Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product
Our ingredient score: 4 / 5 · Probiotic or enzyme · How We Score
On the label these appear as "fermentation product" and are live bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus faecium and Bacillus, called probiotics. Bacillus spores survive heat; most other bacteria do not survive the heat of making dry food, so they are usually coated onto the kibble after cooking.
Common Questions
Is Bifidobacterium longum safe for cats?
Dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product is a dried culture of a common gut bacterium, used as a probiotic. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say there is not yet evidence that probiotic supplements improve overall wellness in animals without illness, and that quality control on pet probiotics varies. The sources we checked name no specific risk for cats. Ask your veterinarian before relying on it for a cat with a medical condition.
Source: sites.tufts.edu
Why is Bifidobacterium longum in cat food?
It is added as a probiotic. Makers include it on the idea that adding friendly gut bacteria supports digestion and stool quality. Bifidobacterium longum is widely used in human probiotics, and pet food makers borrow it for the same reason. Evidence of a benefit from probiotic foods in cats is limited.
What is Bifidobacterium longum?
Bifidobacterium longum is a species of bacteria that lives in the intestines of many mammals. It feeds on carbohydrates that reach the large intestine and produces acids there. On a cat food label, dried fermentation product means the bacteria were grown in culture and dried, then added to the food as a probiotic.
Can Bifidobacterium survive in kibble?
Bifidobacterium does not form spores, so it does not survive the heat of extrusion. Makers coat it onto the kibble after cooking, and survival then depends on storage conditions and time. Tufts veterinary nutritionists describe a study in which none of 19 dry pet foods contained live bacteria that matched their labels.
Source: sites.tufts.edu
How does Pettings score dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product?
Pettings gives dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product 4 out of 5 and lists it as a probiotic or enzyme ingredient. It appears on 1 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.
How Foods With Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product Compare
Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product is on the label of 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.