By Julie Lauzon, agr, MSc, Pet Nutrition
If Big Country Raw meals are “Complete”, why isn’t it added to the meals?
Most pet owners know that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oils, are an essential addition to their pet’s diet. The benefits are vast and well-known: skin and coat, anti-inflammatory power for joints, brain development, etc. But not all omega-3 oils are created equal. If you’re looking to get the most from the oil, it’s origin, it’s conservation and storage, as well as how it is offered to our pets differs greatly from oil to oil.
Plant-based oils are usually less sensitive than those derived from fish, although more sensitive than saturated fats like butter or coconut oil. Their fatty acid composition, often lower in omega-3, but bountiful in omega-6 and omega-9, makes them a little bit more stable at room temperature and when exposed to oxygen. In fact, with fats, the more unsaturated, the more sensitive the oil is. Plant-based oils also lack in some types of omega-3, offering only ALA. The other three, EPA, DHA and DPA, readily and only found in fish, seafood and seagrass, are not found in plant-based oils. Unlike humans, dogs and cats are not very good at synthesizing their own EPA, DHA and DPA from ALA, and these three omega-3 oils are the most beneficial for inflammation and brain development. Therefore, dogs and cats fed strictly plant-based diets might lack in those specific omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA and DPA). That being said, the omega-6 and omega-9 found in plant-based oils are essential as well, for skin health for example.
The very high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, like the omega-3 oils, found in fish oil is what makes it more sensitive to its environment. Just a little exposure to sunlight or heat and the oil quickly goes rancid. When an oil is rancid it means the fatty acids suffered some oxidation (exposure to air, light and/or heat) and hydrolysis of the triglyceride – the breakdown of the molecules that creates free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage cells). These reactions happen all the time in our bodies – when cells get energy from fat, they will break down the triglycerides and fatty acids to create energy. This natural bodily reaction, like any other oxidation reaction, creates free radicals that will then get neutralized by an antioxidant. However, when this natural process takes place while the fish oil is still in the bottle, the benefits of the fatty acids are lost, and in the long term, feeding oxidized (rancid) oil can create oxidative stress in your animal. This is why most fish oils have an added antioxidant – preventing the oxidation process. In white fish oils, you’ll notice Vitamin E is added for this purpose and in Salmon oil you’ll find naturally occurring astaxanthin, another antioxidant found in the red pigment of the oil.
We know light and heat can create the oxidation reaction, but fish oils are also sensitive to air, bacteria and prolonged freezing. Knowing that most processed food are cooked, it is fair to suppose those including fish oil have probably destroyed the benefit of the included oils. If the fats and oils are added after cooking, then the product needs to be protected from air and bacteria by ensuring the bags are not stored under a window or stay open for too long. In the context of a raw diet, it would be easy to believe, since neither are cooked, the fish oils wouldn’t lose its efficacy if added during preparation, however, when mixed with the food, the oils are exposed to oxygen and come in contact with bacteria found in the meat (even good ones!), and then being frozen for long periods of time prior to making it to your pet’s food bowl. Freezing the oil in its original packaging isn’t harmful and doesn’t compromise the product but when it’s exposed to other ingredients, as well as air, prolonged freezing, heat or light, the benefit of the oils are lost or at best, greatly reduced.
The best and safest way to offer fish oil to your pet, ensuring your pet is benefitting as much as possible, is to add it to the food at mealtime. The idea of having to add to your complete meal might make the food sound “less complete”, but it’s important to know some nutrients are better served fresh, ignoring the marketing that is used to make you believe otherwise.
It is not the same story with whole fish, and this brings us to another myth of the industry that is in great need to be debunked. Fish can be frozen, ground, mixed with raw, etc. and the omega-3 will stay safe and well protected, as they are all still under their natural whole food form within the fish tissues.
Fish oil can be extracted from the fish using several different processes. The simplest method would be cold pressed which uses no heat or solvents, the fat is simply extracted from the fish, most of which will still be in the triglyceride form. These oils, though less concentrated in omega-3 then others, are the closest to feeding whole fish with the highest digestibility. The negatives being they are less concentrated, meaning you would have to feed more than oils extracted using other methods, and they are more sensitive. Cold-pressed oils will also get cloudy and solidify during the “freezing test” simply due to of the concentration level and being in their most natural form.
When processing the oils further, it is possible to extract the “unwanted” fats, to make the omega-3 levels higher, thereby creating a more concentrated product. It is even possible to break down the triglycerides in glycerol and free fatty acids. This makes the oil concentration of omega-3 significantly higher and less sensitive to oxidation. Often solvents like ethanol are used during these processing methods and some can be toxic. Also, the more processed the oil, the more the digestibility decreases because it is too far from its natural form. Another name for these oils of a high concentration omega-3 is known as EE oil (Ethyl Ester oil). EE Oils, unlike the more natural cold-pressed oils that still have their omega-3 under triglycerides form (TG oils), will require the pancreas and liver to secrete more bile and lipase to properly digest which would remove the ethanol from the fatty acids, making it beneficial for your pet. Although they are more concentrated, these oils are four times less bioavailable, potentially increasing the required feeding amount, and will stay in very liquid form once frozen, because of the high omega-3 content, as well as the ethanol content.
In line with our company’s vision and commitment to quality and sustainability, Big Country Raw sources their fish and fish oils from licensed fisheries, governed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Their job is to monitor and regulate fish populations by ensuring areas of the oceans are not being overfished, depleting much needed fish species. When an area of the ocean is “closed” for fishing, fisheries are required to move to a different area to catch. This change, which to us seems rather small, can have a huge impact on the finished products containing fish. The colour of the fish and extracted oils can change in hue, and the smell and viscosity can also be affected. The good news is the quality is unaffected.
In conclusion, there is much to consider when choosing an omega-3 source to supplement your pet’s dish, to utilize the health advantages they are known to provide. At Big Country Raw, we believe fresh is best and variety is key. We do not recommend relying on a single protein source diet or relying on only one source of omega-3. We will always recommend adding fish oil or whole fish, from various types of fish and processing methods, and occasionally including plant-based oils to harness their unique benefit. Unlike so many other raw food manufacturers, we do not add fish oil to our raw recipes. We want to allow our customers to choose their omega-3 source and use several options in rotation. Why should our customers pay for a food that includes fish oil, being unsure of the type, its preservation method, and which may not actually be of any health benefit to your pet?
References:
Government of Canada. Rebuilding key forage fish stocks for healthier East Coast fisheries. 2022. https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2022/03/rebuilding-key-forage-fish-stocks-for-healthier-east-coast-fisheries.html
Chevalier L, Plourde M. Comparison of pharmacokinetics of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in monoacylglycerol or ethyl ester in humans: a randomized controlled trial. 2021. Eur J Clin Nutr. 75(4):680-688
Science Direct. Fish Oil : an Overview. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/fish oil#:~:text=Fish%20oils%2C%20produced%20by%20a,of%20origin%20and%20seasonal%20variations.