INGREDIENTS Potential of Rice Protein for Cat Food Development 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. Here Dr Maygane Ronsmans, Product Manager Animal Nutrition at BENEO, explores why including vegetal proteins, and rice protein in particular, offer attractive opportunities for cat food producers. Carnivore cat protein requirements Cats have higher protein and amino acids requirements in their diet, in comparison to dogs for example i , and are obligate carnivores. This means that they traditionally rely solely 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 plantbased 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. 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. ii Also, there is a growing tension for some cat owners concerning the environmental credentials of the pet food they’re purchasing. Like the human plantbased market, pet owners like to see more plant-based choices in pet food. Notably, more than half of pet owners consider plant-based proteins to be better for the environment. iii Including high-quality vegetal proteins with nutritional benefits into cat food formulations hence offers manufacturers great potential to meet the consumer demand. 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 suggests interesting potential. iv A case in point is a study by Golder et al 2020 v 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 2023 vii ), 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 wellbalanced 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 . BENEO’s rice protein specialty ingredient For pet food producers thinking of adding a plant-based protein option in their ingredient portfolio, rice protein is a clean label quality ingredient, included in the EU Catalogue of Feed Materials. x BENEO’s rice protein offers a guaranteed protein content of a minimum 79% on product basis and almost 90% on dry matter basis, making it a highly concentrated source of protein. When BENEO’s rice protein EAA profile is compared against the requirements of adult cats xi , it delivers a well-balanced 16 Technology & Marketing
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