A variety of pet food products containing sprouted barley is seen in this photo provided by the Rural Development Administration.
SEOUL, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Pet food that contains sprouted barley has been proven effective in reducing weight and obesity indicators in overweight pet dogs, a state agriculture organization said Thursday.
A research team from the Rural Development Administration discovered that overweight pet dogs experienced an average weight reduction of 6.45 percent after being fed food containing 2.75 percent sprouted barley for 16 weeks.
In addition, sprouted barley helped decrease indirect obesity indicators, such as the level of the leptin hormone in the blood and the congestion of intestinal microorganisms associated with obesity.
The agency has filed a patent application for the process of manufacturing pet food with sprouted barley.
It is also pursuing technology transfer to domestic pet food companies that express interest in utilizing this technology.
“Managing the obesity of pet dogs usually requires a strenuous adjustment of diet and exercise. However, this approach is challenging to sustain in the long term since it relies solely on the will of pet owners,” the agency said.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
