Generation of Olfactory Compounds in Cat Food Attractants: Chicken Liver-Derived Protein Hydrolysates and Their Contribution to Enhancing Palatability.

The present study investigated the impact of four chicken liver protein hydrolysate-based cat food attractants on palatability. Aroma compounds were analyzed in these attractants, which were subsequently sprayed onto four different types of cat foods. Results revealed that CF4 exhibited the highest intake ratio and the first choice ratio, followed by CF2 sample. Orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) demonstrated significant differences among 50 volatile compounds identified from the four cat foods. Using variable importance in projection (VIP) values, we selected 17 key flavor compounds responsible for distinguishing between the four cat foods. Peptides with a molecular mass <180 Da showed correlation with nonanoic acid and cedrol, while those >3000 Da correlated with hexanoic acid ethyl ester. Regression coefficients (RCs) calculated from partial least-squares regression (PLSR) results showed positive correlations between compound content and palatability for six compounds, whereas negative correlations were observed for ten compounds. Validation experiments confirmed that nonanal, 2-propylpyridine, and 3-octen-2-one enhanced palatability and correlated with peptides ranging from 180 to 500 Da; conversely, nonanoic acid ethyl ester and 3-methyl-pentanoic acid reduced palatability and correlated with peptides ranging from 1000 to 3000 Da.

Proof-of-concept study of anti-Fel d 1 IgY antibodies in cat food using the MASK-air® app.

BACKGROUND: An innovation to better manage cat-allergic patients utilises anti-Fel d 1 IgY antibodies to neutralise Fel d 1 after its production by the cat. However, there is no published study showing its clinical efficacy in humans in a home setting. A longitudinal, open-label, proof-of-concept study was carried out to approach clinical efficacy of the cat food in cat-allergic patients. METHODS: After a baseline evaluation, the cats ate only the cat food for the following 4 months. Daily evaluation of efficacy was performed for 2 weeks at baseline and after 1, 2 and 3 months of intervention for periods of 2 weeks. The MASK-air app was used daily to assess symptoms, work productivity and medications. RESULTS: Of the 49 patients screened, 42 were followed up and 33 (78.5%) reported MASK-air data at all 3 evaluation periods. The primary end point (visual analogue scale [VAS] for global allergy symptoms) was significantly improved (p < 0.0001). All symptoms (VAS nose, eye, and asthma), VAS work and the combined symptom-medication score significantly improved after 1 month. The percentage of uncontrolled days (VAS>20/100) decreased from 64% at baseline to 35% at 1 month (p < 0.0001) and 14% at 3 months. A sensitivity analysis in patients with uncontrolled disease at baseline found similar results. DISCUSSION: A cat diet containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies was able to (i) show decreased allergic symptoms and related outcomes, (ii) inform the design and feasibility of future studies with a control arm and (iii) estimate the sample size of the study. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05656482.

Insights to Study, Understand and Manage Extruded Dry Pet Food Palatability.

Pet food production is a fast-growing industry. While extruded dry pet food is the favored pet food due to its convenience of use, it may have poorer palatability than other pet foods such as wet pet foods. However, palatability plays a pivotal role in meeting nutritional requirements or providing therapeutic benefits in cats and dogs, as it ensures food acceptance. Thus, both academics and manufacturers conduct routine palatability tests to assess acceptance and preference of products among pets, alongside sensory analyses involving human panels. Palatability is greatly influenced by species-specific and environmental factors in cats and dogs. The review will hence present the current knowledge on palatability assessment and animal food perception; it will then aim to explore strategies for effectively managing palatability in dry pet food by examining the impact of key ingredients and process parameters on the finished product's palatability. Moreover, the demands and needs for sustainable and healthier products as well as supply constraints present novel challenges and opportunities for academics and manufacturers.

Effects of container type and size on thermal processing characteristics and B-vitamin retention of canned cat food.

