What Is Ash In Cat Food
So in this respect ash is a good thing.
What is ash in cat food. What is the appropriate ash content for cat food. These minerals are required in a cats diet. The mineral content can be any combination of calcium magnesium phosphorus potassium sodium silicon sulfur and other trace minerals. When you see ash listed on a cat food label it actually refers to the amount of mineral elements that are left after a sample of the food is put through a two hour burn in a laboratory.
Ash no longer has such a negative connotation in cat food. She tells us ash is essentially the minerals that remain after burning a food sample at 600 degrees c for two hours. Ash in cat food is the inorganic mineral content left over when the organic portion of the food has been burned off. Ash is measured by heating a food to 550 to 600 degrees the inorganic residue is the ash content.
Ash is not a dirty word in the pet food industry. The right amount of ash. In general white meats such as chicken and fish naturally have a lower ash content than red meats such as beef and lamb. Cat food brands with a low ash content ash is mineral content.
In the 1980s ash content in cat food became important because it was thought it played a role. Ash is a form of inorganic material that remains after organic material has been incinerated. The residue contains non caloric minerals including zinc magnesium calcium iron phosphorus sodium and some other trace minerals. Ash in cat food pet food manufacturers determine the ash content of their products by burning samples of the products and measuring the cinders that remain.
These are essential minerals like calcium manganese magnesium phosphorus potassium and sodium. The basic parts of fluffy s food are fat protein carbohydrates fiber and moisture. When the ingredients of mittens food are combined and cooked to form kibble the residue left. It contains essential minerals including calcium phosphorous potassium sodium manganese magnesium and trace minerals.
In general dry pet food is always going to contain ash content aim for something under 8 while wet food will occasionally have it too in smaller amounts typically 2 or less. In fact it s a measurement of minerals that have to be in foods to some extent since your pet needs calcium phosphorus sodium and a plethora of trace minerals. They don t turn into vapor when the food is incinerated. Ash mineral content.
The minerals that form the ash content of pet food come mainly from the meat and bone content of the food but also vegetable sources and additional minerals added by the manufacturer.