The alternative protein dog treat manufacturers Mr Bug explain why insect protein treats are the future — and a hit with our dogs!
Mr Bug provides the last word in nutritious entovegan dog snacks
Mr Bug is an ambitious entovegan business venture taking shape in sunny Devon, a bold vision with invaluable government support (farming transformation fund) to breed plump, nutrient-dense mealworms in one of the most beautiful regions of Britain; initially prioritising the dog treat sector before targeting human-themed products (protein powders) longer term.
Mealworms for anyone not in the know are the Rolls Royce of nutritious, edible grubs; not only providing an appealing nutty twang for your dog but a nutritious war chest of healthful goodness that would be the envy of any well-balanced treat.
Mealworms provide more calcium than milk, more B12 than salmon, more iron than spinach; in addition to being jam-packed with all 9 essential amino acids.
From a common-sense perspective bug nutrition is unavoidable down the line as traditional farming can neither keep pace with human-race expansion, nor do so in an environmentally-friendly manner. At this moment in time 30% of all intensively-farmed animals are bred specifically with dog bowl consumption in mind. Recent research showed that the environmental impact of total pet food equated to a land mass twice the size of the UK!
Farming insects uses between 50-90% less land per kg protein, 40-80% less animal feed per kg of edible weight whilst simultaneously producing 1,000-2700 less GHGEs (greenhouse gas emissions).
One of the many pluses of Mr Bug is that it pro-actively champions the circular economy with its eager-to-please mealworms fed on Cornish bran, a hitherto useless by-product of local wheat milling, which is madness as it’s both a digestible and healthy mono-protein. The resulting frass (that’s mealworm poo to ye & me) is a nutritious, all-natural fertiliser that supports subsequent wheat harvests.
It's an fortunate truth that thanks to the plethora of new dog foods that have joined the fray in recent years (BARF, organic, no added grain, superior gut health) that there’s more choice than ever for the inquisitive, dare we say finicky ‘pet parents’ who are not inspired the old-school, conveyor belt dog meals on offer.
Unfortunately dog treats have not kept pace, which is odd when you consider that 1 in 3 dogs in the UK is morbidly obese. As with humans there is this deluded rationale that a snacking treat is an occasional/frequent reward they can be made of pretty much anything. Albeit these days it’s perfectly plausible for a treat to not only taste amazing but be made of ‘real food’ and devoid of synthetic nasties, sugar, salt and lazy filler grains.
In its current incarnation there are four Mr Bug Bite flavour options:
The Fruity One – made with apple, cranberries and honey
The Nutty One – made with peanuts and tumeric
The Cheesy One – made with beetroot and vegetarian cheese
The Veggie One – made with sweet potato, parsnip & carrot
In 2021 10,000 metric tonnes of insect protein were created worldwide. Conservative estimates suggest that by 2030 this number will exceed 500,000 tonnes.
Visit www.mrbug.co.uk for further information!
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