Introduction: Rigid cans were the traditional container for canned cat foods, but semi-rigid trays/tubs and flexible pouches are popular options as well. Despite this, little is published on the effects of canned cat food container characteristics on thermal processing and retention of B-vitamins. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of container size and type on thermal processing and B-vitamin retention. Materials and methods: Treatments were arranged in a factorial with two container sizes [small (85-99 g) and medium (156-198 g)] and three container types (flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid). A canned cat food formula was prepared, filled, and sealed into containers before retort processing to a heating cycle target lethality of 8 min. Internal retort and container temperatures were used to calculate accumulated lethality. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, and moisture contents were analyzed in pre- and post-retort samples by commercial laboratories. Thermal processing metrics were analyzed (SAS v. 9.4; SAS Institute, Cary, NC) with the fixed effects of container size, container type, and their interaction. Dry matter basis B-vitamin contents were analyzed with container size, container type, processing stage, and all two-way and three-way interactions as fixed effects. Means were separated using Fisher's LSD at a P-value < 0.05. Results and discussion: Total accumulated lethality was greater (P < 0.05) for semi-rigid and flexible containers (average 14.99 min) than for rigid containers (12.86 min). The greater processing of semi-rigid and flexible containers was likely influenced by required retort settings. Thiamin and riboflavin contents decreased (P < 0.05) by 30.4 and 18.3%, respectively, due to retort processing. Niacin, biotin, and cobalamin were not affected (P > 0.05) by processing. Processing increased (P < 0.05) pantothenic acid (9.1%), pyridoxine (22.6%), and folic acid (22.6%). This was likely caused by sampling or analytical variation. No interaction involving processing stage was significant for any B-vitamin (P > 0.05). B-vitamin retention was not influenced by differences in thermal processing caused by the packaging treatments. Thiamin and riboflavin were the only B-vitamins meaningfully impacted by processing and retention was not improved by any container characteristic.

Impacts of vitamin premix and/or yeast ingredient inclusion in a canned cat food on thiamin retention during 6 months of storage.

Introduction: Low thiamin levels in thermally processed canned cat foods are concerning for the pet food industry. However, there is little information on storage stability of thiamin in this food format or if inclusion of select ingredients, such as dried yeasts, has an effect. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the storage stability of thiamin when a vitamin premix and/or yeasts ingredients were included in a canned cat food. Materials and methods: The factorial treatment arrangement consisted of 2 levels of vitamin premix (with or without) and 4 inclusions of yeast (NY = none, LBV = Lalmin B Complex Vitamins, BY = product #1064B, or EA = BGYADVANTAGE). Diets were stored for 6 months and analyzed every month for thiamin. Data were analyzed as a mixed model (SAS v. 9.4; SAS Institute, Cary, NC) with fixed effects (vitamin premix, yeast, time, and their two-way and three-way interactions) and random effects (production day and the interaction of production day, vitamin premix, and yeast). Significance was set at P < 0.05 and Fisher's LSD was used to separate means. Results and discussion: Diets including the vitamin premix [average 55.1 mg/kg dry matter basis (DMB)] contained more (P < 0.05) thiamin than diets that did not (average 7.5 mg/kg DMB). Inclusion of LBV (average 40.3 mg/kg DMB) resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) levels of thiamin, followed by BY (P < 0.05; average 26.9 mg/kg DMB). Diets with NY and EA contained the lowest (P < 0.05) levels of thiamin and were not different from each other (P > 0.05; average 19.3 mg/kg DMB). The diet containing vitamin premix without yeast lost (P < 0.05) 17.8% thiamin while diets containing a yeast ingredient maintained thiamin levels better during storage. This suggested that thiamin from yeast ingredients was more resistant to degradation during storage and should be considered when designing new canned cat foods.

Contamination Status of Pet Cats in Thailand with Organohalogen Compounds (OHCs) and Their Hydroxylated and Methoxylated Derivatives and Estimation of Sources of Exposure to These Contaminants.

