Posted: July 1, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
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| A new carbohydrate-free cat food soon could be available in the United States. |
Golden Acres Pet Food Partners, a private-label and contract manufacturer and distributor of dry pet foods based in Lancashire, England, developed the capacity to produce carbohydrate-free, extruded dry pet food.
The company expects that the no-carb pet food will be especially well-received in carnivore species markets, particularly cats and ferrets where the carbohydrates associated with grains found in other dry foods may factor in to certain health conditions, such as obesity and diabetes.
The new food features 80 percent chicken, 50 percent protein (from a single source) and no cereal or carbohydrates, Golden Acres reports. The company is staying mum on how it achieved the product — which it said is the world’s first — not informing its extruder vendor, said Ben Helms, Golden Acre’s sales and marketing director.
The carbohydrate-free food will likely appear as an option in several European lines, and Golden Acres is negotiating with at least one U.S. manufacturer to make the food available in the United States. Pet food importing regulations prevent the British company from shipping directly into the United States.