The latest frontiers in pet food enhancers
Palatants are expanding beyond traditional fats and proteins to combine taste appeal with gut health and sustainability benefits.
As pet owners become both increasingly educated about nutrition and willing to invest in premium diets, manufacturers are keen to ensure that nutritionally optimized formulations remain highly palatable – at the same time as they are acknowledging the trend away from UPFs (ultra-processed foods).
Factors in product acceptance
Palatability plays a central role in the success of pet foods and related products. It influences animal intake (and therefore owner satisfaction), as well as overall nutritional efficacy. While enhancers are an important part of the palatability picture, acceptance is influenced by many factors.
Aroma, taste and texture are all key for consistent acceptance of a pet food. It’s important to consider species-specific palatability; for example, cats are obligate carnivores, so tend to prefer higher fat and protein levels. Naturally, breed and individual preference play an important role too. Age or illness can increase the importance of palatability, due to declining sensory abilities and dental health.
Emerging trends in palatants
The quality of the ingredients, protein source, fat content, moisture levels, texture and particle size or shape can all influence the end palatability of a pet food. It can also be affected by processing techniques, packaging and storage conditions.
Palatability enhancers were historically classified into fats, proteins and yeast extracts.
More recently, developed palatability enhancers are placing increased emphasis on sustainability and added nutritional value. Examples include plant-based proteins, insect-derived hydrolysates, fermented material and amino-acid nucleotide systems. Novel palatability enhancers can improve the flavor of a pet food while also promoting a healthy weight, without the addition of fats.
Emerging enhancing agents can be broadly grouped into sustainable, prebiotic-enriched, bio-fermented and neuromodulator palatants.
Exploring sustainable possibilities
Eco-friendly options include plant-based and insect- derived proteins, which are also emerging as popular ingredients in low-allergen or hypoallergenic diets.
A study from a research team at Kasetsart University, Bangkok, published in Veterinary World in 2025, looked at cricket protein hydrolysate as a potential sustainable and functional pet food ingredient. The study evaluated palatability, physiological responses of the (pet) consumer, and potential for shelf-life extension (via antioxidant properties) in commercial dog food.
The study concluded that a moderate inclusion of cricket protein hydrolysate (2%) enhanced both the palatability of the diet and its oxidative stability. Interestingly, while a higher inclusion rate improved antioxidant ability, it reduced palatability.
Some serum metabolic markers were also altered at higher inclusion rates. Importantly, cricket protein hydrolysate lacks some essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, making it unsuitable as a sole protein source.
Another 2025 study, led by a Portuguese research team and published in Translational Animal Science, addresses the fact that insect hydrolysates have been investigated in vitro, but further studies are needed looking at the effects of dietary inclusion on nutritional and metabolic parameters. The results differed depending on the insect species and enzymes used, but overall showed that black soldier fly and yellow mealworm may offer high protein, plus antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. The insect hydrolysates were palatable at an inclusion rate of 3%.
These were relatively small-scale studies, and more research is needed to assess factors including long- term health benefits, safety, manufacturing processes and optimum inclusion rates.
Bringing in prebiotics
With increasing awareness of the importance of both the microbiome and the gut-brain axis, these palatants aim to combine palatability with improving gut health.
Emerging formulations include mixing prebiotics with more conventional enhancers, thus improving palatability while benefiting the gut microbiome.
A healthy gut microbiome contributes to optimum nutrient absorption, digestive function and immune system health.
Using bio-fermentation and yeast
Bio-fermented palatants use microbial fermentation as a sustainable means of producing highly palatable flavor and scent profiles (amino acids, volatile compounds, peptides). They create umami flavors, mimicking a meaty taste.
These are emerging as possible enhancers for novel, less palatable protein source diets. In fact, a 2020 study published in Heliyon, led by a research team from the Shanghai Institute of Technology, concluded that the lower palatability of certain mushroom and mealworm derived proteins could be counteracted by the addition of key volatile compounds, improving palatability.
A 2025 pilot study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science concluded that microbial fermented protein sources were palatable, without any adverse effects. More research is needed focusing on potential health advantages or negative effects, alongside the more obvious sustainability benefits.
Enhancing mood through food
Research is also emerging focused on how targeted neuromodulators could enhance palatability, while also influencing pet behavior and/or mood.
A 2025 review of modern palatant strategies in pet food, published in the journal Foods, discusses using compounds that activate the neurological pathways involved in mood and wellbeing, such as the serotonin and dopamine systems.
A well-known example would be tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin. Supplementing a diet with tryptophan aims to improve the synthesis and availability of serotonin in the body, thereby enhancing mood. The 2025 review hypothesizes that the addition of targeted neuromodulators influencing the dopamine and serotonin systems could provide a positive experience for the pet, uplifting mood beyond the mealtime itself.
Novel palatability enhancers go beyond the functional ingredients, with recent innovations and patents including multilayered coatings, emulsified gravies and flavor profiles specific to life stage.
Future opportunities
Palatability enhancers have the potential to not only increase acceptance of a diet, but also to offer nutritional benefits, improve the sustainability of a product and increase consumer satisfaction. Such additions may be especially important in feline food products, since cats tend to be more selective eaters than dogs.
Potential future hurdles for novel palatants include proving long-term efficacy and safety; and ensuring effectiveness is maintained throughout the manufacturing process and shelf life.
Despite growing market trends in palatability enhancers, more peer-reviewed research is needed on species-specific palatability enhancement, optimal processing, and safe and effective inclusion rates – as well as potential nutritional benefits.
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