Protein functionality is a crucial factor when developing and producing healthy and appealing pet food based on alternative proteins.

Two raw materials of the same type with the apparently same protein content and composition may from a nutritional perspective be equal but depending on processing history show completely different processing properties. This can lead to challenges in the development process, where the new alternative protein does not match the behavior of the well-known meat proteins. In productions the challenge can show up during shift in supplier or even as batch-variations.

During development of new pet food recipes that matches the trends towards more sustainable proteins, we take advantage in our experiences with development of plant-based meat-analogues for human food. During the years we have built expertise in formulation of recipes and texturization of plant proteins, so they obtain a nice fibrous structure like a meaty chunk. We use this knowledge base in combination with our practical experiences and observations with differences in protein functionality, when we develop new concepts based on alternative proteins.

We will continue to follow the progresses in the market of alternative proteins, but especially also the findings and developments in the research environments. I am excited by the advances within cell-based meat production and fermented. We are planning to continue our developments in accordance with the market trends, so we are ready to support our customers when new proteins become available.