PET Food Processing - March 2019 - 42

"Consumers naturally transfer their taste preferences
to their pets, and we know that today's consumers
love sweet potatoes in their own foods, so they tend
to purchase based on that transitive property."
Paul Verderber, Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients Inc.

for humans and pets alike. They are loaded with vitamins and important minerals, such as iron, potassium
and manganese. However, what they are best known
for is being a concentrated source of anthocyanins,
the antioxidants that give them their deep blue color.
"Blueberries are well known by consumers and when
asked what is good about them, they usually respond
'antioxidants,'" Payne says. "Consumers view blueberries
as a healthy food that they personally enjoy and are
excited about providing their pets the same healthy,
delicious enjoyments."
"Blueberries are found in many pet food formats,"
Payne says. "There are whole blueberries in canned food,
as well as in refrigerated pet foods. Whole dehydrated
blueberries, as well as powder and fiber, are used in
kibbles and snacks. There are liquid formats (juice and
concentrates) to consider as well as blueberry purees,
which are seen as pet food toppers. Frozen blueberries
in canned products provide whole-fruit identity as the
product is poured out into a bowl for feeding."
Saechao explains that ready-to-eat, reduced-moisture,
individually quick-frozen fruits and vegetables are harvested at their maximum maturity and are loaded with
nutrients. Being partially dehydrated, they are a concentrated source of color, flavor and nutrients.
She agrees that blueberries, pumpkin and sweet potato are very healthful inclusions in pet foods, along with
others. "Watermelon, which is high in lycopene, is also
a perfect fruit for pets," Saechao says. "And, we certainly
understand the value of spinach in our own diets, but
luckily this green, leafy vegetable can be just as powerful
for dogs, as it helps fend off inflammatory and cardiovascular issues, along with cancer."
Some produce, however, can be detrimental to pet
health. Ellis Liu, technical lead-pet and animal nutrition, Ingredion Inc., Westchester, Illinois, says, "There
are some fruits and vegetables that should definitely be
avoided. Fruits like grapes and raisins and vegetables
like garlic and onion should never be fed to pets as they
are toxic to the animals."

A role in processing

For decades, Tree Top Inc., Selah, Washington, has
been providing fruit solutions to the pet food industries, before it was trendy. "Our fruit purées, dried fruits

PET FOOD PROCESSING | March 2019 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

and fruit concentrates add sweetness, fiber and nutritional value to pet product formulation," says Jeannie
Swedberg, director of business development, Tree Top.
"With several different processing methods and a team
of skilled product developers, we can produce custom
fruit ingredients that meet your needs for color, viscosity, flavor and texture requirements."
Van Drunen Farms, Momence, Illinois, also offers a
variety of whole food ingredients to the pet food industry, including drum-dried and freeze-dried fruits and
vegetables, as well as individually quick-frozen vegetables. Freeze dried products retain the color, shape, flavor
and nutritional value of the original raw material better
than products produced using other drying methods.
"Much of what we supply to the pet space are powders; however, with the growing demands of consumers
who want to not only know what is in human food but
what's in their pet's food, having visible pieces or particulates plus a clean label resonates well with pet owners," says Darrell Hanson, senior key account executive,
Van Drunen Farms. "Not only can they read about the
ingredients in the product they are buying, but they can
see them, too."
Liu adds, "Fruits and vegetables may also provide
functionality in texture and processing." Their inclusion
may provide a two-fold contribution to a cleaner label.
Fruits and vegetables are added, while fillers and stabilizers may be removed. "Carrots, for example, in powder
form, can often be used to replace other fiber ingredients,
such as wood-derived cellulose, which has a negative
consumer perception," Liu explains. "Sweet potato can
also be used to replace starches used in the manufacture
of treats.
Sweet potatoes are a trending ingredient with today's
pet parents. "Consumers naturally transfer their taste
preferences to their pets, and we know that today's consumers love sweet potatoes in their own foods, so they
tend to purchase based on that transitive property,"
says Paul Verderber, vice-president of sales, Carolina
Innovative Food Ingredients Inc., Nashville, North
Carolina. "Promoting sweet potato ingredients grown
domestically supports preferred positioning and promotes consumer confidence."
He explains that for a kibble or biscuit, sweet potato
flour is a desirable ingredient for its nutritional benefits

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PET Food Processing - March 2019

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