Nutritionist's Note: Why Real Power Refuses Soybeans and Wheat
Wheat often develops mycotoxins through poor storage, and wheat gluten is a common allergen. Soybeans, chickpeas, peas and other legumes people eat every day hide anti-nutritional factors that impair digestion and absorption.
Real Power refuses soybeans and wheat
Soybeans, wheat, chickpeas, lentils and peas are common in commercial pet food, and legumes are a cost-effective protein source. But because of genetic modification, mycotoxins and anti-nutritional factors, Real Power's nutrition team has never used them in any formula.
Soybeans — genetic modification
The health effects of GM ingredients remain contested, and the GM share of soybeans is very high. Taiwan Customs import statistics show 2.63 million tonnes of soybeans imported in 2018, about 97% genetically modified — non-GM raw material is a tiny fraction.
Wheat — mycotoxins
Wheat is an imported grain that travels long distances. Temperature and humidity in transit readily produce mould and its secondary metabolites, mycotoxins: aflatoxin (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2 — the only one specified in Council of Agriculture test standards), ochratoxin (OTA), citrinin (these two were among the causes of mass dog deaths in Taiwan 16 years ago), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA, F-2), trichothecenes (T-2), ergot alkaloids and fumonisins (FUM).
Dogs and cats tolerate and detoxify mycotoxins poorly. Even without acute high-dose poisoning, long-term intake is proven to be linked to liver and kidney lesions, cancers, tumours and immunosuppression — something every pet parent must avoid.
Pet food is usually packed in bags up to 97% airtight. When containers heat up in transit (sea routes from Europe and America to Taiwan cross the equator, where temperatures can exceed 70 °C, over voyages of up to 30 days), moisture leaves the kibble and gathers as vapour at the top inside of the bag with nowhere to go. At night the temperature drops and the vapour condenses; once moisture exceeds 12% mould grows easily. Pet food shipped across oceans therefore carries a higher mycotoxin risk than food made in Taiwan.
Wheat — allergy concerns
Gluten, mostly in the outer layer of wheat, is a protein that can trigger allergies; common symptoms appear in the gut, airways and skin — eczema, diarrhoea and so on. In more sensitive dogs and cats, excess wheat can set off an allergic response: the immune system carries excess anti-gliadin antibodies which react with gluten and trigger defence mechanisms, producing specific symptoms.
Legumes — antigenic proteins
Soybeans, wheat gluten and some legumes contain at least two antigens that ordinary feed-manufacturing processes cannot remove. These antigenic proteins pass through the intestinal villus epithelium, are absorbed, carried by the blood to the immune organs, and trigger antibody production in lymphocytes. The antibodies then travel through the blood, meet more antigen, form complexes and provoke local inflammation — redness, swelling, itching, even diarrhoea. So although legumes are a fine plant-protein source for humans, we refuse to use them in Real Power pet food.
❚ Further reading: The FDA's mass pet-food recall and deadly aflatoxin · Why we don't use wheat
