Choosing cat kibble is like buying baby food, since in both cases the recipients of the food cannot say if or why they don’t like it. But aside from this analogy, the two product categories are poles apart. While baby food is subject to strict rules on nutritional quality, precisely expressed on the label, pet food is presented to the consumer with marketing calls printed in large letters on the front of the package and a few, vague, often illegible information placed on the back or between the folds of the packaging.
Through the analysis of this information, GIFT – Great Italian Food Trade offers an overview of 37 cat kibbles available in Italy in large supermarket chains (retail). Considering as always both industrial ‘brands’ and ‘private labels’ and ‘discount’ brands.
Cat food, a growing business
The food to feed the over 10 million cats living in Italian families achieved a turnover of just over 2022 billion euros at the end of 1,484, according to the Assalco-Zoomark 2023 Report. Inflation and high prices in the pet sector food’, have surpassed those of the food sector.
The price increases are well represented by market data, which show an increase in turnover (sales by value) well above the quantities sold (sales by volume).
The only kibble for cats, in 2022, recorded the following changes, compared to 2021:
– pet food retailers significantly increased turnover (+38%) and volumes (+30,9%),
– general retail recorded a double-digit increase in value (+12,3%), with a significant delta in volume (+2,3%),
– traditional pet shops instead recorded a modest increase in sales in value (+1,4%), with a decline in volumes (-2,2%). (1)
Fussy or wise cats?
Choosing cat kibble it can be frustrating and expensive. In fact, marketing can convince humans, but not domestic felines, that they only eat good quality food.
The biped is attracted above all by the information on the front of the package:
- the type of cat for which the food is intended. Junior, senior, neutered, long-haired, etc.,
- the minimum percentage of meat (i.e. chicken), for those who know how to distinguish the legal names that correspond to three different concentrations:
– less than 4% if ‘chicken flavoured’,
– between 14% and 26%, if defined as ‘rich in chicken’,
– more than 26%, if called ‘chicken’.
- the most varied claims. The addition of micronutrients (vitamins, Omega 3-6 etc.), fibers and prebiotics, rather than the absence of colorants and preservatives. And even the exclusion or reduction of grain (grain free/low grain), which seems to attract cat owners. (2) In our survey we found two ‘cereal-free’ products, both from Esselunga Mao Nature, ‘Steril with pork’ and ‘Adult with beef’.
Read the label
The most interesting information to compare cat kibble, however, they are found on the back of the package, usually in characters that are illegible to the naked eye.
Pet food, in fact, is not subject to the minimum character height requirements established by the Food Information Regulation (EU) No 1169/11 for mandatory information on the label of food products.
A magnifying glass it is therefore often necessary to compare the mandatory information pursuant to EC regulation 767/2009, which is more attentive to the interests of operators than to those of consumers.
Animal proteins
Animal proteins – essential to the carnivorous nature of the cat – are the first element to evaluate in the composition of the kibble.
The rule is to choose kibble with the greatest quantity of good quality meat. But the undertaking is arduous. We mention three factors of uncertainty:
1) the total amount of meat it is almost never declared. Although its indication could help quality pet food producers to characterize themselves, also for transparency on the label.
They are distinguished, from this point of view, the ‘Vitaplus Rico’ croquettes sold by Todis where it is specified ‘meat and derivatives minimum 8%‘ (sic). The labels of Conad chicken, rabbit and vegetable croquettes read ‘meat and derivatives 36% (chicken 6%, rabbit 1%)‘. Other higher priced products, where fresh meat is praised as the first ingredient and without the ‘meat and derivatives’ mix, do not reveal the overall quantity of meat.
2) the position of meat in first place in the list of ingredients does not always help to deduce their prevalence. Since it is true that the ingredients must be mentioned in decreasing order of quantity, but it is equally true that cereals can be mentioned individually (e.g. rice, rice flour, corn, etc.) without indicating their percentages. The sum of the various cereal items can therefore exceed the quantity of meat, although the latter is indicated at the top of the list of ingredients,
3) the quality of protein sources it is not always specified. Unless otherwise indicated, proteins derive from a mix of meat by-products, meat mechanically separated from carcasses and parts not intended for human consumption (i.e. soft tissues, heart, bones, legs, beaks, skin residues), which provide poor quality proteins , due to the lack of essential amino acids (in fact rarely indicated on the label).
Less important it is instead the difference between the indications ‘dehydrated meat‘, ‘meat’ or ‘fresh meat’, since the physical state does not affect the protein content of the food. The only advantage of the fresh ingredient may in some cases be the greater meat flavor of the kibble.
