Emotional food quality

As public awareness surrounding general health issues increases, so too does our concern for the health and welfare of our koi. Lourens de Wet explains

Koi may well be living longer and better fed than ever before and are also kept very much as part of the family providing both health and companionship to all concerned. For this reason emotional sympathy plays a large role when it comes to caring for our koi, especially with regard to their food. Koi food quality is no longer only a question of quality only in terms of nutrient completeness - more and more the koi owners are interested in the safety of these foods with regard to the health and welfare of their koi. This concern has led to the relatively new concept of “emotional quality” - in this regard “food quality” does mean “food safety”.

You’ve probably heard the various terms bantered about: genetic engineering, biotechnology, genetically modified organisms. Koi owners stimulated or confused or disturbed by the media using hard words such as “Frankenstein foods” to characterize these genetically modified foods, seems more and more reluctant and concerned by the possible consequences on the health of their koi. Of course the media play a valuable role in inform the public about food safety issues, but unfortunately some exploit the panic caused by unsustained media hype, while as a matter of fact no significant effects of GM-foods have yet been detected even on human health. Ironically, GM crops carry traits to ward off harmful insects and herbicides, farmers can reduce the amount of chemical pesticides, a source of environmental pollution.

Furthermore, benefits must result without being misleading. Concerns of koi owners on the presence of carcinogenic (cancer-causing) components in foods have led to confusion about the inclusion of certain additives in foods. The popular buzzword “ natural” is often used as a substitute for healthy on food labels, due to a supposed lack of preservatives, artificial colorants and flavorings. This misconception has led to the popular belief that homemade koi foods are healthier than commercially available koi foods, and that more care for the koi is shown by the feeding of homemade foods. We so often tend to assume that what applies for us humans, applies to koi, but this misled judgment has led to many lethal mistakes being made in koi nutrition. While it is possible, with the correct knowledge and experience, to formulate a balanced feed in the home, most people lack the exact know-how, and tend to produce a food that is no better, if not worse than the several commercially available foods formulated by professional animal nutritionists. More so, claims like additive- of preservative free must be handled with caution since these ingredients are detrimental for the extended shelf life of products as well as for reducing the risk of ageing and cancer in koi.

The general utilization of byproducts from the human food industry in the foods of companion animals raises the question of whether ingredients that are “not-fit-for-human-consumption“ may hold any danger to animals eventually eating it. This concern has led to the inclusion of human-grade ingredients in many foods for companion animals, causing food prices to go sky-high. What is important is to remember that the use of these so-called “byproducts” are governed by law and inspected to see to it that only byproducts that hold no danger for the animal’s health may be used in these foods. Some feed manufacturers even take extreme measures to sterilize food ingredients with high temperature processing methods to eliminate the occurrence of harmful bacteria of other pathogens.

We can endlessly carry on with stereotyped media issues such the proposed danger of the so-called “mad-cow-disease” and that of foot and mouth disease with regard to the possibility of transfer if meat and bone meal is to be used as an ingredient in koi food. So much that more and more people will begin to view commercial koi food with skepticism, as awareness about ingredients and additives will increase. This is not a bad situation as such, as public awareness leads to pressure on companies to provide the best product possible, in order to remain in the market.

Safety does indeed mean the absence of unacceptable levels of undesirable substances and the absence of disease germs in the food of their koi that may cause health problems. For this reason trustworthy koi food manufacturers apply the “precaution principle” is used when it comes to food safety. Although not required by law, they register their products under the South-African feed act (act 36 of 1947) to be able to give their clients the nutritionally complete and food safety assurances. Using such a reputable brand make the food choice task much easier, as it is likely more research and money has gone into ensuring the best possible product. Let’s be pro-active in supporting these transparent food manufacturers and suppliers that are committed to reassure us on the safety and the quality of registered koi foods to give us quality and emotional security. Finally let’s become informed koi owners by reading more to enable us to make conscious decisions about koi food.

Lourens de Wet