Dietary acrylamide and AGE products in processed pet food: a review of the evidence and implications for safety thresholds in dogs and cats

Abstract

Traditionally processed pet foods, including kibble (dry), and retorted or canned formats (wet), are manufactured using high-temperature thermal processing methods that drive the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) and acrylamide (AA). Dogs and cats commonly consume the same traditionally processed food as a daily dietary staple over prolonged periods, resulting in chronic, sustained dietary exposure to these compounds. In humans and rodents, dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and AA are associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and forms of cancer through mechanisms including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, protein cross-linking, and activation of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE). Dietary restriction of these compounds reduces disease markers in humans and rodents. Studies in companion animals indicate that dietary AGE intake influences systemic AGE exposure, and that mildly processed diets are linked to lower circulating AGE concentrations. Adverse health outcomes attributable to these compounds have not been demonstrated in companion animals. Unlike for human food, no regulatory benchmarks for acrylamide exist in pet foods, and no benchmarks for AGEs exist in any jurisdiction. This review examines the evidence on dietary AGEs and AA and health outcomes in humans and rodents, considers its potential relevance to companion animals, and discusses mildly processed diets as an alternative approach worth investigating.