Biomill dog food
Products from a country like Switzerland are a rare and exotic presence in our country's pet food market. One such brand is Biomill, known primarily for its dog food. They focus on producing organic, high-quality products, as Switzerland is one of the few countries in Europe that completely bans the use of GMOs, including the pet food industry.
Content
Manufacturer
The BioMill brand belongs to the company of the same name, BioMill AG, which began producing ready-to-eat food for cats and dogs back in the early 1950s and quickly established itself as a professional company, winning the recognition of many dog breeders.
In 1972, they were the first in Europe to use extrusion in the production of animal feed. This method significantly increased the digestibility of industrial diets compared to previous technologies. Since then, over the past 40 years, all new BioMill feed formulas and lines have been the result of collaborative work between the BioMill AG team and the University Hospitals of Bern and Zurich.
All mineral and vitamin supplements, as well as natural flavors used in all Biomill formulas, are manufactured in their own factory in Switzerland and supplied as a ready-to-use mixture to the pet food production facility. The company assures that, although production was moved to Italy in 2012, all products are still manufactured in accordance with current Swiss quality standards and are regularly inspected by their staff. The exceptionally high quality of Biomill products is confirmed by international certifications such as ISO, HACCP, BRC, CSQA, and IQNet. Organic Food is the official distributor of Biomill in Russia.
Assortment
Biomill's product portfolio consists exclusively of dry foods, including menus designed for virtually all dogs with a wide range of needs, from puppies to seniors, depending on their size, breed, weight, and activity level. Two lines of food are available to Russian customers: Swiss Professional and Classic Plus. A separate category of food, Biomill Breeders, is available for breeders and kennels.
The Swiss Professional line is a super premium nutritional line. It includes separate series of diets for small and dwarf breeds (Mini), for medium-sized dogs (Medium), as well as for large and giant weight categories (Maxi). In addition, there are several diets for all breeds (All Breed), varying in flavor and calorie content.
In addition to standard items, this group includes diets for dogs with special needs:
- Sensitive – hypoallergenic formulas designed for pets with sensitive digestion or food allergies. These recipes are completely free of wheat, corn, soy, and dairy products. Customers can choose from two flavors: lamb and rice and salmon and rice.
- Energy – food with an increased amount of calories, which is needed primarily by pets kept in kennels, as well as all those who are subjected to intense physical activity, such as service dogs.
- Light is a formula designed to maintain ideal weight in animals prone to excess weight gain or leading a sedentary lifestyle. It contains L-carnitine, a substance that promotes fat burning. This diet includes rabbit, poultry, and fish, as well as increased fiber content.
Biomill's official English-language website offers a much wider selection of menus than its Russian distributor. They offer grain-free menus with trout and tripe, as well as a Starter diet, which would certainly be useful for many breeders as a first food for puppies.
The Classic Plus line is a premium category of pet food. It includes six diets: Dinner, Junior, Light, Senior, Sensitive, and Complete. Only the last two formulas are available in our country.
Classic Sensitive is a gluten-free diet designed for adult dogs with digestive issues. It's based on rice, poultry, and lamb, and is uniquely free of wheat, soy, and corn gluten.
Classic Complete, a single-protein menu for pets of all breeds, contains only one source of animal protein: chicken. In addition to chicken, it also contains wheat, corn, rice, and soybeans.
Unfortunately, in our country the range of Biomill products offered is greatly limited.
Evaluation and analysis of the composition
The manufacturer emphasizes that all of their formulas are hypoallergenic. This is because they use only organic grain, grown without herbicides or other chemicals, and the birds are fed this same organic grain without growth hormones or antibiotics.
Let's analyze the ingredients of Biomill Sensitive lamb food for small breed dogs (up to 10 kg). It is recommended for pets over 10 months of age with normal physical activity. This diet is designed for animals prone to allergies or digestive issues, as well as those with damaged, brittle, or dull coats.
Let's look at the guaranteed nutrient values:
- Protein – 23%
- Fat – 16%
- Humidity – 9%
- Ash content – 9%
- Fiber – 3%
- Carbohydrates – 40%
- Starch – 26%
The resulting picture is as follows: the carbohydrate content is above average, the fat content is also above average, and the protein content is slightly above the minimum limit compared to typical diets in this segment. Based on this data, it can be assumed that the dog will get the majority of its calories from carbohydrates and fats, with only a small portion coming from protein.
