Nestle's Purina Launches Insect-Based Pet Food

[douglas9]

ZURICH (AFP) — If your pet is a picky eater now, wait until it sees what Nestle’s pet food brand Purina has in store: a new line of chow based on insect protein.

The Swiss food giant said Thursday that Purina was launching a line based on “alternative proteins” from insects and plants, “to make better use of the planet’ resources.”

The Beyond Nature’s Protein line of dry food for cats and dogs will first be sold in Switzerland, where it will become available this month, Nestle said in a statement.

Purina veterinarians and nutritionists have developed two separate recipes, with one based on chicken, pig’s liver and millet, and the second using insect protein, chicken and fava beans.

“The insect protein comes from black soldier fly larvae, which are already in use in animal feed in Europe,” the statement said.



https://www.courthousenews.com/nestles-purina-launches-insect-based-pet-food/

[mr_lebowski]

1. If Fido likes it, awesome ...

Insects are a food source for damn near the entire animal kingdom (well, terrestrial planet) so if pets are happy to eat insect protein and it's better for the planet ... perfect!

[Baked Potato]

2. Heck, mix me up some in peanut butter and I'll spread it on a fig Newton.

[Tetrachloride]

3. Use caution. Keep an eye on pets health when using Purina products.

https://www.petful.com/brands/beneful/

My dogs got sick at that time several years ago after eating Beneful, made by Purina. That was the last time I ever bought Purina for any reason.

[LisaM]

7. My pets had trouble with Beneful too.

I don't know that it was because it was Purina, though. They did fine on Purina One, though we eventually switched to Newman's. Beneful seemed to give them a little indigestion, and even though we only fed it to them once or twice, I found the dried peas they picked out hiding in crevices for months afterwards.

[in2herbs]

4. I don't trust Nestle. They are trying to purchase all the water rights in the entire world!

[grumpyduck]

5. I tought they were going to say

"Purina Anteater Chow."

[Tanuki]

6. Lol!

[Bayard]

8. Nah.......

There's already too many bugs in commercial dogfood.

I'll just keep cooking for my guys. I don't trust anything else.

[samnsara]

9. i wont feed my dogs bugs..eating poop is bad enogh.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Cats eat bugs all the time.

I once watched one of mine mash a centipede with his paw and chow down, wiggly legs and all, and June bugs and moths have always been big favorites - so why not?

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. Bugs yes. I'm not sure about fava beans

for cats especially. They are obligate carnivores. Dogs are more omnivorous.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. Maybe they'd eat fava beans if they had a nice Chianti, too?

[hunter]

11. My wife is vegetarian approaching vegan...

... I'm mostly vegetarian.

We don't expect the same of our dogs.

Currently our dogs eat old dairy cows, chickens, etc., occasionally with rice. Mostly kibble. They are big dogs. They eat a lot.

We have one dog who wants me to hunt pigs. She was bred for that sort of thing but she's probably going to be disappointed. It's not likely I will hunt pigs with her.

We have one dog who was feral, a chicken thief. It's astonishing she survived farmers shooting at her. Her PTSD is guns, air guns included.

I'm not certain about the moral algebra here. On the great wheel of life how many insects equal an old cow? Or a chicken? My wife and I both eat eggs and cheese. I feel like our dogs eat the leftovers. Isn't that what dogs have always done?