At Kabo, our major values are creating healthy food for dogs and sustainability. It makes us so happy when we find other brands who are striving to do the same. Pulp Habits, a fellow Canadian company, has entered the pet food space with the goal of using upcycled juice pulp to create special treats for dogs.
We wanted to give an honest review and decided to take a closer look at the brand and their products. Here is a summary of our thoughts on Pulp Habits and if their products are a good option to feed your dog.
Pulp Habits set up shop as recently as 2023 in Toronto Canada with the goal of producing eco-friendly treats for progressive pups. The brand is all about sustainability and utilizing veggie waste to create something amazing. According to their website, “We [Pulp Habits] transform veggie compostable waste and buzzing insects into wickedly good treats! Our eco-bites are the kind of daily habit that makes a difference. It's the sneaky snackaroo that reduces your and your canine kiddo’s carbon footprint while keeping their treats hypoallergenic and healthy.”
This brand gets us really excited about what pet food can become and the potential for creating eco-friendly dog food beyond just treats. We really admire the strides Pulp Habits has made towards sustainability especially as such a small company, it reminds us of where Kabo started and what we’ve created throughout the years. As Pulp Habits grows,it will be interesting to see how they evolve and the new products they come up with. However, without further ado, here are some of the things we like most about the brand.
There’s no denying that climate change has had a major impact worldwide and will only continue to worsen if sustainability efforts are not made in all industries. There is definitely room for ecological improvements to be made in the pet food industry and it is inspiring to see a company such as Pulp Habits leading the charge against climate change through their ingredient and production processes.
As the name suggests, Pulp Habits utilizes vegetable and fruit pulp as the bulk of their treats. An ingredient that would otherwise go to waste, beet, cucumber, pineapple and carrot pulp is upcycled from the juice industry for better use in dog treats. While this pulp doesn’t serve much of a nutritional purpose for dogs, it is still perfectly safe for them to eat. As a source of indigestible fibre, the pulp helps to keep dogs full throughout the day and acts as a prebiotic to aid in digestion.
If Pulp Habits’ treats were made up of only pulp, they may be called out for being simply filler. However, Pulp Habits have taken care to fortify their treats with other healthy ingredients. Our favourite ingredient included in the Pulp Habits treats is the use of insect protein, specifically black soldier fly larvae (BSFL).
There have been several studies showing the health and sustainability benefits of using BSFL in dog food. Not only is it a phenomenal source of digestible protein for dogs but it is also very lean, which helps to keep your dog’s calorie consumption low.
In terms of sustainability, using insect protein in dog food is a major step forward for reducing emissions. Production of BSFL is significantly lower than traditional meat sources when it comes to GHG emissions, land usage, water consumption and feed conversion.
As previously mentioned, Pulp Habits fortify their treats with additional healthy ingredients. These include oats, apple, flaxseeds, honey, chia seeds, coconut milk, ginger, and peanut butter. These additional ingredients help to make the treat well balanced, while providing some additional nutrients for your pup.
Overall, Pulp Habits treats are really great. As with any brand (even our own), there is always wiggle room for improvement.
At the moment, Pulp Habits only carries one product in one flavour. Understandably, as a relatively new and small company, their “Eco-Bites” are just a first product for them. We look forward to the expansion of the brand and ultimately their product line.
If there’s one thing picky dogs love, it’s meat and fat. As a leaner, plant based product, Pulp Habits’ Eco-bites may have the hurdle of pleasing pickier dogs.
Even with our little nit picky critiques, we love the work that Pulp Habits is doing in creating sustainable dog food. We are excited to watch the company grow and see what new and exciting eco-friendly treats they come out with. If you’re considering purchasing some Pulp Habits Eco Bites for your dog, we say go for it!
