This article was published in the July 2024 issue of Pet Food Processing. Read it and other articles from this issue in our July digital edition.
Lack of essential nutrients in pets’ diets leads to deficiencies that impact physiological health and comfortable aging. This is why it is common for everyday foods to be enriched with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Premixes ensure that the food meets the animal’s nutrient requirements as the sole food source.
“Pet food ingredients can be highly variable in micronutrient concentration, thus challenging pet food manufacturers to create consistent finished food nutrient profiles,” said Tayler Hansen, Ph.D., companion animal nutritionist and formulation manager, Trouw Nutrition, Highland, Ill. “Premixes contain standardized micronutrients to help ensure nutritional adequacy and decrease the risk of a deficiency in pet food.”
“Within the world of pet food fortification, premixes are a formulators secret weapon,” said George Josef, dsm-firmenich.
George Josef, global head of marketing and nutritional lipids for pet food, dsm-firmenich, New York, said, “Within the world of pet food fortification, premixes are a formulators secret weapon. Premixes are instrumental in giving pet food producers access to a concentrated blend of essential nutrients that are nutritionally balanced and of consistently high quality. Premixes also support manufacturers’ needs to meet regulatory standards and customize formulations to meet a variety of health needs that matter most to pet parents.”
Complete-and-balanced food
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) established standard ingredient definitions and nutritional requirements for pet foods. These standards must be met or exceeded for a pet food to be marketed as “complete and balanced” for a certain species and life stage.
“Complete means the product contains all the nutrients required,” said Gary Davenport, Ph.D., companion animal technical manager, ADM Pet Nutrition, Decatur, Ill. “Balanced means the nutrients are present in biologically appropriate ratios.”
Heidi Clark, national sales and marketing manager, MicroDried, Nampa, Idaho, added, “Foods intended for pets require fortification to qualify as ‘food.’ Premixes play a crucial role in this process by providing a balanced blend of essential nutrients. Additionally, incorporating fruits and vegetables into premixes offers a solution that goes beyond mere fortification.”
The addition of fruits and vegetables complements the growing trend in human-grade pet food. Product labeled as such will rely on human-grade premixes.
“There has been increased interest in converting from ‘feed-grade’ materials to ‘human-grade’ vitamins, minerals and other nutritional ingredients in pet food premixes,” said Scott Harris, director of ingredient solutions, Freemen Nutra Group, Edison, NJ. “Brands today are pushing for perceived quality and that is one of the driving forces for the change of material. Regulations for human food and supplements are typically a higher standard versus the pet feed standard.”
A balancing act
Many supplemental micronutrients are highly concentrated and needed in very low inclusion rates. Premixes are blends of these nutrients and often come in portion packs for ease of addition. They will typically be plated on an inert carrier, with or without protectants, such as antioxidants to prevent degradation, or anti-clumping agents. Such extra ingredients are almost always part of a premix that needs to be measured out, as this assists with ensuring consistency and uniform dispersion in the final product.
Cargill conducts inbound nutrient testing, scale verifications, mixer validations, batching record reviews and positive release testing to validate that premixes meet customer specifications. The premixes are homogeneously blended to ensure that the pet gets the nutrition it needs.
|“There are several processing aids, such as silica, maltodextrin and lecithin, that are utilized during premix production to aid in blend homogeneity, to improve flow behavior, and as a filler to meet the customer’s desired dosage requirement,” said Navneet Grewal, senior formulation scientist, Glanbia Nutritionals, Chicago.
Premixers — the companies that create the blend of nutrients — take a number of steps to ensure efficacy and quality. When formulating a premix, there are several factors to consider.
“There may be processing and storage losses and ingredient interactions,” Grewal said. “Type of package matters, too.
“Differing nutrient forms and percent compositions can exhibit varying physical and chemical characteristics, homogeneity complexities and stability levels,” Grewal added. “Nutrient reactivity can vary depending on several factors, including the end matrix and moisture content.”
