ARTICLE 30 Alternative Proteins Magazine October 2024 “Insects have unique flavor profiles that can vary significantly between species. For instance, crickets have a nutty taste, while mealworms can be more neutral. These flavors can be both an advantage and a challenge when formulating palatable pet foods. The impact of insect protein on pet food palatability is a critical factor that manufacturers are actively addressing through research, innovation, and consumer feedback.” The increasing population of humans and animals is pushing the boundaries of our planets’ resources and requiring the production of higher quantities and more sustainable food and feed.1 Novel ingredients such as insects, algae, yeasts and vegetable by-products are being investigated as potential new protein sources for pet food. This article will focus on the incorporation of insect protein meals into pet food and the evaluation of its impact to palatability in dogs and cats’ diets by analyzing the latest public research available on this topic. INSECT MATERIALS AS PET FOOD INGREDIENTS Last decade, the use of insect ingredients as balanced sources of proteins and fats has become a global reality. In each continent, we can find research centers and universities with projects focused on insect materials and their use in humans, livestock and pet food diets. Big scale production has also improved, so big hurdles to becoming profitable for producers and affordable for customers are about to be overcome. This positions insect meals and oils as relevant sources of proteins and lipids for the pet food industry.2 Insect ingredients not only meet the nutritional requirements for pets but are also a great tool for claiming sustainability, lower carbon footprint and innovative ingredients, just to name a few.3 While insect proteins can have a lower environmental footprint than most animal proteins, this is not as significant for the pet food industry, since pet foods mainly incorporate low environmental impact animal by-products from the rendering industry.4 Currently, the main sources of insect oils and meals are black soldier fly, mealworm and cricket. They are considered as good alternative protein sources and mostly have adequate amino acid levels, meeting the standard requirements for dogs and cats.5 NOVEL PROTEIN SOURCES: IMPACT OF INSECT PROTEIN MEALS ON PET FOOD PALATABILITY Dr. Cristina Murcia García Technical Service Manager Kemin Nutrisurance EMEA
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