered under veterinary supervision. This may be, for example, because of lack of consumer demand (e.g., liver is not consumed in every country) or due to the look or appearance of the raw material. However, these types of materials provide an excellent source of nutrients, such as high protein and amino acids levels, and are also enjoyed by pets.
Under this group we can also find: fish oil, which is rich in fatty acids such as Omega-3; eggs and egg derivatives, which are a source of protein; and milk and milk derivatives, known for containing vitamins and minerals that are good for bones and teeth.
• PLANT-based ingredients divided into three types:
a. Vegetables, like carrots, green beans, aubergines and sweet potato, but also vegetables derivatives such as beet pulp. They are a source of fibres, minerals and vitamins.
b. Legumes, such as peas, offer a source of high-quality protein.
c. Cereals, like maize, rice, oat, wheat and barley. These ingredients mainly offer carbohydrates, which are a source of energy, but they can also provide fibres, to aid digestive health, and protein.
• Minerals are an essential class of nutrients that must be included to ensure a healthy and balanced diet (e.g.: calcium, phosphorus and magnesium). They are crucial for the development and function of your pet’s body. They help to balance body fluids, support the breakdown of food into energy, and help support strong bones and teeth.
• Additives divided into three types:
- Nutritional Additives – dogs and cats need these additives in their diet, as they are key to support many vital functions in the body. These compounds include vitamins and amino acids, but also can include the so-called ‘trace elements’, such as ferrous sulphate monohydrate (which delivers iron) or Calcium iodate anhydrous (which delivers iodine).
- Technological Additives - these are, among others, antioxidants, preservatives and stabilizers – compounds that help maintain the food and its flavour, while keeping it safe over time.
- Sensory Additives - such as colourants and flavourings, added to give the product the desired taste, colour and texture.
It is important to know, that following the same principle as in human food, all additives added to pet food, are safe, permitted and regulated by EU legislation.
On top of those ingredients, we add Purina’s Science. Based on more than 90 years of scientific research and development by Purina vets and nutritionists, and driven by our passion for pets, we have developed products that can make a profound difference to the lives of our pets to keep them healthy.
For example, Bifensis in Purina ONE, is a nutritional formula with beneficial functional bacterium scientifically proven to strengthen your cat’s natural defenses. The Purina Pro Plan product range also provides a wide variety of nutritional benefits that support the long-term health of your pet: immune function, alertness and memory, among many other things.
Combining the various ingredients in the right proportion, ensuring the food is complete and balanced, is also a critical factor; your pet is going to be fed this food throughout their entire lifetime. So having the right production processes, which protect and maintain the high quality of the ingredients is essential to the final product quality and the nutritional balance that will impact your pet’s health.
That’s why we recommend choosing brands from well-known companies with a solid track record of science and research because food does have an impact on health and life expectancy.
