Bond Pet Foods and Hill’s Pet Nutrition have received a Letter of No Objection from the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine for Lamb Protein Yeast, a fermentation-derived animal protein intended for dog food. This approval represents the first FDA Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notice for a precision fermentation protein aimed at the pet food sector.
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The ingredient was developed through a partnership announced in 2021 between Bond Pet Foods, based in Boulder, Colorado, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive. By utilizing optimized yeast cultures, Bond produces proteins that are nutritionally comparable to those from traditional animal sources, employing fermentation techniques already used in human food production for enzyme and vitamin manufacturing.
The FDA review confirmed that the ingredient can be included in dog food at levels of up to 15%. Additionally, the companies completed a feeding study in cats using the same ingredient and are preparing to submit a separate dossier to the Center for Veterinary Medicine to support its use for felines.
The GRAS determination was supported by a six-month longitudinal feeding study in dogs. During ingredient development, Bond scaled up production, delivering over 25 metric tons to Hill’s facilities for formulation, testing, and regulatory evaluation.
Rich Kelleman, Founder and CEO of Bond Pet Foods, stated that the results of the feeding study, along with the FDA’s clearance, affirm the safety and nutritional adequacy of the brewed proteins, bringing them closer to providing a reliable source of quality protein for pets.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition highlighted the approval as part of its broader sustainability goals. Dave Baloga, Executive Vice President of Science and Technology at Hill’s, noted that Lamb Protein Yeast enhances the range of science-based nutritional options available while supporting sustainability objectives and meeting the high nutritional standards for which Hill’s is recognized.
The pet food industry is increasingly becoming a testing ground for precision fermentation proteins, as the regulatory pathway through the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine differs from that for human food and can accelerate the process. Bond's approval for Lamb Protein Yeast sets a precedent as the first confirmed FDA GRAS completion specifically for precision fermentation protein in pet food.
With regulatory approval for dogs established, both Hill’s and Bond are working towards a commercial launch in the US market and continue to pursue authorization for use in cat food.