This article was published in the May 2024 issue of Pet Food Processing. Read it and other articles from this issue in our May digital edition.
Cat parents are demanding the same nutritional products that have long littered the canine aisle, driving pet food companies to become more feline inclusive, only to be met with the realization that creating cat food is a significant challenge. Cats are unique with distinctive nutritional requirements that set them apart from their canine counterparts. Processors not only need to ensure complete-and-balanced nutrition — they must also ensure palatability, something extremely complicated in the cat nutrition space.
“It’s super important that processors consider the fact that cats are not small dogs; I think a lot of companies completely lose sight of that,” said Sandra Grossmann, BS, AVA, CFTBS, certified companion animal nutritionist, feline training and behavior specialist, and owner of Des Moines, Iowa-based The Feline Consultant. “Cats have a different way of eating, different taste preferences and a different eating style.”
Nutrition unraveled
Unlike dogs, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they require nutrients that can only be provided from animal-derived ingredients.
“Cats’ need for higher protein and essential amino acids, compared to dogs, is a critical consideration while formulating diets, regardless of life stage,” said Shiva Raghavan, principal scientist of animal nutrition at Symrise Pet Food North America, St. Louis, Mo. “For example, cats need taurine due to their limited ability to generate it themselves.”
Symrise offers a litany of ingredients for pet food manufacturers. Its Nuvin™ brand mainly focuses on egg-based ingredients, including binders, proteins with all essential amino acids, and others that can provide additional nutritional content. The brand also offers chicken-based ingredients, ranging from spray-dried full-fat chicken to high-protein, low-ash chicken to hydrolysates. According to Raghavan, these ingredients can help meet needs for clean-label, hypoallergenic or highly digestible products.
Each cat has their own food and taste preferences, with some preferring wet formats over dry and vice versa.
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Felines are also unique in that they cannot synthesize some vitamins, meaning they must be already provided through the diet. For example, they cannot convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, and require a minimum amount of arachidonic acid, a fatty acid that aids in platelet health, Raghavan explained. Additionally, felines cannot synthesize vitamin D or niacin (a B vitamin), making vitamin fortification imperative, according to Yolandi Vyver, technical application specialist, wet, at St. Charles, Mo.-based AFB International.
“Be aware of the amount of phosphates and propylene glycol within the diet, as high levels can have a negative impact on cat health,” Vyver added.
Formulators must also keep ash levels top of mind, Raghavan shared. Cats are much more sensitive to ash compared to dogs, and high ash levels could result in digestive issues and kidney problems in the long term.
It also behooves processors to ensure their raw materials are as fresh as possible. According to Chris Wildman, senior account manager at AFB, seasonal variability can impact ingredients’ nutrient profiles and quality, affecting the final nutrients in a formula. He recommends that processors take into account the degradation of vitamins in storage and the impacts of processing, which can often destroy more fragile ingredients. For example, Raghavan detailed that retort processing often results in the destruction of thiamin (vitamin B1), in which two-thirds of the nutrient is lost.
“Targeted nutrients for each species are critical, as dogs and cats definitely demonstrate different preferences for specific macro and micro nutrients, in addition to flavors and textures,” shared Leah Lambrakis, vice president of R&D, nutrition and scientific affairs at Simmons Pet Food, Siloam Springs, Ark. “Ingredient quality and freshness, as well as processing impacts, are all equally important to formulation and nutrition as we think about optimizing for palatability.”
For these nutritional needs to even be met, cats must consume the food, which means the formula must be palatable.
“Palatability is the first step in nutrition,” Vyver said. “For the diet to meet the needs of the cat, it must be consumed and, therefore, must be palatable.”
The palatability equation
At first, palatability calls to mind flavor and aroma, but it goes far beyond that for cats to encompass all aspects of a food, like texture, density, moisture content, format, kibble shape and mouthfeel.
According to Greg Hibbard, senior scientist at AFB International (pictured here), understanding how a kibble, fat and palatant work together is key to palatability.
|“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 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.
Felines can detect minute differences in humidity and tend to prefer the driest of kibbles.
|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.
“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.”
“Cats are especially sensitive to off-odors or flavors, such as secondary aldehydes and biogenic amines that are generated from oxidation and microbial spoilage,” said Abby Castillo, Kemin Industries.
Abby Castillo, senior global product manager of palatants and health and nutrition at Des Moines-based Kemin Industries, added, “Cats are especially sensitive to off-odors or flavors, such as secondary aldehydes and biogenic amines that are generated from oxidation and microbial spoilage.”
Kemin offers comprehensive formulation solutions, including a diverse range of palatants, antioxidants and food safety products, to help processors stabilize raw materials and, in turn, ensure palatability. The company is able to blend dry palatants with probiotics and other ingredients, according to Castillo, to provide more customized solutions while also simplifying processing.
Selecting the right palatant
Unfortunately, there is no “best” palatant for cat food — it all depends on the specific format, desired health attributes, nutritional content, processing methods and more.
