is brewer's yeast good for dogs?

Introduction: As consumers pay more and more attention to pet food ingredient lists, manufacturers are looking for ways to find ingredients that meet a variety of needs. As a sustainable source of raw materials,brewer's yeast  plays an important role in improving palatability and protein content in all types of food and animal feed. In recent years, scientists have also discovered incredible benefits for the gut microbiome and overall pet health.

Q1: What is the source of brewer's yeast in pet food? How long has brewer's yeast been used in pet food? Why was it incorporated into the formula in the first place?

It has been believed for centuries as a nutritional supplement by brewers. Going back decades, pet food companies started using brewer's yeast to improve palatability. Since then, we've learned that cats and other companion animals also prefer our yeast products because Emmert Method™ technology preserves and enhances unique flavors.

Now the role of brewer's yeast has long exceeded the formulation of palatability. Through formulation research, it has been shown to perform well in terms of palatability, ingredient sustainability, protein content and utilization of healthy microbes.

Q2: What makes brewer's yeast a sustainable raw material?

First, it is economically sustainable. Since liquid yeast is a by-product of a prominent American brewer, manufactured and sourced in the U.S., the supply chain is very stable and stable.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also an ecologically sustainable by-product of the food industry, where people get delicious beer and pets get high-protein nutritional supplements with no waste.

Q3: You mentioned the advantages of brewer's yeast in terms of protein content. How do pet food companies use this?

The two benchmarks for the ideal amino acid composition are egg or milk protein, a gift from Mother Nature. Brewer's yeast doesn't quite match eggs and milk, but it's surprisingly close.

This makes yeast products an excellent solution for formulators who are crafting a high-meat diet and want to provide a high protein content. It also helps deliver protein in higher ash content formulations. Very cheap in high quality protein. In some applications, Emmert products can also increase yield and reduce shrinkage.

Some of our customers now use as much as 5% to 7% yeast-based ingredients in their formulations to improve palatability, protein content, and the benefits of yeast on the pet's gut microbiome.

Q4: In fact, the role of yeast was not known until recently, but now researchers have found that yeast may play most of the animal health role in it?

Yes. For many years, palatability and protein have been the basis for the use of brewer's yeast in pet food. As the industry learns more about gut health and its impact on overall health, we've discovered that brewer's yeast can play a pivotal role here as well. There are several reasons:

The first is that yeast cell walls contain compounds called beta-glucans. The innate immune system of nearly all animals, from insects to mammals, has receptor proteins that only recognize yeast beta-glucans. These receptors may exist because some yeasts are pathogens, so the immune system has learned to recognize beta-glucan to protect itself. But brewer's yeast is not a pathogen. Therefore, brewer's yeast products can help keep the innate immune system alert without causing inflammation. It's a bit like a police dog on the front porch, where he's alert, but only works when needed.

Second, in addition to beta-glucan, mannooligosaccharides, or MOS, are part of yeast and can help in two ways. One is that MOS can directly bind to some pathogenic bacteria. Second, MOS is a prebiotic that promotes the growth of symbiotic bacteria. These bacteria promote the production of compounds that modulate the inflammatory response.

Finally, yeast directly supports the health of gut cells. These cells are actively dividing, so there is a huge demand for DNA and RNA precursors, free amino acids, and B vitamins.

Q5: Do all yeasts have the same effect?

Not all yeasts are created equal. The challenge with microbial applications is that yeast can vary based on factors such as how the yeast is grown.