Purpose of ash in tortoise food ?

[iLykeTuRtL3z]

What is it there for ? Is it a filler or does it aid in digestion ??

 

[Laura]

what are you seeing it in?

 

[iLykeTuRtL3z]

I was wondering Petsmart and looked at tortoise food to compare it to the Mazuri and on some they listed Ash in the analysis.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147188

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752433

These are a few

 

[jaizei]

Ash is what remains after food is heated at high temperatures. When pet food is completely incinerated, protein, fat and carbohydrates burn away, leaving behind only the food's minerals, which include calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron and many others. These minerals are the food's ash content, which is just a way of describing the mineral content of the pet food.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5118687_purpose-ash-animal-feed.html

 

[Madkins007]

Ash in ANY animal or human food is a 'catch-all' term for non-aqueous stuff in food that does not burn. It is, I believe, a requirement to list on animal feeds, but not for human foods.

It gets its name from the traditional way food is tested for calories- it is burned and the heat energy is released and measured. A 'calorie' is the amount of heat energy to raise 1gr of water 1 degree Celsius. Food energy is measured in kilocalories, sometimes called Calories. 1 Calorie = 1000 calories. Ash is the residue left after the testing- the stuff that either does not burn, or the non-combustible by-products of the burn.

There is ash in all foods, but the traditional measure of a good processed food is a low ash content. This is especially important in things like cat food, where a high ash content can possibly lead to kidney issues.

Before you start to think that ash is bad, remember that the vital minerals- calcium, iron, magnesium, etc. are represented in the ash part since they don't burn!

 

[Kristina]

What Mark said, lol.