Linneos Technical Department and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNiBA) (Barcelona, España), 2024.
Introduction
Nowadays, some of the aspects that dog owners value most when it comes to feeding their pets are ingredients that are naturally sourced, healthy, include certain functions, such as prebiotics, and have a low environmental impact.
Improving the palatability, preference and acceptance of the feed through an all-natural, non-animal additive with proven gut and immune-boosting properties, will promote a good perception of the feed.
Objective
To evaluate the effect of Apsapal®, a natural umami palatant of non-animal origin, on feed preference and acceptance by adult Beagle dogs in a double bowl test.
Material and methods
Animals and facilities
The study was conducted at the facilities of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNiBA).
Twelve adult Beagle dogs, 6 males and 6 females, all sterilised, healthy and weighing an average of 17.5 kg, were used. The animals were kept free-ranging with access to covered resting areas, except at mealtime observation times, when they were housed individually in enriched environments; water was available to them at all times.
At each meal, the dogs were given a choice of 2 bowls, as shown in the photograph, each containing one of the two diets tested.
Experimental design
The study lasted 4 days and the following design was applied:
- Diet A: Control, standard extruded feed.
- Diet B: Additive, the above extruded diet, but with half the standard palatant used in manufacture as usual. Apsapal® was added by post-extrusion spraying.
Parameters evaluated
- First approach: Which bowl is approached first by the dogs.
- First decision: Bowl in front of which the dogs stay for at least 15 uninterrupted seconds (preference evaluation).
- Intake ratio (IR): Of the total amount of feed consumed, percentage of each type (preference evaluation).
- COR (consumed-to-offered ratio): Average amount of feed consumed in each bowl in relation to the total content of the bowl (acceptance evaluation).
Resultados

First approach: No differences were observed between diets in terms of the bowl that dogs approached first (p=0.387).

First decision: The first 15 uninterrupted seconds in front of the same bowl take place in front of the bowl with Apsapal®. The preference is statistically significant (p<0.001).

Intake ratio (IR): Of the total feed consumed, the percentage corresponding to the diet with Apsapal® is significantly higher (p = 0.005).

COR (consumed-to-offered ratio): The average amount of feed consumed in each bowl relative to the total contents of the bowl is higher for the diet with Apsapal® (p<0.001).
Conclusions
- The addition of Apsapal® by post- extrusion spraying improved the dogs’ preference and acceptance of the feed.
- Apsapal® allows to reduce the use of palatants of animal origin and still increase palatability with a very high statistical significance.
- Apsapal®, due to its yeast content, also exerts a prebiotic effect with improved intestinal and immune function, as indicated by multiple references.