WACKER Secures EU Approval for L-cysteine and L-cystine as Pet Food Additives

The approval includes the FERMOPURE NATURAL L-CYSTINE PET FOOD product, as well as various forms of FERMOPURE VEGAN L-CYSTEINE PET FOOD, including L-cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate and its variations.

This marks WACKER's entry into the EU pet food ingredient market, complementing its established presence in the U.S., and making it the only EU-approved manufacturer of L-cysteine derived from biotechnologically produced cystine for use as a feed additive.

L-cystine and L-cysteine are utilized in pet food for their flavor-enhancing properties, reacting with reducing sugars to produce savory flavors through the Maillard reaction.

These flavorings are essential for improving the taste and aroma of pet food, making it more appealing to animals, which have a notably strong sense of smell and taste. WACKER highlighted that flavorings can help make less palatable, but nutritionally valuable, food ingredients more attractive to pets.

Christian Hauk, Head of BioIngredients at WACKER’s Biosolutions division, stated that the new EU approval allows for the expansion of their pet food products in Europe to include fermentation-produced amino acids. He emphasized the commitment to providing high-quality products sourced from fully traceable plant-based materials.

This approval came after a favorable safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The announcement aligns with a surge in pet ownership across Europe, with 140 million households (49%) owning one or more of the continent's 306 million pets. This rise has substantially boosted the veterinary and pet food industries, which now have annual sales reaching €29.4 billion.