Plant proteins in pet food: making the right choices in terms of nutrition, functionality and sustainability

Plant protein checklist – key requirements:

Sustainability: Regional, circular and responsibly sourced ingredients support sustainability. Knowing the CO2 emissions, water consumption or terrestrial acidification of an ingredient helps in making the right choice.

Nutrition: Knowing the amino acid (AA) profile is essential to check if some AAs need to be supplemented. Some plant proteins can provide an almost equivalent AA profile to meat. Also, plant proteins can help reduce ash content while maintaining protein levels.

Functionality: The manufacturing process can be more efficient due to techno-functional properties of plant- based ingredients such as emulsifying and water/oil holding capacity. This can improve mixing and create a stable emulsion that will reduce cooking/extrusion time. Improving kibble/chunk quality also reduces product loss in handling and storing.

Palatability: The taste of plant proteins can be a concern – some can be bitter or have a strong aroma. Palatability assessments and preference trials are crucial in building confidence in plant proteins (especially in vegetarian or vegan diets).

Color: Pet owners tend to choose a more meat-like color for pet food. Some plant ingredients can turn kibble/chunk green, red or yellow. Choosing a plant protein that won’t impact color might be important for customer perception.

The power of sunflower!

Livalta knows the challenges of plant proteins, but we also know the opportunities. For example, our sunflower protein LivaltaSUN P46 meets all these requirements. Scientifically proven nutrition, functionality, sustainability AND palatability can give confidence with using sunflower protein in pet food.