Vegetable Foods - Confusion

[saz326]

I have been looking after a sickly fishy and started to pay more attention to the analysis of the foods I am feeding my troop of swimming fanatics (community aquarium - Keyhole, Bolivian rams, various tetra, Cory cats).

I am confused.

vegetables are vegetables. They are mostly water, carbohydrates (sugars and starches), vitamins etc.

Meat is meat. Proteins, Water, sugars, fats.

How can a vegetable flake be 46% protein and 12% oil, and be claimed to be a vegetable flake?


Tetra Pro Vegetable:
Protein : 46% , Oil : 12% , Fibre : 3% , Ash : 11% , Moisture : 8%


Is it simply that less than 46% of the food is protien thus they can claim the bulk ingredient is veg? Perhaps the protein is not from a meat source?

If 46% is protein, the oil is probably linked to the protein (fish and fish derivitives), so veg could only be 32% of the mix?



Aaarrrggghhhhhhh!



edited - spellings. (there are probably more that are incorrect too)

 

[raptorrex]

I have been looking after a sickly fishy and started to pay more attention to the analysis of the foods I am feeding my troop of swimming fanatics (community aquarium - Keyhole, Bolivian rams, various tetra, Cory cats).

I am confused.

vegetables are vegetables. They are mostly water, carbohydrates (sugars and starches), vitamins etc.

Meat is meat. Proteins, Water, sugars, fats.

How can a vegetable flake be 46% protein and 12% oil, and be claimed to be a vegetable flake?


Tetra Pro Vegetable:
Protein : 46% , Oil : 12% , Fibre : 3% , Ash : 11% , Moisture : 8%


Is it simply that less than 46% of the food is protien thus they can claim the bulk ingredient is veg? Perhaps the protein is not from a meat source?

If 46% is protein, the oil is probably linked to the protein (fish and fish derivitives), so veg could only be 32% of the mix?



Aaarrrggghhhhhhh!



edited - spellings. (there are probably more that are incorrect too)

no, it because it is vegetable derived protein. oil is probably veg based too.

 

[cms091]

You're getting confused about meat/protein and veg/carbohydrate. They are not the same thing. Vegetables have carbohyrates, protein, oils, vitamins, minerals and water. Beans, for example are high in protein. Cereals have high proteins too. What plant matter doesn't generally have is 1st class protein -that is all the different amino acids HUMANS need, in one source. Unlike meat, which does. You need to combine vegatable sources to get all your amino acids eg beans on toast! This doesn't apply to all animals. Cows do very well on grass alone.

Some plants are high in oils. Nuts for example. Animals aren't the only source

Most fish, even the 'vegetarian' ones are omnivors. They can eat, and digest plants and animals. Fish food manufacturers could use just vegetable sources to make high protein, high oil food. And unless the tub was marked 'suitable for vegetarians' I don't think they would break any laws if there was animal protein in it. Some foods have the ingredients on the tub too and will say what the flake is made from.

 

[saz326]

no, it because it is vegetable derived protein. oil is probably veg based too.

You're getting confused about meat/protein and veg/carbohydrate. They are not the same thing. Vegetables have carbohyrates, protein, oils, vitamins, minerals and water. Beans, for example are high in protein. Cereals have high proteins too. What plant matter doesn't generally have is 1st class protein -that is all the different amino acids HUMANS need, in one source. Unlike meat, which does. You need to combine vegatable sources to get all your amino acids eg beans on toast! This doesn't apply to all animals. Cows do very well on grass alone.

Some plants are high in oils. Nuts for example. Animals aren't the only source

Most fish, even the 'vegetarian' ones are omnivors. They can eat, and digest plants and animals. Fish food manufacturers could use just vegetable sources to make high protein, high oil food. And unless the tub was marked 'suitable for vegetarians' I don't think they would break any laws if there was animal protein in it. Some foods have the ingredients on the tub too and will say what the flake is made from.

You know what - Hit the nail straight on the head then.

I was indeed thinking of amino acids and for some reason was thinking only of potatos, carrots etc as vegetables. I was ignoring pulses such as beans. And dont consider nuts etc to be vegetables..... Quite frankly they are not vegetables - they are of plant origin though.

I guess the manufacturers are considering all plant matter to be vegetables.

Please forgive my stupidity ! And Im supposed to be a scientist!
Dear oh dear.

Am off to eat my vegetables.