ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2022 41 cations for their high swelling, water retention and emulsion capabilities. With a series of long-term pilot scale tests at their Technical Competence Center in Rosenberg (Germany), JRS demonstrated that a favorable cost benefit is achieved by partially replacing conventional binders with functional cellulose fibers. Regardless of the type of meat ingredient tested, replacing 2% SDF with 1% cellulose helps to optimize the key parameter in a steam tunnel process and to improve the textural parameters of the chunk before and after retorting. FIBER AS A TOOL Fiber research is also currently underway into capturing product quality features in dry grain-free products with high meat inclusion, in order to overcome typical extrusion challenges such as stickiness, reduced throughput or poor product integrity. NATURAL PRODUCTS FOR THE FUTURE As pet food trends follow our taste and expectations discovering the functionality of simple, natural plant fibers is a key field of innovation. These special natural fibers can help in the development of vegan meat alternatives giving the substitute products the right consistency and the desired structure. Moreover, many pet owners are exploring raw feeding with product convenience being a strong argument for consistent purchase. Natural plant fibers can make raw pet food firmer and more comfortable to handle while contributing to good digestion. ENERGY SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES Each pet food and treat product format offers opportunities for cost savings and improvement in overall efficiency and especially during a global energy crisis, this fact is in the focus of every entrepreneur. Specialized cellulose fibers have proven to make production processes more sustainable. In dry pet food the drying time in production can be reduced by 50% making way for lower power consumption and relieving the bottleneck in drying allowing for higher product throughput. TAILORED FIBER SOLUTIONS With enormous demand across the pet industry for innovation products, manufacturers are looking of unique marketable and functional ingredients. Specialized plant fibers can be considered the pet food technologist´s toolbox for providing a wide range of functionalities across the whole spectrum of pet food products: dry to wet, frozen to sterilized and even dietary supplements such as tablets. As a leader in fiber products, JRS offers a comprehensive range of fiber ingredients that are suitable for all manufacturing processes and formulations options. Fibers that can help create sustainable pet food for better differentiation and improved pet health.
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