Pet Food Processing - May 2024 - 44

FORMULATION
" Palatability is more than just the makeup of the cat
food, " shared Alana Brown, customer technical insights
at AFB International. " Kibble shape and food form or
texture can affect the palatability of a product, not just
the palatants used. The type of fat and how much is externally
coated on kibble can also affect palatability. "
AFB International offers a variety of palatants that
can be applied internally or topically to a kibble, treat or
supplement for optimal flexibility. They are specifically
designed to appeal to one or more of a pet's senses. The
company also provides palatants mixed with functional
ingredients, like probiotics, that can help improve palatability
as well as operational efficiencies,
efficacy and cost savings.
Because cats leverage their various
senses, their feeding experience
is multi-faceted and, therefore,
palatability is best approached the
same way.
" Taste, aroma, texture, nutrition,
processing and environment are
important factors that significantly
impact the feeding experience, "
Lambrakis said.
Cécile Saint-Paul, director of development
and technical services at
Symrise Pet Food North America,
added, " Palatability results from
the interaction between a product's
characteristics and how an animal
perceives them: feeding behavior,
sensory equipment and individual
preferences. So, it is quite complex,
especially with cats. "
Symrise Pet Food has developed a
range of comprehensive palatability
Research from
Simmons Pet Food
found that felines
tend to lap up gravy
while leaving chunks
when offered a
chunks-in-gravy diet.
Simmons Pet Food
solutions for use in various formats and to meet specific
claims, price and performance needs. The company works
hands-on with pet food manufacturers to choose the best
palatant system, provide coating and palatability assessments,
application services and more to help produce
highly palatable pet foods.
Cats' specific nutritional requirements translate to a
natural desire for particular tastes and aromas.
" As obligate carnivores, cats necessitate animal protein
in their diet for optimal health, " Lambrakis shared.
" Consequently, they are naturally inclined toward foods
rich in protein, particularly animal proteins, to fulfill
their dietary needs. "
The first key step in palatability for cat foods, according
to Saint-Paul, is using palatants that are specifically
designed to help stimulate feline smell and taste receptors,
like powders.
44 PET FOOD PROCESSING | May 2024 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
According to Greg Hibbard, senior scientist at AFB,
understanding how a kibble, fat and palatant work
together is key to palatability.
AFB International
" Powder is the most powerful form of palatant for increasing
cat food palatability, " she explained. " ...Highly
concentrated in sapid compounds, powder palatants are
extremely effective at stimulating a cat's taste buds. "
In addition to powdered palatants, Saint-Paul also recommended
liquid palatants for their ability to elicit behaviors
in cats that are perceived positively by their owners.
" Cats eating food with liquid palatants are generally
more focused on their bowl, " she said. " Because they significantly
improve the smell of cat food, liquid palatants
are particularly important in the early phase of the meal,
during which they facilitate food recognition and improve
attractiveness. "
In optimizing palatability, formulators may want to
also analyze the quality of their raw materials, as the
freshest ingredients are best.
" We all know cats love fresh meat, " Grossmann said.
" A dog will put their bone out in the yard, dig it up three
weeks later and now it's even more tasty. For cats, it's the
opposite. Cats are both prey and predators, and they
need to be very mindful of what they put in their body.
So, in terms of toxins, they are much more discriminative
and will reject anything that is not fresh. "
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