ISSUE FOCUS 48 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2024 “Like the human plant-based market, pet owners want to see more plant-based choices in pet food, with more than half of pet owners considering plant-based proteins to be better for the environment. The interest in protein sources and environmental concerns look set to continue into 2025 and beyond, so how can cat food producers address these with their formulations?” While the use of vegetal proteins for plant-based or hybrid diets is becoming increasingly accepted by dog food producers and buyers, their use in cat food is not currently as popular. In this article, I explain why including vegetal proteins and rice protein more specifically provides attractive opportunities for cat food producers now and in the years ahead. CONSUMER PURCHASING DRIVERS FOR CAT FOOD Research shows that “high in protein” is the top ingredient claim to impact the likelihood of a consumer buying a pet food product, with 7 in 10 cat owners citing protein quality and content in their cat’s food as (very) important to them.i Also, there is a growing tension for some cat owners concerning the environmental credentials of the pet food they’re purchasing. Like the human plant-based market, pet owners want to see more plant-based choices in pet food, with more than half of pet owners considering plant-based proteins to be better for the environment.ii The interest in protein sources and environmental concerns look set to continue into 2025 and beyond, so how can cat food producers address these with their formulations? CARNIVORE CAT PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS Including high-quality vegetal proteins with nutritional benefits into cat food formulations offers manufacturers great potential to meet consumer demand, especially given that cats have higher protein and amino acids requirements in their diet, in comparison to dogs for example.iii However, they are obligate carnivores. This means that they traditionally rely on nutrients found in animal tissue to meet their nutritional needs and have bodies adapted to efficiently process them. With specific dietary requirements that must be met through animal-based sources’ consumption, cats unlike some other animals, cannot thrive on a fully plant-based diet without specific supplements.1 Nonetheless, regardless of their carnivorous status, several studies suggest that vegetal proteins are quite digestible for cats and can therefore have a role to play in cat food production. DIGESTIBILITY OF PLANT PROTEIN While there is concern in the cat food space that plant proteins are not as well tolerated or digestible as animal proteins, recent scientific research POTENTIAL OF RICE PROTEIN FOR CAT FOOD DEVELOPMENT IN 2025 Dr. Maygane Ronsmans Product Manager Animal Nutrition BENEO
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