• Today’s consumers are increasingly attentive to the quality of ingredients in their pets’ food, demanding foods with ingredient lists that are easy to read and understand, forcing the industry to offer simpler, cleaner and more trustworthy formulas.
  • The clean-label trend has emerged in response to the rejection of ingredients with complex chemical names, driving the development of products with short, natural ingredient lists and additives that are respectful of animals and the environment.
  • Traditional palatants, often made from offal and other animal by-products, no longer fit easily into these clean labels, as many consumers perceive them as undesirable.
  • In light of this perception, non-animal-based flavour enhancers represent an alternative that is more in line with the demand for transparent labels, as they can be made from recognisable raw materials such as yeast.
  • In addition to being more acceptable from a consumer perspective, animal protein-free palatants also help reduce dependence on animal-derived ingredients, whose availability is declining due to growing global demand. They allow the sensory functionality of pet foods—i.e., their appealing taste and aroma—to be maintained without resorting to animal proteins, representing a key step in the evolution towards more sustainable and ethically acceptable foods.
  • These ingredients also contribute to reducing environmental impact, as 80% of the ecological footprint of pet food comes from raw materials, and alternative sources tend to emit less CO₂ and consume fewer resources.
  • The partial or total replacement of animal-based ingredients in palatants also stabilises prices, thanks to the greater availability and lower volatility of alternative ingredients, which benefits both producers and consumers.
  • New technologies in food science are helping to reformulate products with appropriate nutritional profiles without compromising palatability, facilitating the development of feeds that meet clean label requirements.
  • In conclusion, non-animal-based palatants not only fit the clean-label trend, but also strengthen the environmental commitment of pet food brands by offering more natural, sustainable solutions that are accepted by pet owners.