Pet Food Ingredients from Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition

The Formulator’s Guide to Premium Pet Food

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Achieving the Balance Between Nutrition and Flavor

Formulators are tasked with addressing consumer demand for premium pet food that balances nutrition with enhanced flavor. Recognizing that even the most nutritious diet fails if a companion animal refuses to eat it, formulators must trust that cat and dog food ingredient suppliers will help them meet their goals.

Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition combines high-purity amino acids with specialty ingredient solutions designed to maximize nutritional value and animal acceptance.

Addressing Nutrient Gaps

In the pet food industry, formulators know that using only raw meat or whole grains isn’t enough to hit exact nutritional targets. If food for companion animals offers just one of those protein sources, a pet food recipe will have a nutritional gap. Simply adding more protein, like chicken, might fix the gap but will ultimately introduce excess protein that a pet’s system cannot break down. This can lead to a strain on the animal’s liver and kidneys.

Rather than incorporating excess amounts of meat to resolve small nutrient gaps, formulators can produce a light recipe by adding a precise amount of the pure amino acid needed. This approach satisfies regulatory mandates, eliminates nitrogen waste, and minimizes manufacturing costs.

Enhancing Taste

Like people, pets can sometimes be finicky eaters. To overcome this challenge, formulators can utilize functional amino acids that stimulate taste receptors. Additionally, amino acids help pet food formulations maintain stability, withstand high heat during cooking and manufacturing, and aid in reducing breakage during shipping.