#Dogs, #Entoprotein, #pet_food, #pet_health

How the Cosmodog feed formula was improved

In the article we tell you how we have achieved the best composition of dog food containing a unique component — entoprotein. 

Our pilot product was super premium dry food for medium and large dogs - Cosmodog. It is not by chance that it got such an ambitious name. After all, "cosmic" - that is, the most modern - approaches were used in its development.

news-i
Date

January 11, 2024

news-i-m
DATE

January 11, 2024

How the Cosmodog feed formula was improved

In the article we tell you how we have achieved the best composition of dog food containing a unique component — entoprotein. 

Our pilot product was super premium dry food for medium and large dogs - Cosmodog. It is not by chance that it got such an ambitious name. After all, "cosmic" - that is, the most modern - approaches were used in its development.

The highest score from the eaters

The recipe was improved for a year and a half. The best veterinary nutritionists of the country were involved in this process: even before the development began, we consulted with specialists from the Department of Animal Feeding of the Timiryazev Academy and other experts. Since at first we did not have our own production, we turned to other brands for help. 

Note that not all factories agreed to work out our recipe. Somewhere, stereotypes about insects played a negative role (we’ll talk about them in more detail next time), and somewhere the manufacturer simply was not ready to work with a new unknown ingredient. 

Eventually, the first batch of feed was released at the Moscow Green Dog animal feed plant. It turned out to be unsuccessful: the granules did not hold the structure and crumbled. We worked on the errors — four iterations of tests were completed before the perfect formula – and as soon as the flaws were eliminated, we “invited” the dogs for tasting. 

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It is impossible to obtain more accurate data than from direct animal tests. Therefore, we found specialists who helped us in this task. 125 dogs participated in the tests. These are ordinary pets, but with a certain eating behavior: not too moody, but also not inclined to absorb any food indiscriminately. All their owners have been trained and are able to accurately assess the edibility and quality of pet stools. 

After the fourth iteration, we achieved a score of 4.9 out of 5. At the moment, this is the maximum average that has been achieved in the Russian feed segment. Such super premium feeds as, for example, Grandorf or Florida correspond to the same assessment. 

"You can't pry it away from the dog with a crowbar"

In August 2022, sales of Cosmodog feed started on Ozone. Despite all the skeptics, it turned out that people are happy to buy it, and pets are happy to eat it. Already in the first month, almost 2 tons of the product were sold on the marketplace. We received an overall rating of 4.76 and 104 positive reviews. Here are just a few of them:

"Excellent food, the dogs are happy. Previously, we ordered food with ethnoprotein from abroad, now we buy this one. It is immediately evident from the improvement in the quality of the coat, one of the puppies has problems with the coat, thanks to this feed there are obvious improvements, it began to grow on the receding hairline) Problems with the stool has left. The food turned out to be better than the Western ones."
"The composition is hot! The first day the dog was somehow a little afraid of the new food, but then it started eating so that you can't pry it away from the dog with a crowbar : )".
"The beagle stopped scratching after a few days, the stool returned to normal on the third day. We followed the instructions.
We are very pleased with the general condition, we have already forgotten this notorious hyperactivity! ".

Approximately 80% of buyers not only return, but recommend Cosmodog to friends and acquaintances — dog owners. And we also bring and plan to continue bringing our food for free to shelters for homeless animals. No longer within the framework of tests, but just like that. From there, the reviews are also the most positive!

Today, several products are presented on the marketplace:

  • You can see the entire line and choose a suitable package (2 or 10 kg each)   here

    But, of course, we do not plan to stop there. More than a dozen new products will be launched in the near future. What exactly (and what other products Cosmopet is developing) will be discussed in the next article. 

    And how do you feel about “insect meat”? Would you include it in your diet or in your pet’s diet? In case you are still in doubt, here are some more interesting facts about entoprotein. 

    • In 50-100 years, meat will no longer be enough for the entire population of the planet, and even more so for domestic animals. Avoiding meat without harm to health is possible, but on condition that a person (or the pet) receives a sufficient amount of animal protein from other products. However, it is impossible to replace animal protein with vegetable protein. Therefore, entoprotein is a much more valuable source of alternative protein than soy, algae, etc. 
    • Insects are the natural food of animals, including domestic ones. For wolves, the ancestors and closest relatives of dogs, they make up 10% of the diet. Cats living in the wild or being range-free often hunt insects and eat them. 
    • At the same time, pets rarely come into contact with insect protein. That is why the risk of allergy to it is so low. 
    • A few years ago, flour and oil from the larva of the BSF Black Soldier Fly were approved in Europe for use in pet food. Two years ago, the same example `   was followed in the United States. . The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has rated the soldier fly as a beneficial component for dog diets. 
    According to   forecasts of world experts, by 2030 pet food will become the second largest segment for the use of insect protein (second only to aquaculture – breeding of fish, crustaceans, etc.).

А как вы относитесь к «мясу насекомых»? Включили бы его в свой рацион или в диету питомца? На случай, если вы пока сомневаетесь, приводим еще несколько любопытных фактов об энтобелке.

  • Через 50-100 лет мяса перестанет хватать на все население планеты, а на домашних животных — тем более. Отказ от мяса без вреда для здоровья возможен, но при условии, что человек (или его питомец) будет получать достаточное количество животного белка из других продуктов. Однако заменить животный белок растительным нельзя. Поэтому энтопротеин является гораздо более ценным источником альтернативного белка, чем соя, водоросли и т.д.
  • Насекомые являются естественной пищей животных, и домашних в том числе. У волков – предков и ближайших родственников собак – они составляют 10% рациона. Кошки, живущие в диких условиях или находящиеся на вольном выгуле, часто охотятся на насекомых и поедают их.
  • При этом домашние животные редко контактируют с белком насекомых. Именно поэтому риск появления аллергии на него так низок.
  • Еще несколько лет назад мука и масло из личинки Черной львинки BSF были одобрены в Европе для применения в петфуде. Два года назад этому же примеру последовали в США. Ассоциация американских чиновников по контролю за кормами (AAFCO) оценила Львинку как благоприятный компонент для собачьих рационов.

По прогнозам мировых экспертов, к 2030 году петфуд станет вторым по величине сегментом по применению белка из насекомых (уступая только аквакультуре – разведению рыб, ракообразных и т.д.).