Pet Food Processing - November 2023 - 56

FORMULATION
Premium pet foods have evolved from a convenient
one-size-fits-all approach into an intricate variety
of unique solutions for individual pets. "
Heather Acuff, Ph.D., Nulo
Nulo's functional
powder supplements
are made with
collagen-rich bone
broth. The powders
can easily be mixed
into a pet's food to
deliver a range of
health benefits.
Nulo
brain health and cognitive development, as well as to help
reduce inflammation and enhance overall coat health.
The company has also focused heavily on its seven dualtexture
cat supplements that deliver a chicken taste with
a crunchy outer shell and a savory filling and are formulated
for hairball support, calming, hips and joints, immune
support, multivitamins, probiotics, and skin and
coat health. Reinhart said the products have a nearly 90%
feline acceptability rate, which is a notable achievement in
the field.
The anti-inflammatory benefits of calcium fructoborate
and its ability to improve joints is yet another area of
innovation for Pet Honesty. In fact, the company found
78% of pet parents who gave their dog a supplement
with the ingredient combined with other commonly
used actives for joints noticed an improvement in the
pet's mobility after two weeks.
One of Nulo's newest product lines includes functional
powder supplements made with collagen-rich
bone broth. The powders can easily be mixed into a pet's
food to deliver health benefits while giving a pet a more
enjoyable experience than a single chew or tablet, Acuff
said. The company has eight formulas in the powdered
format for gut, mind, skin and joint health.
Choosing the optimal format
Delivering the right balance of ingredients is not only
important for providing a pet with proper nutrition, but
it's also an important consideration in how to develop
products in certain formats. For example, carbohydrates
are a key ingredient in kibble that helps create a crunchy
product, and meat meals are ideal kibble proteins because
they are concentrated sources of protein with low
moisture, Williams said.
" Due to its inherent moisture content, high levels of
fresh meat can be a challenge to incorporate into kibble,
while wet food recipes with a high final moisture content
can be formulated with higher amounts, " Williams
said.
" Gums are also sometimes used in wet pet food
because they help create the perfect texture to support
palatability - an important consideration to keeping
both pets and pet parents happy. "
Kibble allows for more control of protein and fat, as
carbohydrates are essential to this format and allow for
balance during formulation. Alternatively, Williams said
wet foods include muscle meat high in protein and fat,
so many wet food recipes designed to support weight
management often include other functional and fiber ingredients
and leaner protein sources.
From a formulation perspective, soft chews are produced
using a much gentler process involving lower
temperature and pressure than dry kibble, which
Reinhart said allows many important active ingredients
like probiotics to survive.
" The beneficial effects of probiotics in animal health
are increasingly recognized, which is evidenced by the
popularity of probiotic-containing foods, treats and supplements
for pets, " Acuff said. " But the inclusion of probiotics
in food matrices can be difficult considering the
various ingredients, processing technologies and packaging
types available. Moisture content, water activity, acidity,
and temperature of processing are just a few factors
that need to be considered when developing probioticcontaining
foods, toppers, treats or supplements. "
Reinhart added that salmon oil is best for providing
optimal levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are difficult
to achieve in a food or soft chew but can be easily
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Pet Food Processing - November 2023

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