The role of cereals
Starches and carbohydrates (wheat, corn, rice, barley, potatoes, legumes, etc.) are technologically indispensable to give consistency to the croquettes. And their cost, much lower than animal proteins, helps to contain production costs.
Cereals and legumes they are also valuable – for cats, like humans – because they provide dietary fiber useful for digestion, as well as minerals, vitamins and vegetable proteins.
The adoption of the ‘closed card’ – i.e. the indication of the ‘cereals’ category among the ingredients, instead of mentioning the individual items (i.e. rice, wheat, etc.) – can be useful, in this case, for two reasons:
– the ‘cereals’ category groups together ingredients of lower economic value, defusing the trap of placing meat in first place among the ingredients when in fact it is not such,
– operators can replace ingredients from the same category (i.e. rice with wheat, or vice versa) to counter the volatility of raw material prices (+20-25% in the last year), maintaining more or less stable quality and price to the public .
Fats and fibers
The fats added to the kibbles are both vegetable and animal. The latter (usually lard or chicken oil) are the most loved by cats, even though they are saturated fats. Fish oils (salmon, sardines, mackerel) are vice versa useful for the supply of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, i.e. Omega-3), beneficial for general health as well as for eyes, fur and skin. Saturated fat intake should be reduced to a minimum for indoor, more sedentary cats and neutered cats.
The fiber it is present in the composition of most kibbles. It helps control colon health, aids digestion and promotes satiety. It is very important for domestic (indoor) cats, sterilized cats and even long-haired cats, as it promotes the correct elimination of fur with feces and thus prevents regurgitation. The fiber content, in the sample examined, varies between 1,5 and 6%. However, insoluble fiber does not require significant quantities.
Additives
The additives they are another piece of information reported on the pet food label. They are distinguished into:
– nutritional additives, namely vitamins A, D and E and minerals essential for the animal’s metabolism (iron, calcium, zinc, manganese, etc.),
– technological additives (ie preservatives)
– sensory additives (colours, flavourings).
Two positive elements are to be found in cat kibble under the heading Additives:
– the addition of taurine, an essential amino acid for small cats. As highlighted in the tables at the foot of the page, among the 37 products examined, 27 contain taurine in quantities varying between 650 and 2.400 mg/kg, while another 10 are free of it,
– the absence of colourants, preservatives and flavourings. In our sample, dyes (for use by the biped, evidently) are present in 11 out of 37 products. (3)
Analytical components
The analytical components they are in turn mandatory information on the label of pet food, pursuant to EC regulation 767/2009. These values indicate what remains in the final product after cooking in terms of proteins, fats, ashes and fibre.
The chart of the analytical components can be very useful for comparing two kibbles at the same price. The best product has a higher protein value and a lower ash value.
The sample examined presents a wide variability in protein, fat and ash contents, as shown in the tables:
- proteins vary from 28,5 to 38%,
- the fats they range from 9 to 17% in the category indicated for adult cats and from 8,5 to 15% for sterilized ones, for which it would be useful not to exceed 12%,
- raw ashes indicate the residual quantity of minerals. The best level is between 4 and 7,5%. A value higher than 12% betrays the use of poor quality animal products (bones, cartilage, etc.). Among the 37 products examined, the value fluctuates between 5 and 9,2%,
- raw fibres, finally, in theory they should be around 5%, to help the cat perceive satiety. In our sample, they vary from 1,5 to 6%.
The portion reveals the quality of the food
The recommended portion from the manufacturer on the label, distinguished by weight category, is another element of great interest.
Comparing this data, in fact, you can guess the nutritional quality of the kibble, even in the absence of detailed information.
Between two brands of kibbles with similar values in terms of proteins, the one with the smallest recommended portion (daily dose, expressed in grams) should be the most valid from a nutritional point of view. It may be more expensive compared to the other, but last longer.
Marta Strinati
Footnotes
(1) XVI edition of the Assalco-Zoomark Report. 15.5.23 https://www.assalco.it/archivio2_notizie-e-comunicati_0_1635_76_5.html
(2) Imagine GS1 Italy Report, edition 2, 2021 https://servizi.gs1it.org/osservatori/osservatorio-immagino-13/
(3) dyes are present in Conad chicken, rabbit and vegetable kibble for adult cats; Coshida Lidl, chicken, beef, vegetables; Companino Vitalive Todis, beef, poultry, liver, peas; Esselunga Mao, beef, veal, carrots; Carrefour chicken and turkey; Radames Eurospin chicken, turkey and vegetables; Whiskas with chicken; Simply Carrefour, chicken, beef and turkey; Petsy Consilia, beef, chicken and vegetables; Taby Consilia, chicken and vegetables; and in those for sterilized cats by Radames Steryl Eurospin chicken, turkey and vegetables.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
