Colorado-based fermented protein producer Bond Pet Foods has reached a significant milestone in its partnership with global Pet Nutrition by Hill’s Pet Food manufacturer. The company has officially shipped its first two metric tons of animal protein produced through fermentation, allowing Hill’s to begin drafting prototypes for regulatory review and market assessment.
“Precision fermentation is an evolution of this technology”
Bond Pet Foods’ proprietary protein ingredient is made specifically for pet food applications, using a process similar to beer brewing. Fermented proteins mirror the nutritional profile of conventional meat but without the environmental drawbacks. The collaboration between the two companies was originally initiated in late 2021 to develop an alternative to one of Hill’s most used meat proteins. And now, the companies have announced a second joint development agreement to explore additional sustainable animal proteins for Hill’s product line.
Dave Baloga, Executive Vice President of Science and Technology at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, commented, “Hill’s is known for its leadership in precise, complete and balanced science-based nutrition. We are excited to continue our relationship with Bond and support their truly innovative approach [producing] animal proteins in a more sustainable way that meets our high quality standards.”
In a recent interview with vegconomist, Rich Kelleman, founder and CEO of Bond Pet Foods, detailed the precision fermentation process, noting, “Precision fermentation is an evolution of this technology. It’s been used for almost half a century to make everything from enzymes (rennet) for making cheese to good bacteria for probiotics, vitamin B12, and lactic acid – we’ve simply reengineered the process to produce meat proteins that can be the foundation for the pet health.”
Alt pet food sector
Other companies are also venturing into the alternative pet food space, with CULT Food Science in Canada recently releasing a third proprietary ingredient made through a fermentation and fractionation process. Shannon Falconer, CEO of cultured meat company, BioCraft Pet Nutrition, told vegconomist, “[The] The supply chain for meat is becoming increasingly uncertain, both in terms of price volatility and stock loss. Pet food manufacturers are desperate for a more stable alternative.”
Kelleman concluded, “Production tonnage at the 45,000 liter scale is a major milestone in the Bond-Hill partnership. Additionally, Hill’s commitment to expanding our work together presents an opportunity to co- Together we see Bond ingredients for their future in the food and pet industries.”
