Shelf-Life Evaluation of Ingredient Combinations and Technologies for Use in Pet Food Formulations

Poultry co-product chicken frames (CF) and wooden breast (WB) along with ingredient technology use may bring enhanced value to the pet food industry. Therefore, the current study focused on evaluating CF and WB combinations along with sodium alginate and encapsulated calcium lactate pentahydrate (ALGIN) inclusion within a fresh pet food formulation under simulated shelf-life conditions. Fresh chicken frames (CF) and boneless-skinless wooden breast (WB) were ground and allocated randomly to one of ten treatment combinations with either 0.5 or 1.0% added ALGIN. Ground treatments were placed into a form and fill vacuum package and stored using a reach-in refrigerated case for 21 days. Packages were evaluated for instrumental surface color, lipid oxidation, water activity, and pH on days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 of the display. Packages of pet food were lighter, less red, and more yellow (p < 0.05) with increasing percentages of CF regardless of ALGIN inclusion, whereas pH was greater (p < 0.05) and lipid oxidation was less (p < 0.05) with increasing percentage of WB. Water activity increased (p < 0.05) when WB and ALGIN inclusion increased. The current results suggest that the use of ALGIN in a poultry co-product pet food formulation can improve shelf-life characteristics such as surface color and lipid oxidation in fresh pet food.

Selected Quality Attributes of Freshwater Mussel Powder as a Promising Ingredient for Pet Food

The aim of this study was to describe the quality attributes of a freeze-dried preparation obtained from freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (SW) soft tissue in respect to its potential as a novel pet food ingredient. After ecotoxicological testing of the raw material with MARA (Microbial Assay for Risk Assessment), the basic physico-chemical properties of the powder, such as approximate composition, bulk density, color parameters, water activity, electrophoretic analysis (SDS-PAGE), solubility, gelling and emulsifying capacity, were analyzed. The powder with a water activity of 0.43 offers a toxically safe preparation that contains over 34% protein/100 g of dry matter (DM). The SDS-PAGE profile showed twelve protein bands with a molecular weight (MW) ranging from >250 to 10 kDa. Taurine content has been estimated at an essential amount above 150 mg/100 g of DM. The powder possessed desirable emulsifying properties with 230 mL per 1 g and demonstrated the ability to form a firmer gel with a strength of 152.9 g at a temperature above 80 °C with at least 10% protein content. The L*, a*, and b* values characterizing powder color were found to be 69.49, 16.33, and 3.86, respectively. The SW mussel powder seems to be a promising ingredient that can be added with other binding or gelling agents in order to improve both the taste and acceptance of the final pet food products.

PET PRODUCTS: RANGE AND CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA

Background. The market of goods for pets in Ukraine is promising and is characterized by rapid growth.The pet goods assortment is very wide and includes different subgroups. However, there is no works on the classification of the assortment of pet goods, except for food for them. The aim of the article is developing a classification of pet goods on base of the analysis of assortment. Materials and methods. General scientific methods of cognition: analysis, comparison and generalization were used during the research. Information base of the research: the range of products for animals presented in online stores. Results. According to the results of the analysis of the range of goods for animals in specialized and universal online stores, 9 types of goods for the transportation of pets have been identified.Goods for the transportation of pets can be classified according to the method of transportation and type of transport, type of goods, material from which it is made, size of the product, design features and other characteristics. The main classification features of goods for the arrangement of places of pet residence were determined: the type of goods, the type of animals for which it is intended, the material from which the product is made, the size. Additional classification features include design, equipment, the possibility of transformation, the presence of additional functions. The main classification features of goods for pet food were defined: purpose, type of animals, the material from which the product is made, type of product, size. Toilets fillers for pets can be classified by type of animals, type (material) of filler, functions (principle of action) of filler, size of fractions, the presence of flavor. The assortment of tools for dog and cat grooming includes different devices and acessories, which can be classified according to different characteristics depending on the type of product. The goods related to ammunition for dogs and cats can be classified by type of product, breed and/or size of the animal, the material from which the products are made, size, and other characteristics depending on the features of the type of product. Conclusion. The classification of goods for transportation, arrangement of accommodation and food, ammunition and toys for pets, which were developed in the work, indicates that their assortment is complex and can be classified on at least 5 signs.

Temperature Dependent Antimicrobial Activity of Menhaden Fish Oil in vitro and on Pet Food Kibbles Against Salmonella spp.

