WAGENINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS — NutriLeads BV, a developer of plant-based, precision prebiotic fibers, announced a collaboration with dsm-firmenich to examine potential applications for its prebiotic fiber Benicaros® in pet nutrition. Benicaros is a natural prebiotic fiber derived from upcycled carrot pomace, a byproduct of carrot juicing.

The companies intend to enter an exclusive global partnership to develop and distribute Benicaros for the pet food market if current microbiome studies in cats and dogs produce the results they expect.

NutriLeads has studies to support how Benicaros works with the human immune system to increase beneficial gut microorganisms. The human studies have shown that Benicaros consistently increases gut bacteria including Bifidobacterium (mainly B. adolescentis and B. longum), which are also common in the gut microbiome of dogs and cats.

Additional studies have shown that Benicaros significantly increases production of short chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate and butyrate) that support gut barrier function, immune health and energy metabolism in humans.

“We see tremendous potential for Benicaros to optimize pet health and longevity by enhancing digestive and immune health,” said Joana Carneiro-Wakefield, Ph.D., chief executive officer of NutriLeads. “Based on our previous research, we believe that Benicaros can be a ‘game-changing’ ingredient for pet parents as well as pet food and nutrition manufacturers.” 

The animal studies with Benicaros are expected to be completed later this year.

“The global pet food market is expected to reach $175 billion in annual sales by 2027,” said Pierre-Alain Ceralli, senior vice president, Petfood Business with dsm-firmenich. “A key growth driver is an increased demand for healthier ingredients that are science-based, human-grade, vegetarian and sustainable. Benicaros aligns perfectly with this industry trend and perfectly complements dsm-firmenich’s science-based and consumer-focused microbiome offering for the pet food industry.” 

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