With the implementation of national standards, prescription pet foods are no longer a "wild market."
On May 1st, the "General Requirements for Complete Pet Food Prescription Diets" (NY/T4838) officially came into effect, providing precise regulations on the nutritional indicators of 19 categories of prescription pet foods for the first time, and clarifying that prescription pet foods must be used under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian. This means that low-quality products that previously relied on conceptual marketing to infiltrate the prescription pet food market will be rapidly eliminated, and the industry will officially enter a standardized era with clear standards and guidelines.
Plant Extracts: A Key Variable in the "Functionalization" of Prescription Pet Foods
This year's changes in prescription pet foods both domestically and internationally have a noteworthy underlying trend-plant extracts are transitioning from a secondary, "icing on the cake" role to a key support for the functionalization of prescription pet foods.
Overseas, at the Interzoo 2026 exhibition, plant ingredients such as turmeric, goji berries, and cranberries have appeared extensively in functional pet foods, and the logic of "superfoods meeting the same standards for humans and pets" is being validated by the market. In China, with stricter regulations and a growing consumer preference for "natural ingredients," plant extracts are seeing their application expand in prescription diets, particularly in areas like gastrointestinal regulation, immune support, and liver protection and detoxification, thanks to their advantages such as natural low toxicity, verifiable efficacy, and user-friendly formulations.
Artichoke Extract: A Two-in-One Solution for Liver and Gastrointestinal Health
Amidst the influx of plant extracts into prescription diets, artichoke extract stands out as an undervalued yet highly promising option.
The core active ingredients of artichoke, cynarinic acid and chlorogenic acid, offer dual benefits: firstly, they promote bile secretion and accelerate liver toxin metabolism, acting as natural liver-protecting and detoxifying components; secondly, increased bile secretion directly improves fat digestion and absorption, supporting gastrointestinal function-this "liver protection equals stomach health" logic perfectly addresses the clinical reality of the high co-occurrence of liver and gastrointestinal diseases in prescription diets.
Currently, mature products overseas have validated this direction: Animal Necessity's "Artichoke + Milk Thistle" liver-protecting tablets contain 350mg of artichoke extract per tablet; the Polish brand Cosset's "Double Thistle Liver Protection and Gastrointestinal Digestion Formula" synergistically achieves a two-pronged approach of "detoxification + repair," both positioned as clinical-grade solutions for feline and canine liver protection and digestive health.
In the domestic prescription pet food market, the liver disease segment has long been dominated by milk thistle, but milk thistle focuses on repair and lacks support for bile secretion and digestion. The addition of artichoke fills the gap in "elimination promotion," forming a complete liver protection chain of "repair + elimination promotion."
Artichoke extract is just one example-the window of opportunity for plant extracts is just opening in the niche markets of prescription pet foods focusing on liver protection, immunity, gut health, and urinary function.