Fish oil inclusion into a dry pet food provides a source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in fish oil have antibacterial activity against various foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of temperature applied to dry pet food kibbles on the antimicrobial activity of Menhaden fish oil against Salmonella spp. Sterile Menhaden oil was inoculated with ~8 logs of Salmonella cocktail (~3 % moisture; S. Enteritidis , Heidelberg, and Typhimurium) and incubated at 25°C, 37°C, and 45°C. Microbiological evaluation of the water phase was done after 2h on TSA agar. Sterile kibbles were coated with fish oil (7.0 % w/w). Canola oil coating was kept as a control. One hour after coating, the kibbles were inoculated with ~9 logs of Salmonella and incubated at their respective temperature. The microbiological evaluation was conducted at 0h, 2h, 6h, 12h, and 24h. The oil phase of the fish oil system was negative for Salmonella after 2h of incubation and confirmed by enrichment and PCR. From the water phase, 8.1 and 7.3 logs were recovered at 25°C and 37°C respectively and no Salmonella was detected at 45°C. On the kibble, Menhaden oil had higher antimicrobial ( p ≤ 0.05) activity after 12h at 25°C, and throughout the experiment at 37°C. At 45°C, the fish oil had a superior antimicrobial activity against Salmonella cocktail after 2h. When the fish oil alone was compared at different temperatures a higher antimicrobial activity was observed at 37°C and 45°C across all time points. The results indicate antimicrobial activity of the Menhaden oil increases with temperature. This is an important finding to the pet food industry; wherein a higher fat holding temperature (~ 45ºC) and the application process may help mitigate Salmonella on extruded kibbles.

CPD article: Puppy nutrition: weaning and beyond

In 2019 and 2020, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of households owning dogs increased considerably, and many of these pets were new puppies acquired during the lockdowns in the UK. With such a rise in puppy ownership, it has never been more important to ensure that these puppies receive adequate nutrition throughout their weaning and growth periods, and beyond. In this article, the nutritional considerations of growing puppies will be discussed, along with current pet food trends and how to ensure puppies are receiving a complete and balanced diet.

Alimentary Risk of Mycotoxins for Humans and Animals

Mycotoxins can be found in many foods consumed by humans and animals. These substances are secondary metabolites of some fungi species and are resistant to technological processes (cooking, frying, baking, distillation, fermentation). They most often contaminate products of animal (beef, pork, poultry, lamb, fish, game meat, milk) and plant origin (cereals, processed cereals, vegetables, nuts). It is estimated that about 25% of the world’s harvest may be contaminated with mycotoxins. These substances damage crops and may cause mycotoxicosis. Many mycotoxins can be present in food, together with mold fungi, increasing the exposure of humans and animals to them. In this review we characterized the health risks caused by mycotoxins found in food, pet food and feed. The most important groups of mycotoxins are presented in terms of their toxicity and occurrence.

Identification of Mammalian and Poultry Species in Food and Pet Food Samples Using 16S rDNA Metabarcoding

The substitution of more appreciated animal species by animal species of lower commercial value is a common type of meat product adulteration. DNA metabarcoding, the combination of DNA barcoding with next-generation sequencing (NGS), plays an increasing role in food authentication. In the present study, we investigated the applicability of a DNA metabarcoding method for routine analysis of mammalian and poultry species in food and pet food products. We analyzed a total of 104 samples (25 reference samples, 56 food products and 23 pet food products) by DNA metabarcoding and by using a commercial DNA array and/or by real-time PCR. The qualitative and quantitative results obtained by the DNA metabarcoding method were in line with those obtained by PCR. Results from the independent analysis of a subset of seven reference samples in two laboratories demonstrate the robustness and reproducibility of the DNA metabarcoding method. DNA metabarcoding is particularly suitable for detecting unexpected species ignored by targeted methods such as real-time PCR and can also be an attractive alternative with respect to the expenses as indicated by current data from the cost accounting of the AGES laboratory. Our results for the commercial samples show that in addition to food products, DNA metabarcoding is particularly applicable to pet food products, which frequently contain multiple animal species and are also highly prone to adulteration as indicated by the high portion of analyzed pet food products containing undeclared species.

It Keeps the Good Boy Healthy from Nose to Tail: Understanding Pet Food Attribute Preferences of US Consumers

The study provides insights for marketing managers in specialized pet supplies retailers, as well as for vets and animal welfare organizations. This study proposes a model that investigates the importance pet owners place on convenience, natural ingredients, and value and health claims as product attributes. For this purpose, an online survey with a sample size of 206 pet-owning US residents was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that pet food purchase involvement positively impacts subjective and objective knowledge about pet food. Subjective knowledge appears to be the strongest factor impacting the importance consumers place on all three attributes. This is followed by objective knowledge. Socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, income, and education appear to have a limited impact as predictors for the importance consumers place on the product attributes.