In processed animal foods, a filler is an ingredient added to provide
dietary fiber
Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...
, bulk or some other non-nutritive purpose.
Products like corncobs, feathers, soy, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, citrus pulp, screening, weeds, straw, and cereal by-products are often included as inexpensive fillers or low-grade fiber content.
Although most plant-derived fibers have low nutritional value to companion animals (cats and dogs), there is scientific research showing that there are some physiological benefits such as aiding in stool formation in the colon, helping to develop proper fecal consistency, overall colon health, in addition to other health benefits such as reduced
blood sugar
Glycaemia, also known as blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, or blood glucose level is the measure of glucose concentrated in the blood of humans or other animals. Approximately 4 grams of glucose, a simple sugar, is present in the blo ...
uptake.
According to critics , many commercial pet foods contain fillers that have little or no
nutrition
Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...
al value, but are added to decrease the overall cost of the food, especially when pet food manufacturers attempt to keep their pet foods at a desired
price point
Price points are prices at which demand for a given product is supposed to stay relatively high.
Characteristics
Introductory microeconomics depicts a demand curve as downward-sloping to the right and either linear or gently convex to the origi ...
despite rising manufacturing, marketing, shipping, and related costs. Critics allege that low-grade fiber fillers actually aggravate the intestinal walls instead of promoting health, and that carnivores such as cats are not able to effectively digest plant-derived fibers in their hindgut.
In rare cases, contaminated fillers have led to large-scale recalls at significant expense to the pet food companies. Two examples are
aflatoxin
Aflatoxins are various poisonous carcinogens and mutagens that are produced by certain molds, particularly ''Aspergillus'' species. The fungi grow in soil, decaying vegetation and various staple foodstuffs and commodities such as hay, sweetcorn ...
on corn in th
2006 Diamond Dog Food Recalland
melamine
Melamine is an organic compound with the formula C3H6N6. This white solid is a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 67% nitrogen by mass, and its derivatives have fire retardant properties due t ...
, which may have contaminated
wheat gluten and other protein concentrates in the
2007 pet food recalls
Beginning in March 2007, there was a widespread recall of many brands of cat and dog foods due to contamination with melamine and cyanuric acid. The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of kidney failure ...
.
See also
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Dog food
Dog food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of ca ...
*
Meat by-product
An animal product is any material derived from the body of an animal. Examples are fat, flesh, blood, milk, eggs, and lesser known products, such as isinglass and rennet.
Animal by-products, as defined by the USDA, are products harvested or ma ...
*
Meat extenders Meat extenders are non-meat substances with substantial protein content. Extenders are distinguished from fillers by their high protein content, compared to the high carbohydrate content of fillers.
Extenders were originally used to reduce costs bu ...
References
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External links
Functions of fiber-
PurinaWhat’s Really in Pet Food
Pet foods