A Revolutionary Breakthrough for Feline Health: Fuji Oil Develops New Ingredient to Protect Cat Kidneys

Fuji Oil has made waves on social media after announcing the development of an innovative new ingredient designed to reduce the burden on cats' kidneys. The newly developed material is an indigestible soybean protein named "MAM." Unlike conventional proteins, MAM is difficult to digest and travels all the way to the large intestine without being absorbed in the small intestine. This property helps improve the intestinal environment in cats, raising high expectations as a pet food ingredient that supports the maintenance of renal function. Joint research with Iwate University confirmed that feeding cats a diet containing MAM resulted in improved kidney function and a reduction in fecal odor.

The context

Cats are descendants of the desert-dwelling African wildcat, meaning their bodies are biologically structured to conserve water, making them highly susceptible to kidney disease in their old age. Consequently, cat owners have flooded social media with reactions of joy and gratitude, praising the potential to support daily health through meals with comments like, "This is too much of a hope," "Thank you so much," and "I want my cat to live to be 30." While Fuji Oil has traditionally been known for chocolate raw materials, soy milk products, and soybean meat, this announcement has drawn intense attention from the pet industry as well. Moving forward, the company aims to have the ingredient adopted in cat foods by fiscal year 2027 and plans to pursue development for dogs, generating significant expectations for new functional materials that support long and healthy lives for pets.