There is continued interest among consumers in purchasing quality products that support or guarantee the health and well-being of pets. Descriptive words are used to communicate product attributes like flavor, recipe, palatability, aroma, nutritious, complete and balanced. The terms hydrolysis or hydrolyzed are not typically among these descriptors. The definition of hydrolysis is likely unknown or misunderstood by consumers, yet hydrolyzed proteins are widely used in the pet food industry.
One consumer definition of hydrolysis is what happens when a substance is split into smaller compounds. The Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) feed term defines “hydrolyzed” or “hydrolyzing” as a process where complex molecules are split into simpler units by chemical reaction with water, usually by catalysis. There are accepted AAFCO ingredient definitions for hydrolyzed casein, hydrolyzed whey, hydrolyzed poultry byproducts, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed whole chicken, hydrolyzed whole pork, hydrolyzed feathers and hydrolyzed yeast. These definitions do not describe the extent of hydrolysis nor the method.
