Can the superfood spinach be used in pet food

1.An introduction to spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), also known as Persian vegetables, red root vegetables, parrot vegetables, etc., belongs to the genus Spinach of the family Chenopodiaceae, and belongs to the same category as beets and quinoa. It is an annual herb with green leaves at different maturity stages available for harvesting. Plants up to 1 m tall, conical roots, reddish, rarely white, halberd to ovate, bright green, entire or with a few tooth-like lobes. There are many types of spinach, which can be divided into two varieties: thorny and thornless.

Spinach is an annual plant and there are many varieties of spinach, some of which are more suitable for commercial production. There are three basic types of spinach grown in the United States: wrinkled (rolled leaves), flat (smooth leaves), and semi-fried (slightly curled). They are both leafy greens and the main difference is leaf thickness or handling resistance. New varieties with reddish stems and leaves have also been developed in the United States.

China is the largest spinach producer, followed by the U.S., although production and consumption have grown steadily over the past 20 years, approaching 1.5 pounds per capita. Currently, California has about 47,000 acres of planted acres, and California spinach is leading the way due to year-round production. Unlike courtyard gardens, these commercial farms seed 1.5-2.3 million plants per acre and grow in large 40-80-inch plots for easy mechanical harvesting.

2.The nutritional value of spinach

From a nutritional standpoint, spinach contains certain essential nutrients, but all in all, spinach’s main ingredient is water (91.4%). Although highly concentrated in functional nutrients on a dry basis, macronutrient concentrations are greatly reduced (eg, 2.86% protein, 0.39% fat, 1.72% ash). For example, total dietary fiber is about 25% of dry weight. Spinach is high in micronutrients such as potassium (6.74%), iron (315 mg/kg), folic acid (22 mg/kg), vitamin K1 (phylloquinone, 56 mg/kg), vitamin C (3,267 mg) /kg), betaine (>12,000 mg/kg), carotenoid B-carotene (654 mg/kg) and lutein + zeaxanthin (1,418 mg/kg). In addition, spinach contains various secondary metabolites produced by flavonoid derivatives, which have anti-inflammatory effects. At the same time, it also contains considerable concentrations of phenolic acids, such as p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid, and various lignans. Among other functions, various types of spinach have antioxidant properties. Spinach’s green color comes primarily from chlorophyll, which has been shown to delay gastric emptying, reduce ghrelin, and boost GLP-1, which is beneficial for type 2 diabetes. In terms of omega-3s, spinach contains stearidonic acid as well as some eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Spinach contains nitrates that were once thought to be harmful but are now thought to be beneficial to health. It also contains oxalates, which, although can be reduced by blanching, may contribute to the formation of bladder stones.

3. Application of spinach in pet food

Spinach is packed with nutrients and is a great addition to pet food. Spinach ranks first among superfoods, a food with natural antioxidants, bioactive substances, functional fiber and essential nutrients. Although many of us grew up disliking spinach, it’s found in a wide variety of foods and diets today, often used as a fresh seasonal vegetable in salads or in sandwiches in place of lettuce. Given its benefits in the human diet, spinach is now used in pet food.

Spinach has a variety of uses in pet food: fortifying nutrition, health care, increasing market appeal, and the list goes on. The addition of spinach basically has no negative effects, and it has advantages as a “superfood” in modern pet staple foods.

An evaluation of spinach in dog food was published as early as 1918 (McClugage and Mendel, 1918). Recent studies have shown that spinach chlorophyll is absorbed and transported into tissues by dogs (Fernandes et al., 2007) and may benefit cellular oxidation and immune function. Several other recent studies have shown that spinach can boost cognition as part of an antioxidant complex.

So, how do you add spinach to your pet’s staple food?

Spinach can be added to pet food as an ingredient and sometimes as a colorant in certain treats. Whether you add dried or leafed spinach, the amount added is generally small—about 0.1% or less, partly because of the high price, but also because it doesn’t hold its form well during processing, and the leaves become vegetable-like Mud, dried leaves are easily broken. However, poor appearance does not impede its value, but antioxidant, immune or nutritional effects may be insignificant due to the low effective dose added. So it’s best to determine what the effective dose of antioxidants is, and the maximum amount of spinach that your pet can tolerate (which can cause changes in food smell and taste).

In the United States, there are specific laws governing the cultivation, harvesting and distribution of spinach for human consumption (80 FR 74354, 21CFR112). Considering that most of the spinach in the supply chain comes from the same source, this rule also applies to pet food. U.S. spinach is sold under the U.S. No. 1 or U.S. No. 2 specific standard designation. U.S. No. 2 is more suitable for pet food because it can be added to the premix to be processed. Dried spinach chips are also commonly used. When processing vegetable slices, the harvested vegetable leaves are washed and dehydrated, then dried in a tray or drum dryer, and hot air is used to remove moisture, and after sorting, they are packaged for use.


Post time: May-25-2022