Prebiotics bark up pet aisle

CINCINNATI —Probiotics and prebiotics recently have become the darlings of the functional food aisle. Increasingly, products with those digestive health claims are showing up in the pet food aisle as well.

Iams, which has included prebiotics in its food for some time, has introduced a new pet food, Iams ProActive Health with fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria that live in the digestive tract and helps support a strong immune system.

The line, which offers a product for all life stages for dogs and cats, now is available at mass with a suggested retail price of $7.99. Iams was so confident pet owners will see a difference in their pet’s health, the company offered a money-back satisfaction guarantee.

A representative for Iams said the company planned to “ramp up efforts to educate consumers on the benefits of prebiotics for your pet and how prebiotics and probiotics work together.”