Review of the progress and future trends in international pet nutrition research

With the continuous expansion of the global pet market and the improvement of pet owners awareness of pet health, pet nutrition research has gradually become a field of attention. Foreign countries started early in pet nutrition research, and have accumulated rich experience and research results. This paper will review the progress of the pet nutrition research abroad, including the pet nutrition requirements, nutrition standards, research methods, hot areas and future development trends.

0 1 Pet nutritional requirements and standards

Pet nutrition requirements are the foundation of pet nutrition research. The pet food industry in Europe and American countries started early, and has a relatively systematic theoretical system and practical experience in the research of pet nutrition needs. Currently, the three most recognized pet nutrition standards include the American Feed Management Association (AAFCO), the National Research Council (NRC) and the European Union Feed Industry Association (FEDIAF). These standards specify the nutritional requirements of pets in different growth stages and health conditions, and provide a scientific basis for the development and production of pet food. However, these criteria also vary greatly in some recommended nutrient requirements, sometimes reaching 30%. This is mainly due to different factors considered by different standards, such as pet breed, age, weight, activity level and environmental factors. Therefore, in practical application, it is necessary to choose the appropriate nutritional standards according to the specific situation of pets, and make appropriate adjustments combined with practical experience.

02 Pet nutrition research method

The research methods of pet nutrition mainly include laboratory research, field test and nutrition investigation. Laboratory studies observe pet response and nutritional changes in different nutrients through feeding and nutritional intervention under controlled conditions. The field test was conducted in the actual feeding environment, and the effect of the nutritional programs was evaluated by comparing the effects of different nutritional programs on the growth, health and production performance of pets. The nutrition survey collects and analyzes the feeding records of pet owners, the health status and nutritional intake of pets, so as to understand the nutritional needs and nutritional status of pets. Foreign in pet nutrition research methods of innovation and improvement. For example, the use of modern biotechnology means such as isotope labeling technology, gene chip technology and bioinformatics technology can more accurately determine the absorption, utilization and metabolism of nutrients in pets, and reveal the action mechanism and regulation pathway of nutrients in pets. The application of these new technologies and new methods provides strong support for the further development of pet nutrition research.

Major institutions and achievements of pet nutrition research abroad

3.1 University Research Institutions Many foreign universities have pet nutrition research institutions, such as the University of California, University of London, University of Illinois, University of Guelph, University of North Carolina and Texas A & M University. These institutions have advanced experimental equipment and a professional research team dedicated to basic and applied research in pet nutrition. For example, the Pet Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis, has achieved fruitful research results on pet nutritional needs, nutritional metabolism, and nutritional interventions. Researchers at the center used a combination of laboratory research and field tests to explore the effects of different nutrients on pet growth, health and performance, providing a scientific basis for the development and production of pet food.

3.2 Enterprise Research Institutions In addition to university research institutions, many pet food enterprises also have research institutions, such as Waltham Pet Nutrition Research Center and Nestle Academy of Nutrition Sciences. These enterprise research institutions focus on transforming the scientific research results into practical applications to promote the innovative development of the pet food industry. Waltham Pet Nutrition Research Center is the global research and development center of Mars Pet Care (Mars), and is a globally recognized authority on pet nutrition and care. In collaboration with veterinary universities and nutrition research institutes in more than 20 countries around the world, the center conducts research on the digestion and absorption of nutrition, oral health, feeding behavior, and digestive health. Through continuous research and innovation, Waltham Pet Nutrition Research Center offers many high-quality nutrition solutions to the pet food industry. Nestle Academy of Nutrition is a non-profit organization established by Nestle in Switzerland to improve the quality of life of pets by sharing science-based information and education. Researchers at the school continue to advance their unique nutritional, health and happiness living strategies by reducing the amount of salt, sugar and fat in foods and increasing essential nutrients. These research results provide strong support for the healthy development of the pet food industry.

04 pet nutrition research

4.1 Gastrointestinal diseases and healthy intestinal flora gastrointestinal diseases are one of the common health problems in pets. Studies have shown that the interaction between gut microbes and the host immune system is highly complex, and that their mutualism is key to maintaining the stable environment in the gut and is beneficial in maintaining the intestinal health of pets. Chronic bowel disease (CE) is one of the most common intestinal diseases in pets, mainly including food-responsive bowel disease, anti-microbial responsive diarrhea, and corticosteroid or immunosuppressive-responsive inflammatory bowel disease. Nowadays, more and more scholars are concerned with applying scientific nutritional strategies and formulating precise dietary formula as an important means for the prevention and treatment of pet CE. By adding beneficial microorganisms such as probiotics and prebiotics to the diet, the intestinal flora and immune system can be regulated to maintain the intestinal health of pets, and achieve the effect of preventing and treating intestinal diseases. In addition, the study has also found that some functional feed additives, such as mannoheptanone sugar and resistant starch, can also improve the intestinal health of pets.

4.2 Immunization and Obesity Pet Obesity is another hot issue of concern in the pet nutrition community. Excessive obesity in pets can cause health problems such as orthopedic diseases, urinary system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory dysfunction and hormonal disorders, thus shortening the life span of pets. Therefore, how to adjust and improve the pet diet structure to reduce the incidence of obesity is an important direction of current pet nutrition research. Studies have shown that the addition of certain functional components such as medium chain fatty acids and dietary fiber can reduce energy intake and fat deposition in pets, thus controlling weight gain. In addition, by optimizing the diet formula, improve protein utilization and reduce the proportion of carbohydrates, can also be effective to prevent pet obesity.

4.3 Pet Nutrition and Health of the Elderly With the extension of pet life span, the health problem of elderly pets is increasingly concerned. Elderly pets are prone to malnutrition and chronic diseases due to the decline of body function and slow metabolism. Therefore, it is important to study the nutritional needs and nutritional interventions of elderly pets. Studies have shown that older pets require higher protein and lower carbohydrate ratios to maintain body function and immunity. At the same time, adding some functional ingredients such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory factors can delay the aging process of elderly pets and improve their quality of life.

Future development trend of pet nutrition research abroad

5.1 Precision Nutrition and Personalized Breeding With the continuous development of gene sequencing technology and bioinformatics technology, precision nutrition and personalized feeding will become an important direction of future pet nutrition research. By measuring the genotype and phenotypic characteristics of pets, we can understand the nutritional needs and metabolic characteristics of their pets, so as to develop personalized nutrition programs and improve the health level and production performance of pets.

5.2 Development and Application of new feed additives The development and application of new feed additives will promote the innovative development of the pet food industry. For example, beneficial microorganisms such as probiotics and prebiotics produced by microbial fermentation technology can be used as feed additives to improve the intestinal health and immunity of pets. In addition, specific nutritional functions can also be developed to develop feed additives with natural active ingredients such as plant extracts and functional peptides to meet the nutritional needs of pets at different growth stages and health conditions.

5.3 Establishment and improvement of the nutrition and health management system

The establishment and improvement of the nutrition and health management system will help to improve the health level and production performance of pets. By collecting and analyzing information on pet keeping records, health status and nutritional intake, a pet nutrition and health database can be established to provide scientific feeding guidance and nutritional advice for pet owners. At the same time, the use of the Internet of Things technology and artificial intelligence technology can realize the remote monitoring and health management of pets, and timely find and deal with health problems.