In this study, we analyzed serum samples of pet cats from Thailand and estimated the contribution to organohalogen compounds (OHCs) exposure through cat food and house dust intake. BDE-209 was predominant in cat sera and accounted for 76% of all polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a major contaminant in dry cat food and house dust, which has been estimated to be a source of exposure for Thai pet cats. BDE-209 is a major contaminant of OHCs in dry cat food and house dust, which was estimated to be a source of exposure for Thai pet cats. On the other hand, the level of contamination by PCBs was lower than in other countries. Analysis of pet foods suggested that BDE-209 in pet cat serum was attributable to the consumption of dry cat food. On the other hand, house dust also contained high concentrations of BDE-209. Thus, high levels of BDE-209 in pet cat sera can be attributed to the consumption of dry cat food and house dust. These results suggest that pet cats are routinely exposed to non-negligible levels of OHCs.

Effects of Maillard Reaction on Volatile Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Cat Food Attractant.

In this study, self-made cat food attractant was prepared by Maillard reaction using hydrolysate of grass carp waste as raw material and glucose and cysteine hydrochloride as substrate. Its volatile compounds, antioxidant capacity, and pet palatability were investigated. The volatile compounds of attractants were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) which showed that alcohols and aldehydes were the most volatile in self-made attractants, accounting for 34.29% and 33.52%, respectively. Furthermore, Maillard reaction could significantly increase the antioxidant activity of self-made attractant, including scavenging activity on OH and DPPH free radicals as well as the chelating ability of Fe2+. The acceptance and palatability of two kinds of cat food were studied by adding 3% self-made or commercial attractants. The results of this study also found that both attractants could remarkably improve the intake rate of cat food. However, the self-made group was significantly less than the commercial group in first smell, first bite, and feeding rate, which might be because of the absence of umami ingredients and spices in self-made attractants.

Commercial vs Homemade Cat Diets: What you need to know.

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: A feeding plan recommendation for cats, both healthy and with disease, should include diet choice, amounts to feed and the feeding method. Diet choice can be complex owing to the abundance of products, sometimes with conflicting marketing messages, and the prevalence of information with no scientific basis. It is important to be aware of the specific challenges of both commercial and homemade diets. Moreover, a nutritional assessment is a prerequisite when recommending a diet to ensure that it is safe, appropriate for the cat's life stage and nutritious for long-term feeding. COMMERCIAL VS HOMEMADE DIETS: There are a variety of commercial diets available, allowing considerable customisation. These products are regulated and can be tested to determine nutritional adequacy and safety, although as the industry is partly self-regulated, choice of manufacturer is important. Properly formulated homemade diets can be customised to the patient and are a good option when no commercial product that meets the patient's needs exists. Homemade diets can be an owner preference. A serious limitation is the lack of testing, potentially affecting safety and also resulting in a reliance on database information to determine nutritional adequacy. Generic homemade diet recipes (eg, sourced from the internet) have additional risks of deficiencies and imbalances, and are not recommended. Homemade diets should be devised by a veterinary nutrition specialist with consideration of both patient and owner factors. CLINICAL CHALLENGES: Dietary misinformation, which is all too readily available on the internet, may result in owners making questionable feeding choices for their pets. A homemade diet may be requested by owners based on the perception that there are poor ingredients in commercial foods. The veterinary healthcare team needs to have good evidence-based information to present to owners about diet choice. EVIDENCE BASE: Several decades of research on feline nutrition forms the basis for nutritional requirements and dietary recommendations. There are varying degrees of evidence regarding requirements for each nutrient, and a lack of data on the effects of different types of processing on nutrient needs.

Health Risk Assessment of Essential and Toxic Metals in Canned/Pouched Food on Kitten and Adult Cats: an Animal Health Risk Assessment Adaptation Assay.

