Table 4.
Measured nutrient content in five plant-based feline foods commercially available in Canada and labeled for growth or all life stages compared to the AAFCO and FEDIAF recommended essential nutrient concentrations for feline growth on a dry matter basis (unit per 100 g dry matter).
| Nutrient (Unit per 100 g) | Median | Range | AAFCO * | FEDIAF ** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude protein (g) | 31.61 | 29.16–35.31 | 30.0 | 28.00 |
| Arginine (g) | 1.54 | 1.27–2.45 | 1.24 | 1.07–3.50 |
| Histidine (g) | 0.61 | 0.40–0.75 | 0.33 | |
| Isoleucine (g) | 1.39 | 0.81–1.61 | 0.56 | 0.54 |
| Leucine (g) | 2.38 | 1.40–2.77 | 1.28 | |
| Lysine (g) | 1.14 | 0.88–2.07 | 1.20 | 0.85 |
| Methionine (g) | 0.47 | 0.36–0.85 | 0.62–1.5 | 0.44–1.30 |
| Methionine + Cystine (g) | 0.60 | 0.42–1.16 | 1.10 | 0.88 |
| Phenylalanine (g) | 1.48 | 0.98–1.71 | 0.52 | 0.50 |
| Phenylalanine + Tyrosine (g) | 2.49 | 1.55–2.79 | 1.92 | 1.91 |
| Threonine (g) | 1.24 | 0.73–1.40 | 0.73 | 0.65 |
| Tryptophan (g) | 0.33 | 0.19–0.38 | 0.25–1.7 | 0.16–1.70 |
| Valine (g) | 1.54 | 0.94–1.82 | 0.64 | 0.64 |
| Taurine–extruded (g) | 0.19 | 0.01–0.21 | 0.10 | |
| Taurine–canned (g) | 0.13 | 0.00–0.14 | 0.20 | 0.25 |
| Crude fat (g) | 9.56 | 8.50–14.57 | 9.00 | |
| Linoleic acid (g) | 5.65 | 1.40–15.80 | 0.6 | 0.55 |
| α-linolenic acid (g) | 0.68 | 0.17–1.83 | 0.02 | |
| Arachidonic acid (g) | 0.01 | 0.01–0.03 | 0.02 | |
| EPA + DHA (g) | 0.00 | 0.00–0.01 | 0.012 | 0.01 |
| GLA (g) | 0.02 | 0.00–0.04 | NR | |
| Calcium (g) | 0.96 | 0.48–1.39 | 1.00 | |
| Phosphorus (g) | 0.76 | 0.56–1.07 | 0.8 | 0.84 |
| Calcium to phosphorus ratio | 1.24 | 0.83–1.39 | NR | 1:1–1.5:1 |
| Potassium (g) | 1.44 | 0.68–1.72 | 0.60 | |
| Sodium (g) | 0.33 | 0.29–0.73 | 0.2 | 0.16 |
| Chloride (g) | 1.03 | 0.79–1.46 | 0.3 | 0.24 |
| Magnesium (g) | 0.18 | 0.09–0.19 | 0.08 | 0.05 |
| Iron (mg) | 24.59 | 10.49–41.39 | 8.00 | 8.00–68.18 |
| Copper–extruded (mg) | 3.14 | 1.46–3.44 | 1.5 | 1.00–2.80 |
| Copper–canned (mg) | 2.15 | 1.43–2.83 | 0.84 | |
| Manganese (mg) | 4.10 | 1.31–5.55 | 0.76 | 1.00–17.00 |
| Zinc (mg) | 21.46 | 8.90–35.93 | 7.50 | 7.50–22.70 |
| Vitamin A (IU) | 959.5 | 251.4–2319 | 666.8–33,333 | 900–33,333 |
| Ergocalciferol (IU) | 0.00 | 0.00–0.00 | NR | |
| Cholecalciferol (IU) | 115 | 0–155 | NR | |
| Vitamin D (IU) | 114.7 | 0–154.5 | 28.0–3008 | 28.00–227 |
| Vitamin B12 (mg) | 0.00464 | 0.00000–0.71690 | 0.002 | 0.00180 |
* AAFCO nutrient profile for kitten growth (minimum or minimum–maximum) [1]. ** FEDIAF recommendations for kitten growth (minimum or minimum–maximum) [2]. Bolded values are outside of the AAFCO recommended range. Italicized values are outside of the FEDIAF recommended range. AAFCO = Association of American Feed Control Officials, FEDIAF = European Pet Food Industry Federation, NR = No recommendation.