CO2 neutral pet food and snacks from Imby: Tested & approved!

Every bag of conventional dog food has a carbon bill your dog never sees. A 2020 global analysis estimated that commercial pet food production accounts for between 56 and 151 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions annually (Alexander et al., 2020). That number puts the pet food industry on the scale of mid-sized countries. Switching to insect-based and plant-based food does not fix everything overnight, but the numbers behind the alternative are genuinely hard to dismiss.

Why conventional dog food carries a heavy climate cost

The problem is not that dogs eat. The problem is what they eat. Most dry dog food is built around beef, pork, or chicken as the primary protein. Each of these comes with a land and emissions price tag that adds up fast at scale.

A landmark life cycle assessment by Oonincx and de Boer (2012), published in PLoS ONE, measured greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and land use per kilogram of edible protein from mealworms versus conventional livestock. Beef cattle produced 6 to 13 times more CO2-equivalent emissions than mealworm farming. Broiler chickens emitted 32 to 167 percent more. On land use, beef required up to 14 times more surface area per kilogram of edible protein than mealworms (Oonincx and de Boer, 2012).

These are not marginal differences. They are structural ones baked into how livestock farming works at industrial scale.

The two protein sources Imby uses, and why each was chosen

Imby uses mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as the core proteins in its dog kibble. That choice is not just sustainability marketing. Each insect has a distinct nutritional profile, and the two complement each other in ways that matter for a complete canine diet.

Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)

Mealworms are high in protein and have a digestibility profile that holds up well in dogs. A 2021 review by Bosch and Swanson in the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed found that fecal nitrogen digestibility of insect protein fell within the same range as conventional meat-based proteins. In plain terms, dogs extract usable protein from mealworm-based food at rates comparable to chicken or beef alternatives (Bosch and Swanson, 2021).

There is an honest limitation worth knowing. Methionine, one of the 10 essential amino acids dogs cannot produce themselves, is present at lower levels in yellow mealworms than in chicken meal. Reputable formulations supplement this specifically. If you are evaluating any insect-based brand, checking the amino acid profile on the label is worth the 30 seconds it takes.

Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens)

Black soldier fly larvae bring a different set of strengths. They are particularly high in fat, including lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid with documented antimicrobial properties. Their amino acid profile is broader than mealworms in certain respects, and their ability to convert low-grade organic substrates into high-quality protein makes them one of the more efficient insects in terms of resource input per kilogram of usable protein.

The digestibility data for dogs is solid. A 2021 study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science specifically tested black soldier fly larvae meal in extruded dog kibble and measured in vivo digestibility. Fecal crude protein digestibility ranged from 74 to 82 percent across the test groups, and palatability scores were not meaningfully different from conventional formulations (Spranghers et al., 2021). Dogs ate it. Their bodies used it.

What dogs actually think of the smell

Dogs choose food almost entirely by scent. Mealworm powder baked at low temperature produces a biscuit-like aroma dogs respond to readily. Black soldier fly larvae have a more neutral processing smell. Both score well in preference trials when kibble is properly extruded. The palatability concern that comes up in online discussions is largely a non-issue with commercial formulations.

CO2-neutral: what the claim actually means

The label "CO2-neutral" deserves some scrutiny. No food production is entirely without emissions. What the claim typically covers is the carbon footprint of ingredient production and primary processing, often offset through verified programs or calculated against a net-zero ingredient sourcing standard.

Mealworm and black soldier fly farming genuinely start from a lower baseline than beef or pork. The insects convert feed to protein more efficiently, produce less methane, and require a fraction of the land. When combined with plant-based complementary ingredients, the overall formulation can reach near-zero or offset-neutral status more credibly than a beef-based equivalent could.

That said, transportation, packaging, and retail logistics still add to the total. A CO2-neutral label that only covers ingredient farming is not the same as a full lifecycle certification. Transparency about scope matters.

"Production of one kilogram of edible protein from milk, chicken, pork, or beef results in higher greenhouse gas emissions and requires much more land than mealworm production."— Oonincx and de Boer, PLoS ONE, 2012

Functional snacks and what they are meant to do

Beyond kibble, the Imby range includes snacks formulated around specific health goals: dental care, skin and coat support, and sleep support through chamomile. This functional approach is worth separating from the sustainability angle, because the two are often bundled together in marketing but rest on different kinds of evidence.

The dental stick category has good support. Mechanical chewing action on a fibrous stick reduces plaque accumulation, and fresh mint ingredients have demonstrated mild antimicrobial activity in oral health research. The snack is plant-based, which fits the lower-footprint sourcing philosophy.

The chamomile-based sleep snack is a reasonable idea with modest supporting evidence. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) has documented mild anxiolytic properties in humans, and some veterinary herbalists apply this by extrapolation to dogs. Rigorous randomised controlled trials specifically in canines are limited. It is not a sedative. It is a gentle, low-risk addition to an evening routine.

Is insect-based food right for your dog?

For most healthy adult dogs, insect-based kibble made to FEDIAF nutritional standards is a nutritionally complete option. It is particularly useful for dogs with chicken or beef protein sensitivities, since mealworm and black soldier fly protein are genuinely novel to most canine immune systems and less likely to trigger existing food intolerances.

Puppies, pregnant or lactating dogs, and dogs with diagnosed medical conditions need specific guidance from a vet or veterinary nutritionist before any significant diet change. The insect protein research base, while growing fast, is still thinner than decades of data behind conventional diets.

The environmental case for switching is strong. The nutritional case is solid for most dogs, with a few amino acid caveats worth watching. Neither case is absolute, and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably selling something harder than kibble.