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Omni interview-those who think your dog should be a vegetarian

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he vegetarian The pet food market is gaining momentum.An analysis said US Driven by climate issues and the number of pet owners opposed, the market size alone will double to US$15.6 billion by 2028 Meat.

In the UK, surveys show that one third dog The owners are seeking to change their pet From meat to plant-based diets.

Over 50% of British dogs have obesity-related problems.

Dr. Guy Sandelowsky and Shiv Sivakumar, the founders of the vegetarian pet food company Omni, were interviewed by The Evening Standard.

Tell us how the business started and where you want to grow your business

We started Omni to make it easier for dogs to have the best chance of longevity and health. We know that it is possible to do this in a more environmentally friendly way, without having to slaughter animals for meat. Until recently, most dog food was made from heavily processed meat or worse, raw meat. These not only bring serious health risks to dogs, but are also environmentally unsustainable.

Our co-founder and chief veterinarian, Dr. Guy Sandelowsky, has seen the consequences of these meat-based diets in his patients. One-third of dogs will die of cancer, and more than half of the dogs in the UK suffer from obesity. By cleaning up the dog’s diet with healthier, high-quality ingredients, we provide them with better opportunities to thrive.

With the help of Gay’s network of veterinary scientists and clinical nutritionists, we have jointly developed a formula that does not contain cheap animal by-products, fillers or chemicals, and its production has a much lower impact on the environment. In one year, after more than 20 formulation iterations, we have successfully created the world’s first 100% nutritionally complete, dog-loved, healthy, and environmentally sustainable plant-based meat for dogs by 90%.

Our mission is to become the most popular and trusted plant-based dog food brand in the world.

Is it true that pets eat 20% of the world’s meat? What effect does this have?

Shocking, isn’t it? Owning a medium-sized dog has twice the environmental impact of building and operating an SUV like the Toyota Land Cruiser. A study by the University of California, Los Angeles concluded that pet food caused 25% of the environmental damage associated with the meat industry.

What’s wrong Pandemic Has the pet boom affected your business?

The pandemic has almost doubled the number of pets in the UK. Flexible remote work allows people more time to stay at home. We have seen an extraordinary increase in pet ownership in the Gen Z and Millennial markets. This is a huge driving force for us because they are healthy and earth-conscious pet parents who are looking for healthier and more sustainable lifestyle choices for themselves, their families and their pets.

Previous health scares caused by other zoonotic diseases such as swine flu and mad cow disease have caused people to question the ethics and safety of farmed animal meat. This pandemic seems to be caused by a coronavirus that has spread from animals to humans. This fact has exacerbated the frustration and suspicion that we are heavily dependent on the meat industry.

Athletes and celebrities like Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton have done a lot to improve the benefits of a meatless lifestyle. Companies in the human food sector such as Beyond Meat and Impossible have proven that plant-based foods look and taste like real meat. We see omnidirectional as an extension of this movement.

Dogs like meat and dislike vegetables. Of course, don’t we force them to eat what they don’t want?

This is a common problem for many pet owners. The short answer is that dogs like it! Carrot sticks are one of the most common foods we give dogs in the UK.

Dogs get along so well with people becauseHey, they evolved togetherFor thousands of years, dogs have been eating leftovers thrown by humans. The diet of dogs is similar to the diet of their caregivers, so in the West, people feed dogs with meat because traditionally it is an important part of their own diet. But in India and Sri Lanka, for example, dogs are usually vegetarians because their humans are vegetarians.

What are the benefits of a plant-based diet for pets?

Allowing your dogs to accept a plant-based diet means that you no longer feed them animal fats that can clog arteries, carcinogenic processed meats, or the chemical and antibiotic residues found time and time again in meat dog food.

This also means that you choose not to feed your dog raw meat, which is a wise choice because the meat must be cooked to kill microorganisms that may be life-threatening, such as salmonella, Escherichia coli And various parasites.

On the contrary, if you choose to feed them with whole foods, you will provide them with a wholesome, high-quality, plant-based diet that is healthier and does not require the slaughter of an animal; isn’t it great now! ?

Omni is made from ingredients you might find on your own table, such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, brown rice, and lentils. These ingredients are not only cleaner, but also absolutely delicious, so even the most discerning diners will be excited during meal times. More importantly, you will reduce the carbon footprint of dog food by up to 85%, which is a huge bonus considering the current climate emergency we all face!

If your dog suffers from allergies, plant-based diets like omni are also ideal. Meat/fish protein is the most common food allergen we see in dogs, so getting rid of it may be the key to your dog’s allergy-free life. For dogs that are a bit overweight, Omni is also a good choice.

And disadvantages? (There must be some. Flatulence?)

The biggest disadvantage of a dog’s plant-based diet is that they are not easy to get right, so a wealth of expertise is required to make it safely. For example, a homemade plant-based diet can be challenging to fully balance your dog’s needs for specific proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Even with the best intentions, if such expertise is lacking, an incomplete diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies, which can have a negative impact on your dog’s health and welfare.

Certain ingredients such as peas are rich in valuable nutrients, but they need to be cooked in a certain way to optimize bioavailability and absorption. In addition, understanding the interaction of ingredients is essential to ensure that one ingredient does not hinder the absorption of another.

Maintaining fiber levels at the optimal level of the dog’s digestive system can also be challenging. Some fiber is ideal because it helps increase stool volume, but too much can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and flatulence.

What do veterinarians think about all this?

We are a brand created by veterinarians, rooted in science and evidence-based medicine. We have found that other veterinarians do support this approach and are usually very excited about the health and environmental benefits of feeding a dog on a plant-based diet. Most people also have clear evidence that dogs are omnivores and know that they can safely obtain nutrients from various meat and/or plant-based sources. They have also been prescribing plant-based diets for dogs with allergies for decades, so it is clearer than anyone that this is not only possible, but has been happening safely for many years.

If there are doubts, they are often related to certain brands that may not provide nutritionally complete formulas. Another problem is that if the dog’s parents try to cook at home, it is likely to lack certain nutrients.

What can you tell us about the financial status of the company? Who are the shareholders? What is the income?

It is still early days for us, but we already have a group of talented investors backing us. These include the highly regarded veterinarian and entrepreneur Brendan Robinson, who is known for founding the very successful Village Vet group, which provides gold standard clinical care for pets across the UK. We also have the support of Zeal Ventures Investment Director Amit Lakhani and Numis Managing Director Alec Pratt, both of whom firmly believe that the way we feed ourselves and our pets will shift from meat to plants in the future-based on alternative solutions.

We are also fortunate to be incubated by two leading accelerators in the food technology field, ProVeg and Brinc, and they all hope to continue to support the growth of omni. In addition, we have also received investment from other leading companies in the field of artificial meat. It is expected that this field, together with plant meat, will completely change the pattern of the global food chain.

We never planned to start selling Almighty before August 2021, but in a taste test trial earlier this year, we sent free Almighty bags to 250 British dog parents, and we were overwhelmed by requests to follow-up purchases . People can’t believe how much their dogs love almighty. This is a real turning point for the business, and it proves that the demand for what we do is very strong. This prompted us to open a temporary payment portal on our website, and we finally sold out within the first month of sales. Since then, our loyal customers have been repurchasing omni because they have seen the positive impact of diet on their dogs, and our sales have continued to grow month by month. We achieved the highest sales in August, revenue increased by 200% compared to July, and we continue to see a large number of new customers every month, especially now that we enable the subscription option, customers can save 20% .



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