The Effects of Select Hydrocolloids on the Processing of Pâté-Style Canned Pet Food

Pimobendan controlled release guar gum printlets: Tailoring drug doses for personalised veterinary medicines

Treating chronic heart diseases in dogs is challenging due to variations in mass within and between species. Pimobendan (PBD), a veterinary drug only, is prescribed in specific cases of chronic heart disease in dogs and is available on the market in only a few different doses. Furthermore, the therapy itself is challenging due to the large size of the chewable tablets and the requirement for twice-daily administration. The development of customised and on-demand PBD medicines by three-dimensional (3D) printing has been proposed to circumvent these disadvantages. In this study, we designed controlled-release flavoured printlets containing PBD. We evaluated the use of two natural polymers, guar or xanthan gums, as the main component of the printing inks. Guar gum showed the better rheological behavior and printability by semisolid extrusion. The printlets were produced in three different shapes and sizes to allow dose customisation. Guar gum printlets showed a PBD controlled release profile, regardless of their shape or size. Therefore, we have demonstrated a novel approach for controlling PBD drug release and tailoring the dose by employing a natural polymer to produce 3D-printed tablets. This study represents a significant step towards the development of 3D-printed guar gum controlled-release formulations for veterinary applications.

Green banana flour as a novel functional ingredient in retorted feline diets

Green banana flour (GBF) is a novel ingredient that is high in resistant starch and could be a dietary fiber source in companion animal nutrition. In addition, with its light brown color and pectin content, GBF could potentially serve as a natural color additive and thickening agent in pet food manufacturing. The purpose of this research is to evaluate different sources of GBF, the effect of GBF on texture and color in canned foods, and its effect on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), fecal characteristics, and fecal fermentative end-products in healthy adult cats. Prior to the feline study, different sources of GBF were analyzed for chemical composition, manufacturing properties, true metabolizable energy, and fermentability. For the feline feeding trial, all treatment diets were formulated to meet or exceed the Association of American Feed Control Officials (Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 2020. Official Publication. Champaign, IL.) guidelines for adult cat maintenance. There were five dietary treatments: rice control (4% rice flour), potato control (4% dehydrated potato flakes), 1% GBF (1% GBF and 3% rice flour), 2% GBF (2% GBF and 2% rice flour), and 4% GBF. All treatment diets were analyzed for texture and color. The animal study was conducted using a completely randomized design with 39 adult domestic cats. There was a 7-d diet adaptation period followed by a baseline fresh fecal collection to determine fecal score, pH, short-chain fatty acid, branched-chain fatty acid, phenol, indole, ammonia, and microbiota. The treatment period lasted for 21 d and a total fecal collection was performed during the last 4 d of this period to determine the ATTD. A fresh fecal sample was also collected during the total fecal collection to evaluate fecal score, pH, metabolites, and microbiota. The MIXED model procedures of SAS version 9.4 were used for statistical analysis. Treatment diets containing GBF had a lower hardness from the texture profile analysis (P < 0.05). For color analysis, the 4% GBF diet was darker in color compared with the rice diet (P < 0.05). There was no difference in food intake, fecal output, or ATTD of macronutrients among the treatment groups (P > 0.05). There was no interaction of treatment and time or main effects shown in fecal score, pH, metabolites, or microbiota diversity (P > 0.05). In conclusion, adding GBF to canned diets may affect the texture and color of the product, but GBF was comparable to traditional carbohydrate sources, rice, and potato, from a nutritional aspect.

Spray-Dried Animal Plasma as a Multifaceted Ingredient in Pet Food

Plasma is a co-product from pork and beef obtained during the processing of animals for human consumption. The spray-drying process maintains the solubility of spray-dried animal plasma (SDAP) and its nutritional and functional properties, making this ingredient multifunctional in human and animal nutrition. In pet food, SDAP has been used in the production of wet foods (pates and chunks in gravy) as an emulsifying and binding agent, with the potential to replace hydrocolloids partially or totally, which have some negative implications for digestibility, fecal quality, and intestinal inflammation. From a nutritional point of view, SDAP has high digestibility and an amino acid profile compatible with high-quality ingredients, such as powdered eggs. Studies in companion animals, especially in cats, have shown that SDAP is an ingredient with high palatability. Despite the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic, and neuroprotective properties demonstrated in some animal models, there are still few publications demonstrating these effects in dogs and cats, which limits its use as a functional ingredient for these species. In this review, the potential use of SDAP in pet food, aspects related to the sustainability of this ingredient, and opportunities for studies in companion animals are discussed.

Effects of container type and size on thermal processing characteristics and B-vitamin retention of canned cat food

Introduction

Rigid cans were the traditional container for canned cat foods, but semi-rigid trays/tubs and flexible pouches are popular options as well. Despite this, little is published on the effects of canned cat food container characteristics on thermal processing and retention of B-vitamins. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of container size and type on thermal processing and B-vitamin retention.

Materials and methods

Treatments were arranged in a factorial with two container sizes [small (85-99 g) and medium (156-198 g)] and three container types (flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid). A canned cat food formula was prepared, filled, and sealed into containers before retort processing to a heating cycle target lethality of 8 min. Internal retort and container temperatures were used to calculate accumulated lethality. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, and moisture contents were analyzed in pre- and post-retort samples by commercial laboratories. Thermal processing metrics were analyzed (SAS v. 9.4; SAS Institute, Cary, NC) with the fixed effects of container size, container type, and their interaction. Dry matter basis B-vitamin contents were analyzed with container size, container type, processing stage, and all two-way and three-way interactions as fixed effects. Means were separated using Fisher's LSD at a P-value < 0.05.

