Safety net Even as I consider taking the leap to a fully home-cooked diet for my dogs, a backup bag of commercial dog food lurks in the cupboard. It provides a sort of safety net: a feeling of security rooted [...]

Part Two: The language of flavour We all want the best for our dogs, and that means knowing what they’re eating, understanding the ingredients in their food. To that end, it's wise to learn what marketing tactics are permitted – [...]

The language of labelling Part One We all want the best for our dogs, and part of that means knowing what they’re eating, understanding the ingredients in their food and how they're prepared. And, perhaps just as importantly, being aware [...]

Blending flours: how it works Combining to create better functional treats In my search for the holy grail of training treats, I’ve tried many different flavours, even different shapes. Always with the same underlying aim: to achieve a palatable,  functional [...]

Flour for function This is part of the eternal quest for the perfect functional training treat: a no-crumble, easy-to-eat-without-losing-concentration, super-palatable bite that doesn't cause energy spikes. Not all flours play the same role[1]. Commercial white flours (some with raising agents) [...]

Friendly foods Some nutrients perform better with the right partners. Choosing when they meet can enhance nutritional value. Nutrition centres on the question of food compared with nutrients. Generally, a healthy diet is one that provides the right nutrients, in [...]

AGEs: a very apposite acronym If the UPF conversation is about the degree of processing, then the AGE conversation is about its biochemical cost. AGEs, a type of gerontotoxin (from the Greek geros, meaning “old age”), are recognised as significant [...]