Cats and dogs showed a short-term preference for kibble containing some protein derived from microorganisms over kibble containing only standard animal-derived protein, a European study has found.
The findings were presented in PLOS One by MicroHarvest, a European company that produces protein ingredients through fermentation, with pet food as its first market.
Like humans, pets need a balanced intake of amino acids to stay healthy. Traditionally, animals such as fish and poultry have been the primary protein source in pet food, but concerns about the long-term availability and environmental impact of animal proteins are driving interest in alternatives, such as proteins produced by fungi, yeast and bacteria in manufacturing processes.
Prior studies have suggested that pet foods containing microbial proteins can be nutritious and produced in environmentally sustainable ways. However, the viability of such products also depends on pets wanting to eat them. To investigate the palatability of kibble containing microbial proteins, researchers at MicroHarvest pitted it against standard animal protein-only kibble.
They asked pet owners to give their cats or dogs two bowls of food simultaneously for four consecutive meals over two days. One bowl contained standard animal-protein kibble, and the other contained kibble that was nearly identical except that some of the animal protein had been replaced with microbial protein. The study involved 30 dogs and 30 cats, with all meals served in their homes.
Statistical analysis showed that both cats and dogs consumed a higher proportion of the kibble with microbial protein than standard kibble. Overall, dogs ate about 72 per cent of the microbial-protein kibble compared with 50 per cent of the standard kibble, and cats ate 51 per cent of the microbial-protein kibble versus 34 per cent of the standard kibble. Both cats and dogs were more likely to approach and eat the microbial-protein kibble first.
These findings suggest that, in the short term, the cats and dogs in this study preferred the kibble with microbial protein.
