Pet Food Processing - March 2023 - 36

INGREDIENTS
a specific health goal, such as
'digestive care.' "
As part of its annual
report on US pet supplement
trends and consumer
insights, MarketPlace, St.
Louis, conducted a survey of
pet parents in 2022 to better
understand awareness, attitudes
and behaviors related
to the biotics category.
" We found that 22% of pet
Zesty Paws All-In-One
Functional Dental
Bones contain Cargill's
proprietary EpiCor™
postbiotic ingredient.
Zesty Paws
parents associate probiotics with positive health benefits
for their pets, " said Jon Copeland, research strategist at
MarketPlace. " In contrast, 7% said the same about prebiotics
and only 3% for postbiotics. So, gut health is a
promising space; however, because pre- and postbiotics
are still emerging ingredients in pet foods and treats,
brands must contend with low awareness and the need
for consumer education. "
Gail Czarnecki-Maulden, senior research nutritionGerman
pet food
company The Better Cat
launched last year with
dry cat food formulated
with pre- and probiotics.
The Better Cat
ist, Nestlé Research Center, St. Louis, said, " Prebiotics,
probiotics and postbiotics can each affect digestive and
immune health, but in different ways. It is important to
note that these three, as well as the many species and
strains within each, are not interchangeable. As interest
grows in this space, we must carefully study each of
these areas to ensure they provide true benefits to pets in
their final form - their food bowls. "
Probiotics gain traction
In 2020, 24% of pet parents in the US claimed to use
probiotics for their pets. This number rose to 27% in
2022, according to research conducted by Chr. Hansen,
Inc., Milwaukee, Wis. This demand is fueling innovation
in the pet food and treat space through products pets
consume every day, often eagerly.
" Wellness Pet Company includes scientifically proven
digestive health inclusions into every dry recipe that we
make, " Bernal said. " We don't add them only to a 'digestive
recipe' and exclude the other important life-stage or
lifestyle-tailored recipes for pets. We firmly believe that
every pet deserves optimal digestive health, so our technology
is included into every recipe.
" We always include a fiber - a prebiotic - and probiotics
into our dry recipes, " Bernal added. " It is never
just one element because these ingredients always work
better together. And, we guarantee our probiotics for the
shelf life of our products. You can see this listed in the
guaranteed analysis on the back of our packaging. This
is how pet parents can know they are receiving a highquality
diet with probiotics. "
The packaging states: " Guaranteed probiotics
(Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus
delbrueckii, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bacillus licheniformis,
Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Lactobacillus casei). " The company applies these probiotics
to the exterior of the dried kibble.
" Probiotics are live microorganisms and are more
suitable for post-extrusion application in dry, air-dried,
freeze-dried, baked, cold-molded products, chewables
and dry toppers, " said Lidiia Alaverdova, DVM, head
of global marketing-animal health and nutrition, pet
portfolio manager at Chr. Hansen, Hørsholm, Denmark.
" Many variables can impact probiotic viability and survivability,
and those variables are best de-risked with application-specific
trials in partnership with the probiotic
manufacturer. "
Chr. Hansen offers a range of stable probiotic blends
for every life stage. For example, the company has a probiotic
that emphasizes immune and digestive support to
help bolster the healthy development of growing pets.
" Another probiotic in our portfolio helps maintain
digestive balance and normal health in adult pets, supporting
everyday well-being, " Alaverdova said. " Lastly,
we have a probiotic for senior dogs and cats over seven
years old. This is a growing population of pets in the
United States with particular needs. "
Marcial Guevara, global pet product management at
Chr. Hansen, said, " We hand-picked the best Bacillus
and Enterococcus strains from our proprietary collection
of good bacteria based on over 100 in vitro studies,
literature overviews and in vivo data from trials with
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Pet Food Processing - March 2023

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