TBH, a pet nutrition brand, has launched human-grade veggie puffs for dogs made from “ugly” vegetables that would otherwise go to waste.
These veggie puffs come in three flavours: mixed veggies, mixed veggies and hemp, and pumpkin. Because they’re human-grade, pet owners can also enjoy them with their furry friends.
Each 80-gram pack contains 2.5 servings of veggies, is vet-formulated and approved, and can be used as a treat, a training aid, or even to help an older dog get all the nutrition it needs. The puffs are also made without artificial additives, preservatives, or fillers.
“Nutritionally sound non-meat pet treats are hard to come by,” said Dr Peter Theron, vet advisor to TBH.
“The TBH Veggie Puffs are completely meat-free, with their nutritional value coming from a wide variety of homegrown vegetables; at approximately one calorie per treat, they keep the weight care of your pet in mind.”
An estimated 30 per cent of all vegetables grown in Australia end up in landfills or as animal feed. When it comes to animal meat, some estimates suggest that 20 per cent of meat produced on a global basis is produced directly for pet consumption.
According to the company, food waste – even for pets – is not sustainable, and it aims to lead the charge to bring honest change to the category, which has been caught “napping”.
“Increasingly, humans reflect our own health, wellness, and environmental values on our pets, and it seems our pets are also enjoying the change,” said Blair Triplett, co-founder of TBH.
“The health and nutrition benefits are clear, and dogs love the taste; there has also been considerable interest internationally, which is incredibly exciting”.
Developing the pet veggie puffs, the company has collaborated with NutriV, a start-up food manufacturing business that takes excess – but still nutritious – veggies and upcycle them into vegetable powders. TBH then incorporated NutriV’s veggie powder into the puffs specifically for the nutritional treatment of dogs.
The company added that it takes the quality of its ingredients seriously, so it also asked certified master chef Glen Austin to help create the pet puffs.
“Most human food isn’t this good, but when combined with other dog-friendly vet-approved ingredients, the Puffs are a power-packed way to ensure your dog is enjoying nutritious snacks without the guilt,” said Austin. “If ‘two-legged pets’ did the same, the health system would be better.”
