Food Processing and Pet Health: Understanding Advanced Glycation End Products
Food processing is becoming an important area of discussion within companion animal nutrition research, particularly as interest grows in canine longevity, preventive health and the long-term health implications of different dietary processing methods.
Pet foods span a broad spectrum of processing levels, from raw and lightly cooked diets through to extruded dry foods and canned formulations. Each format involves different ingredients, manufacturing methods and levels of thermal processing that may influence the formation of heat-generated compounds.
The Pet Longevity Institute has reviewed emerging evidence in this area in its Research Commentary Paper, Advanced Glycation End Products in Pet Nutrition: Current Evidence on Dietary Exposure and Longevity.
The paper examines how pet food processing influences the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs), including advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and acrylamide, and their potential implications for companion animal health and longevity.
For veterinarians, the value of this research lies not in drawing premature conclusions, but in understanding the evidence well enough to interpret emerging nutrition discussions with balance, scientific rigour and clinical context.
Why food processing is receiving growing attention in pet nutrition research
Thermal processing plays a central role in the manufacture of many pet food products. During heating, a series of chemical reactions known as the Maillard reaction occurs between sugars and proteins, contributing to the browning, aroma and palatability of processed foods.
However, the Maillard reaction can also lead to the formation of heat-generated compounds known as Maillard reaction products, or MRPs. These include advanced glycation end products, commonly referred to as AGEs, and acrylamide.
Scientific interest in these compounds reflects their association with broader biomedical research on inflammatory, degenerative, mutagenic, and carcinogenic processes. Within companion animal nutrition, concern centres on the fact that many dogs and cats consume processed diets as their primary food source throughout much of their lifespans, raising questions about the potential implications of long-term dietary exposure.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs): what they are and why they matter
AGEs are compounds formed through reactions between sugars and proteins or fats. They can develop during thermal food processing, but they can also form endogenously within the body through normal metabolic processes.
This distinction is important when interpreting research findings. Measurements of AGEs in biological samples may reflect both dietary exposure and endogenous production, complicating efforts to assess the relationship between dietary AGEs and long-term health outcomes.
In human research, AGEs have been associated with chronic inflammation and degenerative conditions. In companion animals, research cited in the Pet Longevity Institute’s Research Commentary Paper has identified AGEs in tissues affected by a range of chronic disease processes. However, the presence of AGEs in diseased tissues does not establish that dietary AGEs are causative factors in these conditions. At present, the evidence supports ongoing scientific investigation rather than definitive clinical conclusions.
Research findings on AGEs and acrylamide across pet food formats
Studies reviewed in the Pet Longevity Institute’s Research Commentary Paper identify several findings related to dietary MRP exposure across different pet food formats.
Studies have detected acrylamide in some dog and cat food products. One study estimated that a 20 kg dog consuming a dry food diet could ingest acrylamide at levels around four times the typical human dietary exposure. However, another analysis detected acrylamide in only two of 41 dog foods tested, suggesting ingredient composition may also influence acrylamide formation.
Research has also identified substantial variation in AGE concentrations across pet food formats. Canned foods have frequently shown the highest AGE levels, while minimally processed diets, including raw and lightly cooked formats, have generally demonstrated lower levels.
Potential nutritional implications have also been identified. The Maillard reaction appears to reduce lysine bioavailability, and some highly processed diets may not meet growing dogs’ lysine requirements. Lysine is an essential amino acid involved in growth, tissue repair and normal physiological function. Minimally processed diets have been shown to contain higher lysine content and lower lysine blockage than dry food formats.
Research examining the relationship between dietary MRPs and systemic exposure
An important area of current research is whether dietary exposure to MRPs influences systemic AGE levels in dogs and cats. Several studies have examined whether differences in dietary processing level are reflected in circulating or excreted AGE biomarkers.
In one study, plasma AGE levels were reported to be two to 18 times higher in dogs fed canned food than in those fed a lightly cooked diet. Another study found that serum AGE levels remained significantly lower over a 12-month period in dogs fed a lightly cooked diet compared with those fed dry food. Urinary AGE concentrations were also reported to be lowest in raw-fed dogs and cats.
Collectively, these findings suggest that dietary format may influence measurable AGE biomarkers in companion animals. However, while biomarker differences may indicate variations in dietary exposure or metabolism, they do not yet establish whether these changes translate into clinically meaningful long-term health outcomes.
Important research limitations and unanswered questions
Current research provides early insight into pet food processing and MRP exposure, but important methodological limitations and unanswered questions remain.
One of the major challenges in this field is separating the effects of processing level from those of other dietary variables. In several studies, diets differed not only in thermal processing but also in ingredient composition and macronutrient profile, making it difficult to isolate processing as the sole factor influencing observed outcomes.
Interpretation is further complicated by the fact that AGEs can form naturally within the body and may also be generated during sample handling if laboratory protocols are not tightly controlled. These factors complicate the interpretation of whether measured AGE levels reflect dietary exposure alone.
Most importantly, there remains a lack of long-term, controlled studies linking dietary MRP exposure to clinical disease outcomes, healthspan, or longevity in companion animals.
Clinical implications of food processing research for veterinarians
Veterinarians are increasingly being asked to interpret complex, sometimes conflicting, nutrition information related to pet food processing.
Current evidence suggests processing level may influence dietary MRP exposure, AGE biomarkers and nutrient availability. However, the long-term clinical significance of these findings remains uncertain, and current evidence does not support simplistic conclusions about the superiority of one dietary format over another.
This creates an important role for veterinarians in helping owners interpret emerging nutrition research within a balanced, evidence-based clinical framework. Discussions may include nutritional adequacy, differences in dietary processing levels, the limitations of current evidence, and the need to avoid oversimplified comparisons between processed and minimally processed diets.
Food processing is also being investigated as a potential modifiable factor in canine longevity. This topic is explored further in our companion article: How Pet Food Processing May Influence Long-Term Health in Dogs.
Key takeaways for veterinary practice
Thermal processing can generate Maillard reaction products (MRPs), including AGEs and acrylamide, within some pet food formats.
Research suggests AGE concentrations may vary across dietary formats, with higher levels often reported in canned foods and lower levels in minimally processed diets.
Some studies have identified higher systemic AGE biomarkers in dogs consuming diets with higher MRP exposure, suggesting dietary format may influence systemic exposure.
The Maillard reaction also affects nutrient availability, including lysine bioavailability in some highly processed diets.
Current evidence highlights important biological associations and exposure patterns, but long-term clinical outcomes and causative relationships remain unclear.
While more research is needed to clarify long-term clinical significance, some veterinarians and owners may consider minimally processed diets a reasonable precautionary approach to reducing dietary MRP exposure.
Veterinarians play an important role in helping owners interpret emerging nutrition research within the context of balanced, evidence-based dietary guidance.
Food processing is also being investigated as a potential modifiable factor in canine longevity. This topic is explored further in our companion article: How PET Food Processing May Influence Long-Term Health in Dogs.
Learn more about pet food processing, AGEs and long-term pet health
This article reviews emerging evidence examining the relationship between pet food processing, Maillard reaction products and companion animal health.
For a deeper analysis of the evidence, download the Pet Longevity Institute Research Commentary Paper: Advanced Glycation End Products in Pet Nutrition: Current Evidence on Dietary Exposure and Longevity.
You can also subscribe to the Pet Longevity Institute e-newsletter to stay informed as new research continues to shape best practice in companion animal health and longevity.
