Greg Aldrich, Ph.D.Dr. Aldrich is president of Pet Food & Ingredient Technology Inc. He is also the author of Petfood Industry magazine's monthly column, "Ingredient Issues."From the Author - Page 14NutraceuticalsPlankton: coming soon to a petfood near youPetfood manufacturers have for years been aggressively exploring the world for quality economical ingredients. More recently, companies have tried to find novel and unusual ingredients to attract pet owners' attention. But a new motivation may soon be pushing the introduction of novel ingredients--scarcity.Fibers and LegumesFunctional fiber with colorAccording to the US Department of Agriculture, tomatoes are the second most popular vegetable crop behind potatoes, with an annual average per capita consumption of 71 pounds going into juice, sauce and paste. The backstory is that 10-30% of this is seeds, skin and pulp, with no ready market in the human food aisle. This translates into an estimated 750,000 metric tons of dried tomato pomace potentially available to pet and livestock feed markets.Pet Food IngredientsIs canola oil toxic?Canola oil has become an especially popular ingredient in human nutrition circles because of its heart-healthy message. This popularity has begun to migrate to petfoods with a few specialty products that contain canola oil. But, is adding this oil to petfoods wise?Grains and StarchesPotato, yam or other?Sweet potatoes have become the "darling carb" of new products and increasingly popular in specialty petfoodsFibers and LegumesCheap filler or nutritious fiber?Wheat bran and middlings are two closely related by-products from wheat flour milling that have traditionally been considered laxatives for people or feed for livestock. Use of wheat bran and middlings in petfood emerged from positive performance in feed applications and their relatively low cost when teamed with commodity ingredients like meat and bone meal, corn and soybean meal in economy or value brands.Processing Functional IngredientsCarrageenan: for appearance's sake only?Carrageenan is added to help form a loaf (meatloaf), retain moisture in the loaf and bind the contents together so they slide from the can intact. This ingredient is often lumped into the category of gels and thickeners, which "foodies" call hydrocolloids.Processing Functional IngredientsBroth: connecting food with feelingsWith such a strong emotional connection, it's no wonder that some petfood manufacturers are using broth in producing foods for dogs and cats.ProteinsHas the time for DDGS arrived?The production of ethanol has meant many things to the petfood industryProteinsTextured vegetable protein: all about appearanceTextured vegetable protein (TVP), the meat extender we loved to ridicule in our school lunches, may be more prevalent in petfood than many realize. It isn't being used to stretch the meat budget or even to supplement meat protein. Instead, the most common application for TVP in petfoods is cosmetic. It makes for a great visual effect in canned foods, making them look more like real meat.MineralsDealing with choline chlorideDogs and cats, like many other species, require choline. It's the "Intel inside" kind of molecule that allows others to function to their full potential. Almost all commercial petfoods contain supplemental choline, predominantly from choline chloride. However, putting choline chloride into the formula can have profound effects on the way the ingredients are combined and processed during production due to the molecule's hygroscopic (water-loving) nature.Dogs and cats, like many other species, require cholineMineralsKelp: a viable source of iodine?Kelp is part of a broader group of seaweeds/algae that have become popular ingredients in dog and cat supplements, home-prepared petfoods, raw petfoods and specialty or boutique petfoods. Despite these benefits, the trace mineral iodine is the main reason for adding kelp. Is it a viable source of iodine?MineralsAre chelated minerals worth it?In the petfood industry, inorganic forms of essential trace minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine and selenium have been the staple. In recent years, though, chelated forms of these minerals have found their way into a number of petfoods. The questions are whether they provide additional benefit to the dog or cat and if they have a place in petfood.Previous PagePage 14 of 18Next Page