Encore pouches, pots and tins have a high meat content, which is why Encore is also rich in taurine. Taurine is an amino acid essential for the proper function of the heart and for eye health. It occurs naturally at high levels in muscle tissue in the chicken breasts, tuna, sardine and mackerel fillet that we use in our recipes. In many other pet food brands, the level of natural taurine can be very low. They need to add synthetic taurine to their food to meet the minimum standard required by a cat. Independent scientific tests have shown that Encore Fish in broth varieties more than exceed the daily requirement of taurine for cats, and provide it in a natural form. Cats require a high level of taurine for healthy body functions, yet have limited enzymes which can produce it from other amino acids such as methionine and cysteine. If taurine is deficient, retinal degeneration, reproductive failure, abnormal kitten development and a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy can occur. Cats need a balanced diet rich in taurine.