Leadership Innovations
Groundbreaking discoveries in feline nutrition help us to develop innovative new products and make important advances in cat health and well-being. Our research programmes and nutritional strategies are designed to find ways to advance the lives of pets.
At Nestlé Purina PetCare, research in pet food nutrition has led to many innovative discoveries. Scientists working in various disciplines have achieved breakthroughs that have become pillars of research that help define and shape the global Nestlé Purina PetCare brands.
Nestlé Purina scientists conduct studies to determine nutrient or nutrient combinations that will help advance the lives of older pets.
Addressing adverse food reactions in cats, Nestlé Purina introduced a patented hypoallergenic soya protein diet. Adverse food reactions occur when protein antigens infiltrate a cat’s gut, causing an immune-based response. Using a molecular modification process, Nestlé Purina hydrolysed and purified soya protein, thus creating a highly concentrated, quality protein of reduced molecular weight. Since the hydrolysed soya protein has a reduced molecular weight, it is able to move through the gut without the cat’s immune system recognising it, and thus minimising allergic response.
Nestlé Purina nutritionists discovered that a specially formulated diet high in protein and low in carbohydrate can help manage glucose levels in diabetic cats. The increased protein in the cat’s diet can help to slow glucose absorption from the intestinal tract and control blood glucose levels following meals, which can help owners better manage their diabetic cat. In some cats, the diet may actually reduce the amount of exogenous insulin required.
Nestlé Purina scientists conduct studies to determine the optimal nutrition needed for the growth of kittens as well as their food preferences and feeding behaviours.
Nestlé Purina scientists have made many important discoveries about how nutrition can benefit a pet’s gastrointestinal health. For example, Nestlé Purina scientists studying the effect of nutrients on a cat’s intestinal system have found that certain ingredients, called prebiotics, help boost the production of beneficial bacterial in the gut and ultimately help to balance gut microflora.
Results from a recent Nestlé Purina PetCare study reveal groundbreaking new insights into the ageing process in senior cats, with implications for optimum nutritional care. The study shows that cats fed on a diet including antioxidants vitamin E and ß-carotene, dried chicory root and a blend of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, Longevis™, lived significantly longer - up to one year - than cats fed a standard nutritionally complete feline diet. Longevis is the crucial nutritional component in PRO PLAN Vital Age 7 for senior cats.
Nestlé Purina scientist conduct studies that produce key insights about the importance of dietary protein in maintaining cats’ lean body mass during weight loss.
