ARTICLE Alternative Proteins Magazine October 2024 29 WetPro15 was no deterrent to either cats or dogs, in terms of the palatability of the food and to dogs’ enjoyment of their food. Besides, the canine trial suggests further that a diet including mealworm protein has digestive benefits for dogs. This is probably related to the presence of chitin in the mealworm pulp, which is known to be a good source of natural fiber. The palatability of insect-based pet foods is perhaps unsurprising, in principle, considering that catching and consuming insects (among other prey) is a natural behaviour for both dogs and cats. In comparison to conventional wet pet food products, our WetPro15 has no obvious visual or olfactory deterrents: the mealworm pulp’s light brown colour makes it visually similar to traditional products, and it is not associated with any strong odour. Moreover, as previously reported in our article1, it is texturally similar to patés made from chicken MDM. Hence, from the perspective of the animal, including WetPro15 in the diet appears to be largely transparent: mealtime for them is “business as usual”. These initial results are an encouraging indication for pet-owners that they can offer their companions a diet that is both nutritionally and environmentally superior, without sacrificing their tastebuds. References 1. WetPro15: a high-quality mealworm paste for the wet pet food market [article] 2. Knight et al. (2021) 3. Mellor et al. (2016) 4. Watson et al. (2023) 5. Mealworm-based pet food ingredients offer a safe option for a healthy canine diet [article]
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