Assessment of commercial insect-based pet food products: nutrients’ concentration, labelling adequacy and determination of animal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Over recent years, the availability of insect-based pet food products has increased. However, concerns have arisen regarding potential nutritional challenges associated with using edible insects in pet food, and no studies have yet evaluated the adequacy of these products. This study assessed the nutrient composition and labelling accuracy of twenty-nine commercially available insect-based pet foods. Of these, twenty-four were dog products (four for growth, seventeen for adults, three for all life stages) and five were cat products (two for adults, three for all life stages), all labelled as complete and balanced. The products were analysed for proximate composition, essential amino acids, and mineral content (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, mercury, and molybdenum) according to AOAC guidelines. The results were compared with label declarations, considering nutritional and legal tolerances, as well as recommendations from FEDIAF and NRC for the intended species and life stages (g/1000 kcal ME). Heavy metals were compared to maximum tolerable limits from the FDA. The twenty products labelled as ‘hypoallergenic’ were assessed for animal DNA using next-generation sequencing. The analysis revealed that 22 products (76%) did not comply with declared nutritional values and tolerances for at least one nutrient, with nine products (31%) showing discrepancies in two or more; key issues were in crude fibre and metabolizable energy. Three products (10%) met FEDIAF’s recommendations, and seventeen (59%) met NRC’s recommendations. Only one (3%) adhered to both label and FEDIAF’s recommendations. Most nutritional inadequacies were seen in selenium, calcium, phosphorus, Ca/P ratios, and taurine, potentially posing health risks to pets. Furthermore, fifteen out of twenty (75%) hypoallergenic-labelled products complied with the labelled species. Despite the potential benefits of insect-based pet foods, this study underscores the need for further research and stricter quality control to ensure safety and efficacy, ultimately improving pet nutrition and consumers’ trust.