Microbial Protein as a Novel Ingredient in Pet Food A Sensory Acceptance Study in Dogs and Cats

Microbial Protein as a Novel Ingredient in Pet Food A Sensory Acceptance Study in Dogs and Cats | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Microbial Protein as a Novel Ingredient in Pet Food A Sensory Acceptance Study in Dogs and Cats A.M.M. de Matos, A.L.B. Cruz This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6706331/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract The increasing demand for protein sources in pet nutrition has driven growing interest in microbial proteins (MP) as viable alternatives to traditional animal proteins. However, their successful incorporation into pet food formulations depends not only on nutritional adequacy but also on sensory acceptance. This study evaluated the palatability of dry extruded diets containing 10% microbial protein in dogs and cats using an in-home two-bowl preference test and complemented these findings with independent laboratory characterization to support interpretation of the observed preferences. Palatability was assessed in 30 dogs and 30 cats over four meals by comparing MP-containing diets with nutritionally equivalent control diets differing only in protein source. Trials were conducted in-home to ensure natural feeding behavior, and data on food consumption, first approach, and primary consumption were collected. In both species, animals showed a statistically significant preference for the diets containing microbial protein. Dogs consumed 72% of the MP-containing diet compared to 50% of the control (p < 0.05), while cats exhibited a similar preference (p < 0.05). Behavioral observations indicated that both dogs and cats more frequently approached and consumed the MPcontaining diets first, suggesting enhanced sensory acceptance. To contextualize these palatability outcomes, control and MP-containing diets were analyzed by an independent laboratory for proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, selected minerals, and targeted volatile compounds. The analyses confirmed comparable macronutrient composition between diets, with MP-containing diets showing a complete amino acid profile, higher tryptophan content, and a lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio. Targeted volatile screening did not reveal analytical indicators typically associated with off-flavors in either of the diets. Together, these findings indicate that the preference observed in dogs and cats for MP-containing diets occurred within a nutritionally comparable formulation framework and may be supported by favorable analytical characteristics relevant to sensory acceptance. This exploratory study provides complementary evidence supporting the feasibility of microbial protein inclusion in extruded pet food formulations and lays the groundwork for future research focused on long-term feeding outcomes and optimization of palatability. Animal Science Pet food microbial protein sensory acceptance alternative proteins sustainability Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare potential competing interests as follows: The authors are employees of MicroHarvest Unipessoal Lda., which funded this study and produces the microbial protein evaluated in this research. Palatability testing was conducted independently by Sense Test Lda. The authors were involved in study conception and manuscript preparation. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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However, their successful incorporation into pet food formulations depends not only on nutritional adequacy but also on sensory acceptance. This study evaluated the palatability of dry extruded diets containing 10% microbial protein in dogs and cats using an in-home two-bowl preference test and complemented these findings with independent laboratory characterization to support interpretation of the observed preferences.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePalatability was assessed in 30 dogs and 30 cats over four meals by comparing MP-containing\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ediets with nutritionally equivalent control diets differing only in protein source. Trials were conducted in-home to ensure natural feeding behavior, and data on food consumption, first approach, and primary consumption were collected. In both species, animals showed a statistically significant preference for the diets containing microbial protein. Dogs consumed 72% of the MP-containing diet compared to 50% of the control (p \u0026lt; 0.05), while cats exhibited a similar preference (p \u0026lt; 0.05). Behavioral observations indicated that both dogs and cats more frequently approached and consumed the MPcontaining diets first, suggesting enhanced sensory acceptance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo contextualize these palatability outcomes, control and MP-containing diets were analyzed by an independent laboratory for proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, selected minerals, and targeted volatile compounds. The analyses confirmed comparable macronutrient composition between diets, with MP-containing diets showing a complete amino acid profile, higher tryptophan content, and a lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio. 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