Results and discussion

Total accumulated lethality was greater (P < 0.05) for semi-rigid and flexible containers (average 14.99 min) than for rigid containers (12.86 min). The greater processing of semi-rigid and flexible containers was likely influenced by required retort settings. Thiamin and riboflavin contents decreased (P < 0.05) by 30.4 and 18.3%, respectively, due to retort processing. Niacin, biotin, and cobalamin were not affected (P > 0.05) by processing. Processing increased (P < 0.05) pantothenic acid (9.1%), pyridoxine (22.6%), and folic acid (22.6%). This was likely caused by sampling or analytical variation. No interaction involving processing stage was significant for any B-vitamin (P > 0.05). B-vitamin retention was not influenced by differences in thermal processing caused by the packaging treatments. Thiamin and riboflavin were the only B-vitamins meaningfully impacted by processing and retention was not improved by any container characteristic.

Drivers of Palatability for Cats and Dogs-What It Means for Pet Food Development

The pet food industry is an important sector of the pet care market that is growing rapidly. Whilst the number of new and innovative products continues to rise, research and development to assess product performance follows traditional palatability methodology. Pet food palatability research focuses on the amount of food consumed through use of one-bowl and two-bowl testing, but little understanding is given to why differences are observed, particularly at a fundamental ingredient level. This review will highlight the key differences in feeding behaviour and nutritional requirements between dogs and cats. The dominant pet food formats currently available and the ingredients commonly included in pet foods are also described. The current methods used for assessing pet food palatability and their limitations are outlined. The opportunities to utilise modern analytical methods to identify complete foods that are more palatable and understand the nutritional factors responsible for driving intake are discussed.

Effects of select copper sources at minimum supplementation levels on nutrient content, off-colors, and blemishes in canned pet food

In the previous research, super-fortification with copper decreased vitamin E content and darkened canned pet food, which prevented the analysis of black blemishes reported in commercial products. The pet food industry has linked these blemishes, which may be concerning to pet owners, to copper supplementation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different copper sources included at minimum recommended levels on nutrient content, color, and blemishes in canned pet food. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial, with 2 levels of copper supplementation [6 and 12 mg/kg dry matter (DM)], 3 copper sources (CG = copper glutamate, CA = copper amino acid complex, and CS = copper sulfate), and a control with no added copper (NC). Diets were analyzed for macronutrients (moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and ash) and micronutrients (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, and vitamin E). Color was quantified with a CIELAB color space colorimeter wherein L* values closer to 100 represented lighter products and more positive a* and b* values indicated redder and yellower products, respectively. Blemishes were enumerated and their surface area quantified with ImageJ software. Data were analyzed as a general linear mixed model with the fixed effect of treatment and the random effect of production day. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. The 12 mg/kg DM treatments (average 14.19 mg/kg DM) contained the highest (P < 0.05) level of copper, followed by 6 mg/kg DM treatments (average 7.59 mg/kg DM) and then NC (0.00 mg/kg DM). Addition of copper decreased (P < 0.05) vitamin E content, except for NC and CS12 which were similar (P > 0.05; average 111.89 mg/kg DM). Lightness (average L* 63.66) was not affected (P > 0.05) by the treatments. Adding copper decreased (P < 0.05) redness, with higher (P < 0.05) a* values for CG6 (9.55) vs. CA6 and CS6 (average 8.50). Yellowness also decreased with the addition of copper, except for CG6 which was similar (P > 0.05) to NC (average 18.70). However, CG6 and CG12 (average 4.05 blemishes/slice of food) contained more (P < 0.05) blemishes than CA6, CS6, and CS12 (average 0.97 blemishes/slice of food). Minimal levels of supplemental copper from CG may enhance overall color preservation but could increase blemish occurrence. No disadvantage was observed for CA vs. CS, indicating that CA could be exchanged for CS in formulations.

Physicochemical Parameters of Raw Pet Food and Dehydrated Pet Treats Developed from Beef Processing Co-Products

Pet humanization and premiumization of pet foods have led to significant changes in the co-product market, as pet food companies are looking for more profitable protein sources for their products. Co-products such as beef liver (BL) and beef heart (BH) can be combined to generate restructured pet foods rich in vitamins and nutrients. Sodium alginate and encapsulated calcium lactate (ALGIN) can improve the acceptability of meat pieces by transforming them into a singular shape. The objective of this experiment was to assess the physiochemical parameters of co-products for utilization in raw pet foods and restructured pet treats generated from BL and BH by using ALGIN as a structure-forming agent. Results demonstrated increased cooking loss as ALGIN inclusion decreased, but cooking loss decreased as BL proportions increased (p = 0.0056). Expressible moisture of raw pet food decreased as ALGIN inclusion increased, but more moisture was released from treats when BL proportions increased (p < 0.0001). Increasing ALGIN and BH led to increased water activity of cooked treats (p < 0.0001). Thus, we suggest that BL and BH combinations with ALGIN inclusion produces a viable platform for higher inclusions of co-products in pet treats. Additionally, these ingredients improved the finished product quality characteristics of raw pet foods.