“When thinking about feline nutrition, the palatability of cat foods stands as a pivotal factor, heavily influenced by the selection of ingredients and the intricacies of processing methods,” said Angela LePore, senior manager of product development, Simmons Pet Food. “…Many palatants are made up of a combination of ingredients such as animal digests, sugars, amino acids, yeasts, vitamins, minerals and other ingredients known to drive taste preferences for pets.”
According to LePore, animal liver is commonly used throughout the industry. Liver contains a strong odor, rich flavor profile and compounds that stimulate taste receptors, making them more appealing to felines. Research by Simmons Pet Food also found that mechanically deboned (MD) meats can also help increase palatability. MD meats offer a smoother texture compared to bone’s gritty texture, which may be unappealing to cats, and an enhancing flavor compared to bone’s mineral-like taste that turns felines away, LePore explained.
Simmons Pet Food leverages this research to build upon its co-manufacturing capabilities, offering expansive support from concept to product formulation to commercialization and beyond. The company partners with palatant experts to create solutions specific to each customer’s needs.
For kibble, moisture in these formats can be a concern since cats usually prefer the driest of kibbles. According to Saint-Paul, cats can detect differences in humidity as low as 0.5 points between two kibbles. Additionally, Greg Hibbard, senior scientist, science and technology of product development at AFB, highlighted the importance of ensuring all pieces of the kibble “puzzle” work together.
“The key to better palatable cat food is to make sure the kibble, fat and palatant synergize together,” said Greg Hibbard, AFB International.
“The key to better palatable cat food is to make sure the kibble, fat and palatant synergize together,” he explained. “We have found that a new ingredient in the kibble or a different fat can change palatability. With cats, a small change can be a big change in palatability.”
Wet formulas are a little different, as wet food is often believed to be inherently more palatable over dry. However, some cats may need additional palatants to appease their senses.
“Even a small addition of a palatant that is designed for wet pet food applications can significantly improve the palatability of wet pet food without affecting the integrity of the product,” Castillo said.
Texture is also imperative.
“Both the format and the texture of the food can influence a food preference,” LePore shared. “This aspect holds particular relevance for cats, whose feeding preferences are heavily influenced by texture. However, our observations have been that cats often exhibit a tendency to lap up the gravy while leaving the chunks in the bowl when presented with a chunks-in-gravy diet.”
The application of the palatant also matters as bad application can ruin any and all effort to please cats. According to Saint-Paul, cats will reject unevenly coated food. For extruded kibble, palatants should be applied ideally after fat-coating and in a specific order of liquid first and powder second to ensure efficient interaction with animal taste receptors.
Research from Simmons Pet Food found that felines tend to lap up gravy while leaving chunks when offered a chunks-in-gravy diet.
|A formula’s existing ingredients and nutrient profile must be factored into this complex equation. Phosphorus has long been used as a proven method to improve palatability, according to Castillo, but formulators must pay special attention to the calcium-phosphorus balance to avoid negative health effects.
“For companies looking to make specific claims, such as all-natural or health claims related to kidney or urinary function, it may be important to lower phosphorus content, which will likely lower the palatability of the overall diet,” she added. “In these cases, a company may need to invest more money in selecting a palatant that is best suited to a given kibble, instead of relying on phosphorus content as the main driver for palatability.”
Processing also comes into play. According to Lambrakis, time, temperature, grinding and mixing can all impact overall palatability.
“We often say that there is a ‘chemistry set in the can’ during the retort cooking process, when you consider the ingredient and chemical interactions and reactions,” she said. “We need to be mindful of this, as many of these attributes can positively influence or negatively affect the palatability of a food.”
A balancing act
As consumer demand continues to evolve, shifting from the standard kibble format to formulas that target specific areas of health, it will become a challenge for formulators to create foods that check all the boxes.
“Challenges faced while formulating diets for cats include finding a balance between the nutritional and sensorial needs and what the pet parents desire,” said Shiva Raghavan, Symrise Pet Food.
“Challenges faced while formulating diets for cats include finding a balance between the nutritional and sensorial needs and what the pet parents desire,” Raghavan shared. “For example, cats could be very discerning about the texture of wet diets, while pet parents desire clean labels and high-quality ingredients that they can easily relate to.”
For processors seeking to create functional formulas, like those that include probiotics, it will also be important to understand how these health-promoting ingredients interact with palatants.
“Most probiotics cannot withstand high heat processing and are applied after palatants in dry pet food production,” Castillo said.
LePore added, “Every aspect of formulation, from ingredient selection to processing methods, plays a pivotal role in shaping the taste, aroma, texture and overall appeal of cat food.
“However, formula design can present challenges particularly in light of current market trends such as limited ingredient diets, humanization and clean labeling,” she concluded. “These trends create limitations or constraints on formula design, requiring careful consideration and adaptation to meet consumer demands while maintaining palatability and nutritional integrity.”
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