LAS VEGAS (PRNewswire) — Wild Earth, Inc. — a startup using biotech to reinvent the pet food industry — has officially launched the industry’s first line of high-protein, meat-free dog food.
Wild Earth already has a line of meat-free pet treats and has set their sights on creating 100% nutritionally complete pet food that rivals the highest-quality animal-based foods on the market but without reliance on factory farming.
Wild Earth’s dog food will be available in independent pet food retailers nationwide starting in September 2019. The product can also be purchased online at https://wildearth.com.
A recent UCLA study calculated that the production of dog and cat food generates the equivalent of 64 million tons of carbon dioxide per year resulting in 25-30% of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the United States.
“The effects of meat production on the environment are well-documented and utterly unsustainable, and pet food is a large part of the problem,” said Wild Earth CEO Ryan Bethencourt. “When we set out to make the healthiest food for our pets and the environment, we knew we had to look past meat. We’re of course also animal lovers, so kind, cruelty-free nutrition that avoids lab animal testing is of utmost importance to us.”
Wild Earth’s pet food replaces factory-farmed meat with yeast proteins that provide the 10 essential amino acids dogs require. Wild Earth’s clean protein formula is the industry’s first dog food that uses yeast protein as the main ingredient, a unique, major source of dietary fiber that is absent in animal meat and highly lacking in conventional dog foods.
The veterinarian-developed food offers 31% complete proteins in every scoop and a natural umami (meaty) taste that dogs love. By utilizing 100% purposeful ingredients — oats, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, blueberries, pumpkin, spinach — dogs are treated to healthy fibers, vitamins, antioxidants, chloride and potassium.
And these sources provide energy, heart health, immune system support, better digestion and nutrient absorption, among other key benefits. There are also no artificial preservatives or flavors and no corn, soy or rice in Wild Earth’s formula.
“A common misconception is that dogs need animal meat in their diet, but what they truly need is protein,” said Wild Earth Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Ernie Ward. “And protein is readily available to dogs from a variety of plant and fungi-based sources. In fact, many would be surprised to learn that the fungal proteins used by Wild Earth contain more protein per gram than beef.”
Wild Earth has secured more than $16 million in funding thus far, including $550,000 from Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and judge on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
“I invested in Wild Earth because they have the potential to transform the Pet Food industry just like Beyond Meat has transformed the meat industry,” said Cuban. “The release of their first flagship product, a clean, high protein dog food, is a huge milestone for the whole pet food industry.”
Yeast-based proteins, known to grow easily at scale and require radically fewer resources than meat, are approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as safe for dogs.
About Wild Earth
Wild Earth is headquartered in Berkeley, California. For more information visit www.wildearth.com.
SOURCE Wild Earth, Inc.
1 thought on “Startup launches high-protein, meat-free dog food”