Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Product

Dried Bacillus licheniformis fermentation product is a dried culture of a spore-forming bacterium used as a probiotic in animal feed. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say probiotic effects are often strain specific and that there is not yet evidence that probiotics improve wellness in animals without illness. No specific concern for cats appears in the sources we checked. A cat with a weak immune system or other condition should see its veterinarian.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

It is added as a probiotic. Bacillus licheniformis forms spores that hold up in dry food, so it is one of the few probiotic bacteria that can still be alive in kibble after processing. Makers often pair it with Bacillus subtilis. Whether it changes a cat's digestion in a measurable way has not been shown in published cat studies we found.

Yes, on a pet food label Bacillus licheniformis is used as a probiotic, meaning live bacteria added to the food. It belongs to the Bacillus group, which forms spores, unlike Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. The words dried fermentation product tell you the bacteria were grown and dried, then added as a culture, not as an extract of enzymes.

There is no evidence that it does. Tufts veterinary nutritionists write that there is not yet evidence that probiotic supplements improve overall wellness in animals without illness. Diarrhea is the most studied use in pets. A cat eating a complete and balanced food does not need a probiotic in that food to meet its nutrient needs.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives dried Bacillus licheniformis fermentation product 4 out of 5 and lists it as a probiotic or enzyme ingredient. It appears on 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The ingredient score reflects the ingredient alone, not the amount in any one recipe. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.