Assessment of macronutrients and fat quality in cat food

For certain nutrients, the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) provides minimum recommended levels that should be met in a cat's diet. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of essential nutrients and the quality of fats in commercial cat food. The material analyzed consisted of 27 dry cat food products, which were categorized into three groups based on their primary protein sources: poultry, fish, and alternative proteins. The proximate composition of ground samples was determined according to methods established by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Fatty acid methyl esters were extracted from the samples and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. All analyzed cat foods met the minimum recommended levels for protein and fat for adult cats, as established by FEDIAF (2024b). However, 11% of the products did not meet the minimum recommended level for linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6), and 14% lacked arachidonic acid (C20:4). The analysis confirmed that cat foods containing different types of animal-derived ingredients vary significantly in their individual fatty acid profiles.