When dealing with concentrated micronutrient sources, ensuring efficacy and quality of ingredients is of utmost importance.
“Even before we receive an ingredient, we have completed an extensive manufacturer and supplier audit. Then, inbound ingredients are tested based on use and risk,” Hansen said. “For example, a vitamin can be tested for nutrient concentration, trace minerals for heavy metals, and other ingredients for microbial contamination.
“Finished premixes are also subject to strict quality standards, which can include document verification, inventory reconciliation and positive release testing,” Hansen added. “We complete all these checks under an umbrella of good manufacturing practices and government regulations. With the high nutrient potency of premix ingredients and the critical need to supply just the right amount to avoid deficiency or toxicity, no safety factor can be overlooked.”
Premixes also reduce purchasing, inventory and manufacturing complexity for the pet food manufacturer. But they may increase costs, a cost that is worth it in the long run.
“Pet food manufacturers must understand the nutrient composition of each ingredient, appropriate ingredient inclusion levels, the effects of various processing methods, palatability of the ingredients, and other factors when developing a formulation,” Davenport said. “It is also important to remember that dogs and cats require nutrients and not ingredients. Dogs and cats must be able to digest and use the amino acids in a protein source to ensure their essential amino acid requirements are met.”
In vitro and in vivo studies are critical to determine nutritional quality.
“Although purchasing individual micronutrients may seem more cost-effective than purchasing a premix, partnering with a reputable premix blender can be more economical in the long run,” said Tayler Hansen, Trouw Nutrition.
“Although purchasing individual micronutrients may seem more cost-effective than purchasing a premix, partnering with a reputable premix blender can be more economical in the long run,” Hansen said. “It can reduce the number of supplier audits because the manufacturer relies on the premixer to do that process.”
Premixes increase production efficiency since the premix contains multiple ingredients already quality checked and accurately weighed. This also improves micronutrient quality and reliability in finished pet foods, as they will be better dispersed into the final product.
“To ensure a consistently high quality, premixes should be regularly sampled and analyzed to ensure compliance with regulatory standards,” Josef said. “We make it a priority to carry out stability testing of premixes to evaluate their shelf life and performance under various storage conditions. This ensures the nutrients remain stable over time, guaranteeing efficacy throughout a product’s shelf life.
“At dsm-firmenich, we also have a unique capability to produce essential vitamins in-house, ensuring the highest standards of safety and efficacy in our premix formulations,” Josef added.
The company has started construction on a new premix plant for the pet food industry in Tonganoxie, Kan. The facility will be equipped with precision micro-batching capabilities, which will allow for full traceability of automated micro-added ingredients and broaden the company’s ingredient range to include more premix offerings.
Improved process automation at the facility will also allow for improved traceability, accuracy and automated weight verification, according to the company, as each batch will move through the facility in its own containerized transport system. This will also improve speed and accuracy to meet the evolving needs and high demand from pet food processors.
One mix does not fit all
Not all premixes are created equal. Stocking just one or two is not usually a smart option if the manufacturer produces many varied pet foods.
“A universal blend can limit micronutrient supplementation in a particular diet,” Hansen said. “An example would be a manufacturer having a single premix for their products. If they want to supplement additional zinc into a particular diet, dosing it is very challenging, so another unique premix is required.
“More than 97% of Trouw Nutrition blends are customized,” Hansen added. “The company also carries a myriad of ‘stock’ premixes for customers who may not have manufacturing volumes to meet minimum order quantities, or for whom a basic nutritional profile suffices with their strategy.”
Stock premixes tend to be designed for specific diet and marketing strategies, such as weight loss or organic. Limited-ingredient diets require their own specific premix.
“Our stock premixes are designed to provide a comprehensive foundation of essential nutrients, suitable for a wide range of pet food formulations and for different pet species and life stages,” Josef said.
They come in various portion-pack sizes to accommodate different production volumes and manufacturing needs. They may also be limited to a specific category of nutrients, such as only vitamins or minerals.
