German chemical company WACKER Chemie has announced EU approval of its FERMOPURE VEGAN L-CYSTEINE and FERMOPURE NATURAL L-CYSTINE for use in animal feed, expanding the range of applications for the ingredients.
The approval covers FERMOPURE NATURAL L-CYSTINE PET FOOD as well as the following product variants of FERMOPURE VEGAN L-CYSTEINE PET FOOD: L-cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate, L-cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate 20 mesh, L-cysteine hydrochloride anhydrous and L-cysteine free base.
The news marks the firm's first foray into the EU pet food ingredient market, having already established a strong foothold in the US. It also makes WACKER the only manufacturer of L-cysteine derived from biotechnologically produced cystine that is approved by the EU as a feed additive.
Amino acids L-cystine and L-cysteine are used in pet food as flavour precursors and flavour components. During production, they react with reducing sugars in what is known as the Maillard reaction, producing characteristic meaty and savory flavors.
In pet feed, flavourings are used to enhance smell and taste, thereby increasing the palatability of the food.
WACKER commented that, since pets have a particularly keen sense of smell and taste, use of flavourings can help make nutritionally valuable but less appealing food ingredients more palatable.
“With the new EU approval, we are expanding our range of pet food products in Europe to include amino acids produced through fermentation,” said Christian Hauk, Head of BioIngredients at WACKER’s Biosolutions business division.
This ensures that our customers receive products made from plant-based raw materials that are of the highest quality and fully traceable.
The approval was preceded by a positive safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The news comes as pet ownership in Europe reaches an all-time high — according to research, 140 million European households (49%) own one or more of Europe’s 306 million pets.
This has driven significant economic growth in the veterinary and pet food sector, with annual sales of pet food products now standing at €29.4bn.