The main aim of this study was to determine the levels of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in commercial canned and pouched cat foods (salmon, tuna, liver, fish, and other aquatic products) and assess the potential health risks to kitten (≤ 1 years old) and adult cats (≥ 1 years old) associated with the recommended average consumption rate of labels. The study was also aimed to adapt the health risk assessment method to animal health and to support clinical prevention and diagnosis. The detected levels of the metals were below the data from other studies, except the mean Fe in all and Pb levels in salmon and kitten foods. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) values did not exceed 1. That means the studied metals do not pose a health risk for adult cats and kittens. Dietary Hg and Cd should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases with clinical or postmortem findings, especially regarding neurological, kidney, and liver tissues. In conclusion, although canned/pouched consumption does not pose a health risk with regard to metals, further studies of health risk assessment for other pollutants by this first adaptation method will be necessary.

Case Report: A Case Series Linked to Vitamin D Excess in Pet Food: Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) Toxicity Observed in Five Cats.

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) toxicity caused by defective pet food formulations is a rare occurrence described in cats. Nevertheless, it poses a health risk, even though the affected pet food is not fed as the sole diet. Excessive vitamin D3 intake might cause hypercalcemia and soft tissue mineralization, which are findings that prompt clinicians to further investigate the feasible etiology. This case series describes the effects of an extremely high vitamin D3 intake in five young cats caused by the consumption of a fish-based complementary kitten pet food (KPF) that was fed to all of the cats as part of their diet (cases 1, 2, and 3) or eaten exclusively (cases 4 and 5). Due to the different amounts of vitamin D3 consumed, diagnostic examinations showed different degrees of severity of hypercalcemia and azotemia as well as different radiographic findings in cases where diagnostic imaging was performed (cases 2, 4, and 5). All of the cats were treated by withdrawing the affected food and providing medical management of the hypercalcemia. All of the cats recovered, except for two persistent azotemic cats, which developed chronic kidney disease. The goal of this case series is, therefore, to describe the occurrence and resolution of an acute vitamin D3 toxicity due to the highest amount of dietary vitamin D3 intake that has ever been described in domestic cats.

A Comparison of Key Essential Nutrients in Commercial Plant-Based Pet Foods Sold in Canada to American and European Canine and Feline Dietary Recommendations.

Plant-based foods intended for feeding dogs and cats are available in Canada, though few studies have examined the suitability of plant-based foods for dogs and cats. All commercial plant-based extruded and wet pet food products available in Ontario, Canada, in 2018 (n = 26) were acquired and analysed for energy, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, ash, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins A, B12, D2 and D3. Results were compared with recommendations of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF). Thirteen products were labelled for adult canine maintenance, four for canine all life stages, one for puppy growth, two for adult feline maintenance, three for feline all life stages, one for adult maintenance of dogs and cats and two for all life stages of dogs and cats. Four products met AAFCO and one product met FEDIAF nutrient recommendations for canine maintenance. No diets met AAFCO or FEDIAF recommendations for feline maintenance or growth for either species. Nutrients most commonly found insufficient were: sulfur amino acids, taurine, arachidonic acid, EPA and DHA, calcium phosphorus and vitamin D. There were no nutrients unable to be provided from non-animal sources. Compliance with labelling guidelines was also poor, similar to other findings with commercial animal-based pet products. The results from this study indicate areas where producers of plant-based pet foods must improve to meet the industry recommended nutrient profiles and labelling requirements.

What is in commercial cat and dog food? The case for mercury and ingredient testing.

Commercial pet foods should be safe for long-term feeding. However, recent recalls and lawsuits have eroded public trust in pet food companies and products. Recent studies have identified high concentrations of mercury, a potent neurotoxin, in pet food products. Here we posit that pet food products require independent testing to verify safety and compliance with developed Food and Drug Administration and Association of American Feed Control Officials standards, and initiate a discussion as to why including quantification of mercury and methylmercury, as well as the identification of adulteration, are important to such testing protocols. The outcomes of these discussions will be multi-faceted: initiating the impetus to investigate the quality and label accuracy of pet foods; ensuring product safety; promoting transparency within the pet food industry; informing veterinary practices regarding pet food recommendations; providing data for evidence-based policy and regulatory enforcement; and working toward fulfilling the National Research Council's call for research that identifies levels of contaminants in animal feeds and residues in human foods.