However, not all proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are created equal, so the quality of ingredients plays a crucial role in a pet food's formula. This can only be clarified by examining the ingredients, specifically the basis of this diet, reflected in the first five ingredients:
- Rice – 40.8%
- Lamb - (29.3% of which 6% fresh lamb)
- Poultry fat
- Potato protein – 6%
- Beetroot shavings
Component overview
The feed contains five main components:
- The first ingredient is rice. This grain is a complex carbohydrate that is relatively easy to digest after cooking, making it very popular in diets aimed at improving digestion. However, other than as a source of carbohydrates, rice has very limited nutritional value for animals.
- The second ingredient is lamb. The manufacturer cleverly combined fresh and dry meat into one item. However, fresh lamb contains 6% water, and most of it is lost after cooking, reducing this figure to approximately 2% dry meat, which reduces the overall percentage. Lamb is considered a good, complete source of protein, has high nutritional value, and is recommended for those with food allergies.
- The third component is poultry fat. It is obtained by melting poultry tissue. It is high in beneficial fatty acids, and poultry fat significantly improves the palatability of dog food. However, in this case, it is a highly questionable component, as there is no precise information about the specific species of poultry used in its production. This means there is no data on the quality of the raw materials or the degree of purification of the product itself.
- Potato protein is the fourth-most-component ingredient. It's the component obtained after starch is removed from potatoes and then dried. It contains over 80% protein, but plant protein is much less valuable for dogs than animal protein. It's often used as a low-cost raw material to increase the overall protein content of a formula.
- The fifth ingredient listed is beet pulp, which is the same as beet pulp. This product is a coarse, fiber-rich fiber left over from processing sugar beets. Some believe that beet pulp is used only as an inexpensive filler, while others see the undeniable benefits of this ingredient, which promotes intestinal peristalsis.
We believe that the inclusion of this ingredient in industrial diets in reasonable quantities is entirely acceptable.
Other feed components
The contribution of the remaining additives to the overall formula is very small, as each one's mass fraction is quite insignificant. However, there are some exceptions worth noting:
- Pressed flaxseeds are the plant-based champion in omega-3 fatty acid content. They are also a good source of soluble fiber.
- Fructooligosaccharides are beneficial prebiotics that are applied to the surface of food pellets after processing to aid your pet's digestion.
- Yucca extract, in addition to its primary function of reducing fecal odor, has a wide range of beneficial properties, including strengthening the immune system and supporting liver and gastrointestinal function. Even small amounts of yucca can have a positive effect on the body.
Price
The price of Biomill Mini Sensitive food for small breed dogs may vary slightly depending on the region, but on average it ranges within the following ranges:
- 1 kg – from 606 to 680 rubles.
- 3 kg – from 1554 to 1690 rubles.
- 12 kg – from 5929 to 6437 rubles.
Biomill Medium Adult turkey and chicken food is sold online at the following price:
- 3 kg – from 1338 to 1460 rubles.
- 12 kg – from 4344 to 4810 rubles.
- 20 kg – from 6339 to 6950 rubles.
Biomill pet food reviews
On specialized forums for dog owners, everyone is eager to share their experiences, including impressions of the brands they've used. As expected, some have negative opinions about this brand, while others have been pleased.
Larisa, the boxer's owner:
"My boxer, Lada, was having a serious weight gain problem. I couldn't fatten her up; she was so skinny it was hard to look at her without crying. Since I switched her to Biomil, she's started gaining weight and now looks great. Now my other dog is eating this food too. There haven't been any negative issues during this time, so I have no complaints; I'm completely satisfied with the food."
Alena, owner of a dachshund and a Pomeranian:
"I decided to switch to Biomill after hearing from a breeder I know who has five dogs and all eat it. I spent a long time choosing the right formula and started feeding it. I almost killed one dog, but luckily the second one was unharmed. First, the dachshund started passing blood in the toilet, and we had tests done—the results showed liver disease and severe poisoning. The treatment cost me a pretty penny and took almost four months. For that price, I didn't expect such results. I consider this food to be of poor quality!"
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