“We also provide customized ingredient blends containing a variety of protein sources, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and other ingredients that support pet health and wellness, backed by science,” Davenport said. “ADM’s pet nutrition scientists are continuously researching the intricacies of ingredients and their nutritional value, as well as potential applications to support dental and oral health, skin and coat care, digestive health, balanced behavior, etc.”
Premixes are versatile fortification solutions. They can address specific health concerns and even provide mood and wellbeing support.
Premixes are a way to ensure diets are complete and balanced — the purified micronutrient sources are predictable and consistent.
|“Pets’ emotional wellbeing is a growing area of awareness and, as a result, premixes are being developed to fortify pet foods with calming benefits,” Josef said. “Ingredients like chamomile or valerian root are known for their calming effects and have the potential to support pets with stress and anxiety.
“Prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics are added to premixes to support a healthy gut microbiome, aid digestion, and reduce the risk of gastrointestinal issues,” Josef added. “Additionally, ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are often added to premixes to support joint health in pets, particularly in formulations targeting senior or large breed dogs prone to joint issues. Other premixes are designed to support dental health or to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat, or even brain function such as when Omega 3 fatty acids and DHA are included in the mix.”
Fruits and vegetables are inherent sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other varied micronutrients. By incorporating as part of a portion pack or premix during manufacturing, there is batch-to-batch consistency.
“While vitamins and minerals are primary components of premixes, other nutrients may also be included to streamline the manufacturing process,” Clark said. “Fruit and vegetable ingredients contribute natural colors, flavors and textures to pet foods, enhancing palatability and visual appeal.”
Micronutrients in a premix are generally reported as grams per ton. For example, less than 30 grams of 1.0% sodium selenite is added per ton of finished dry product to satisfy the AAFCO requirement.
Many trace minerals and vitamins have a maximum limit under AAFCO standards. Premixes are specifically designed to meet these maximums, as well as any minimum limits.
|“Several trace minerals and vitamins have a maximum AAFCO allowable, hence a given premix’s inclusion to the final product has a relatively confined ‘window’ to meet both minimum and maximum nutrients,” said J.C. Peters, pet nutritionist-premix and dry production, Cargill Pet, Lewisburg, Ohio. “This works well across foods with similar product design and ingredient make-up but can create challenges across very differentiated products.”
Most trace minerals are difficult to ensure content uniformity. Forms and potencies are critical to ensure good uniformity.
“Using pure copper gluconate at levels required for dogs, for example, would amount to a small quantity in the premix. Such a small quantity would lead to less overall consistency than if you were to use a less potent material,” Harris said. “We have sources of copper gluconate that are less potent. In other words, they deliver less copper per weight, which means using more in the formula to achieve the same content as the pure version, but with results in improved content uniformity.”
This avoids the potential for under or overdosing. This form of copper, according to Harris, also provides for improved bioavailability.
There are special considerations when selecting a premix for a wet food versus dry. Wet pet foods generally have significantly higher inclusions of animal-derived ingredients, such as organ meats.
“These animal tissues typically have higher endogenous micronutrient contents that must be considered when determining the level of fortification required from the premixes,” Peters said. “And, due to the vast differences in production processes and final packaging between dry and wet foods, the stability losses for vitamins are different.”
Dry pet foods are characterized by their crunchy texture and extended ambient shelf life. This is achieved through extensive heat processing, including extrusion or baking.
“Premix formulations for dry pet food often account for potential nutrient losses during processing,” said George Josef, dsm-firmenich.
“As a result, premix formulations for dry pet food often account for potential nutrient losses during processing,” Josef said. “They contain higher levels of heat-stable vitamins and minerals, which ensures the stability and bioavailability of nutrients under harsh conditions.
“In contrast, wet pet food, including canned or pouch formats, undergoes less intense processing and is typically cooked at lower temperatures,” he added. “Premix formulations for wet pet food may prioritize fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, as these nutrients are less susceptible to degradation during cooking or sterilization processes.”
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