Why we use insect fat for some Bellfor products
As you probably know, the Bellfor range includes several products with insect protein from the larvae of black soldier flies. In addition, we also use insect fat to some extent.
Why we use the fat from the larvae in products such as our Fitness Bars, ZEComplete and various ointments, and how your dog benefits from them, is explained below.
What is contained in insect fat?
It probably goes without saying that insect fat consists more or less entirely of fats. Of these, 69.5 percent are saturated fatty acids, 16.6 percent are polyunsaturated fats and 13.4 percent are monounsaturated fatty acids.
You may be concerned about the high content of saturated fats and fear that eating insect fat may harm your four-legged friend. However, we can assure you that this is not the case.
Besides, the majority (around 40 percent) of the fats contained in insect fat are lauric acid, which has many benefits for your dog.
What makes lauric acid so special?
Lauric acid is one of the so-called medium-chain fatty acids. It owes its name to the fact that the berries of the laurel (Latin: Laurus nobilis) contain an oil which is largely composed of lauric acid.
Lauric acid has already been the subject of numerous studies. And even though science undoubtedly still has a lot of work to do in this regard, lauric acid is already attributed to having numerous positive effects.
The medium-chain fatty acid is characterised by its antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal effects, among other things. Lauric acid can thus help to fight fungi, viruses and bacteria and thus have a positive effect on the health of the dog.
Medium-chain fatty acids such as lauric acid can be very easily converted into energy by the organism. This property ensures that lauric acid is an ideal source of energy for endurance sports with dogs.
Also, studies have shown that lauric acid has a replicating effect on various parasites such as ticks, making it excellent natural protection against ticks.
Is coconut oil a good alternative to insect fat?
Of course, lauric acid is not only contained in insect fat, but also many other foods. Apart from milk, which contains at least small amounts of the medium-chain fatty acid, coconut oil, in particular, is known for its high lauric acid content.
We are therefore asked again and again why we still use mainly insect fat and why coconut oil is only found in a few of our products. Although this question is quite justified, there is of course a good reason for this.
Even though the lauric acid content of coconut oil and insect fat is comparable, the quality differences of coconut oil are sometimes very large. Accordingly, the quality of many other available oils leaves a lot to be desired.
One reason for this is that not all growing areas have the right climate and pesticides and artificial fertilizers are often used.
Besides, inexpensive coconut oil is usually refined. In this production process, pressing is followed by chemical processing, which deprives the oil of its natural taste and smell and also changes its colour.
Occasionally, manufacturers even use hydrogen in the production process to harden the coconut oil. The resulting trans fats are harmful to health and are suspected, among other things, to promote cardiovascular diseases.
Insect fat convinces with quality
At Bellfor we attach great importance to a high product quality, which we can of course only ensure with correspondingly high-quality raw materials. With the larvae, whose insect protein and insect fat is contained in our products, we keep a close eye on the conditions prevailing during rearing.
Thus we can guarantee that our products leave nothing to be desired in terms of quality and that your four-legged friend can benefit from them in the best possible way.
We therefore only use coconut oil when technical reasons demand it. This is the case with Bellfor ZEComplete Spray, for example. But of course, even then we make sure that we only use high-quality oil that has not been refined during production.
Bellfor products with insect fat
Among the products containing insect fat, are our fitness bars, the products from the ZEComplete range and our high-quality ointments, such as Bellfor paw protection and callus ointment.
Bellfor Fitness Bars contain insect fat as an energy supplier, which can be utilised by your dog's body particularly well during extended periods of stress, thus contributing to optimal performance during training and competitions.
The products in our ZEComplete range make use of the deterrent effect that lauric acid has on ticks. They help reduce the risk of your dog being infected with ticks without the use of chemical agents.
Insect fat is used in our grooming products primarily because of the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of lauric acid. The fat of the larvae thus contributes decisively to the caring effect of our ointments for dogs.
Leave your comment