Delivering essential nutrients exactly where needed is pivotal in the field of pet nutrition. That’s where plus4pet® microencapsulation technology comes into play.

Think of microencapsulation as creating miniature, protective shields around delicate nutrients. plus4pet® employs a unique vegetable fat matrix to encase these precious bioactive compounds, protecting them from stomach degradation, thereby making them available at intestinal level for absorption and targeted biological activity. Beside the advantages for the pet, microencapsulation offers a wide array of technological features during food manufacturing.

Microencapsulated products available on the market can be divided into two categories: products with one or more layers of protective coating covering an internal core of nutrient (so called “shell-type” products); or products with a protective matrix in which the active ingredients are completely embedded (so called “matrix-type” products). plus4pet® products relies on a unique matrix-type microencapsulation technology.

Source: Vetagro

But how are plus4pet® microcapsules made? The spray-chilling technique is at the core of plus4pet® microencapsulation. The blend of nutrients and protective lipids is sprayed in a refrigerated chamber, ensuring that the lipid condenses in different particle size microcapsules to form the protective matrix evenly embedding the active ingredients.

What are the tangible biological advantages of using plus4pet® microencapsulation technology?

• Palatability boost: off-flavors are masked, making food more enjoyable.
• Ingredient protection: sensitive bioactive compounds (i.e. vitamins or botanicals) remain intact through the gastric environment, reaching their full potential in the intestine.

• Intestinal slow-release and improved bioavailability: the protected ingredients are released and absorbed along the intestinal tract.

plus4pet® matrix-type microencapsulation differ in the kinetic of release of nutrients when compared to shell-type products. Though both may assure a reliable supply of ingredients at intestinal level, the shell-type releases them all at once whereas the matrix-type allows a slow release, ensuring an equally distributed biological effect from the upper tracts of the intestine to the lower ones.

plus4pet® microencapsulates essential vitamins, organic acids, and carefully selected botanicals, to directly deliver them where they are needed for supporting:

• Overall well-being
• Optimized gut function
• Strong immune system
• Shiny coat and healthy skin
• Cognitive and reproductive functions

This commitment to innovation concerns not only the animal, but also the food manufacturing. plus4pet® microcapsules can be added alongside other micronutrients in different stages of the processing chain, such as before or after extrusion, during oil coating. In fact, beside the biological advantages, microencapsulation offers a wide array of technological features:

• Low inclusion levels: the targeted delivery of active ingredients minimizes losses and allows the utilization of small amounts of these compounds.
• Easy incorporation: excellent and homogeneous mixability in the food.
• Stability during food manufacturing: nutrients withstand processing (mechanical and heat treatments) and shelf-life, reducing waste.

In the shell-type microencapsulated additives, potential damages to the surface (such as cracks, scratches, peelings, size reduction, melting or others) may expose the internal nutrient core to the environment reducing its efficacy. plus4pet® matrix-type microcapsules, even if cracked, broken, or melted, still protect the nutrients with the surrounding matrix.