It is quite apparent that all pet parents love to spoil their furry friends and one of the ways they do this is by giving them the flavors they desire in their food and treats. Pet food digest is the primary component used in flavoring pet food.
Pet food digest is hydrolyzed animal protein from sources such as muscle and soft tissue that is very palatable and a good source of high-quality protein.
A model system for the production of digest includes finely grinding the meat product or other protein and adding an enzyme of the product developer’s choice at a dosage based on the meat’s weight. A commonly used enzyme for this application is Liquipanol T-200, a liquid papain product, which would be used at a rate of 0.1% to 0.25%. Addition of the enzyme may be done at the start of the cook cycle or when the slurry reaches the desired temperature. The enzyme is inactivated by raising the slurry’s temperature to the enzyme’s deactivation temperature and holding for 10 minutes. Papain is arguably the most popular enzyme for digest production; however, other enzymes may be more effective for certain types of byproducts or may give a different palatability result.
For more information about this application or to talk to one of our technical sales representatives about your product development needs, please contact us at info@enzymedevelopment.com or Josh@enzymedevelopment.com.