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 8PreservativesOrganic acid cultures provide opportunity for natural mold inhibitionRecent adaptation of old technology with organic acids in various “cultures” may provide a path forward to avoid mold production and thus produce longer term shelf-stable foods.ProteinsFreeze-dried meat and pet foodThere are a couple of approaches in which freeze-dried meats are included in pet foods.Fibers and LegumesCould tree nuts be a novel ingredient for pets?Little research exists on the possibility, but nuts’ nutritional potential might be worth a look for the next generation of pet foods.Fibers and LegumesCitrus pulp: An alternative pet food fiber source?An alternative to beet pulp that has a great deal of research support and could be a good candidate is citrus pulp, but for some reason it seems to be virtually absent from pet food.Grains and StarchesBuckwheat: a viable grain-free pet food ingredient?In this era of grain-free, novel and exotic ingredient-containing foods, is there a nutritional or processing reason that buckwheat remains relatively obscure to the pet food market?ProteinsCasein: Does it have a use in pet food?In pet food, casein shows up in some prescription and specialty diets but we don’t often find it in over-the-counter diets. So why hasn’t it found popularity in pet food?NutritionBiotin: Is extra beneficial for pets’ skin and coat?Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin identified as a metabolic requirement for cats, dogs and other companion animals; however, its need in the diet may be conditional.NutritionZinc sources: A matter of choice in the petfood industryZinc is an essential dietary element that can be found in many natural mineral deposits. There are several forms available in the market that are used to supplement petfoods.NutritionProtein quality: Real nutrition versus public perceptionMany petfoods today are promoted for the ingredients they do or do not contain rather than their nutritional performance, disingenuously playing off of the consumers’ perception about the ingredients rather than their real nutritional value.Pet Food IngredientsAdding a little color to petfoods—naturallyThere are numerous “colors” that have been used in petfoods for decades.Pet Food IngredientsDL-methionine in short supply – what are the options?While the current DL-methionine shortage is a temporary matter that will resolve itself early in 2015, the potential exists for a recurrence in the future.NutritionCould pumpkin ever be more than a petfood novelty?Could pumpkin be more? Today, legume seeds and tubers are being used in profusion with grain-free diets, so alternative ingredients are very much in vogue. Which begs the question: might gourds like pumpkin be an ingredient option in petfoods, and does it make good sense for a pet’s diet?Previous PagePage 8 of 18Next Page