ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2024 49 suggests interesting potential.iv A case in point is a study by Golder et al 2020v with 296 healthy short hair domestic cats, that showed that the more plant protein that was included in dry cat food, the higher the protein digestibility amongst the cats in that sample group. The research also demonstrated that plant proteins are a satisfactory source for meeting the amino acid needs of pets, without compromising protein digestibility. THE POTENTIAL OF RICE PROTEIN Among plant-based ingredients, rice is perceived as the most appealing source by cat owners, with 92% of them considering it as natural and 89% as healthy.vi Including rice protein in a cat’s food offers interesting opportunities for manufacturers. It allows for an increase of protein content in the final product, while using a natural, clean label and hypoallergenic ingredient, that also offers good digestibility and has an excellent essential amino acid profile. In a recent study (Morris et al 2023vii), 24 healthy adult cats were given test diets with increasing amounts of rice protein concentrate (0%, 7% 14% and 28%) in exchange for hydrolysed chicken liver and heart. All the diets had a similar level of total protein. The results showed that when the rice protein concentrate was increased, then protein digestibility was enhanced too. In addition, there was excellent taste acceptance of the food and an improvement of faeces characteristics, such as firmness and form. The study demonstrates that rice protein represents an excellent complementary protein source that is even suitable for cats with food sensitivities. AMINO ACID PROFILE OF RICE PROTEIN Next to its digestibility, a protein’s essential amino acid profile is a key factor for pet food manufacturers to consider when creating new formulations. These organic compounds contribute to numerous metabolic functions including maintenance and immune responses and as such, it is valuable that the protein source used in the pet food has a well-balanced amino acid profile. Among plant proteins, rice protein has the highest essential amino acids (EAA) content. Furthermore, rice protein is also a good source of the EAA methionine/cysteine, that are important for protein synthesis and phenylalanine/tyrosine that are involved in some major metabolic processes, as well as supporting a pet’s normal growth. Phenylalanine and tyrosine are aromatic amino acids that play a role in the melanin synthesis pathway and help maintain the healthy-looking black fur colour in pets.viii Pet food producers can achieve a complete essential amino acids profile by combining cereal proteins like rice protein (which are low in the EAA lysine) with a legume protein, such as BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate.ix
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==