A fresh look at fibre innovation

In recent years, there has been a steady stream of market-driven new product developments in the pet food and treat market. Increased awareness of the nutritional and technological benefits of ingredients such as fibre is prompting manufacturers to develop more holistic solutions. Simultaneously, plant-based fibres fulfil the demand of consumers for natural sourcing, sustainable life cycles and natural pet well-being - good news for attractive pet food marketing, as JRS stresses. Feeding complete foods rich in natural fibre is undoubtedly good for a pet's health, a fact that is backed up by an array of scientific studies. As components of pet food and as functional ingredients, specific fibre sources are primarily known for their ability to keep a pet's digestive system healthy and balanced. Clinical studies have shown that supplementing dry and wet cat food with cellulose fibre helps to reduce typical hairball symptoms and to increase faecal hair excretion in cats.
As with humans, the number of obese pets increases year by year. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), nearly 60 per cent of cats and 56 per cent of dogs in the US are overweight or obese. Weight management foods enriched with concentrated cellulose fibres can help to control weight better in cats and dogs without affecting food palatability. Oral health is another top concern among pet owners. Approximately 70 per cent of cats and 80 per cent of dogs develop some form of oral health problem by the time they are three years old. According to JRS, clinical studies have proved that dental foods and treats enhanced with specific cellulose fibres work more effectively to promote oral health in dogs than fibre-free control products. The consistency, texture and uniformity of pet food products are key quality attributes that are important to consumers, but may be difficult to maintain. Given the variable nature of ingredients and the complexity of the manufacturing process, creating the right consistency can be a challenge for the manufacturer. Well-known binders, such as spray-dried plasma (SDP), wheat gluten or egg white/albumen, are commonly used in so-called restructured meat products like chunks and in all meat applications for their high swelling, water retention and emulsion capabilities.