Royal Canin Nutritional Information

8. Royal Canin Nutritional Information

Palatability and Nutritional Precision Are Interconnected

Palatability is essential if the cat is to take in what it needs. The best-balanced food in theory is useless if the cat turns its nose up at it. Even more so when its health demands a special diet that is theoretically not favorable to palatability: limited sodium, fats and proteins. There are various solutions for overcoming this obstacle and retaining an adequate palatability level.

Palatability Is Not a Luxury: It’s a Vital Obligation

The fundamental aim of nutrition is to provide all essential nutrients every single day in a sufficient quantity to cover all needs. The first of these needs is energy, in whatever form the calories are provided.

The formulation of feline diets is above all based on energy density: the ration volume offered to the cat must be compatible with its capacity of digestion:

• Too low a volume does not give the cat a feeling of satiety
• Too high a volume may not be consumed properly or may cause digestive problems.

Palatability Helps the Cat Overcome Certain Kinds of Stress

For many cats, a loss of appetite is one of the first signs of stress. If the food is not sufficiently palatable and if the period of stress is prolonged, there will be a risk of chronic underconsumption and the appearance of nutritional deficiencies. The cat will lose weight, the quality of its hair will deteriorate and its immune defences will be weakened.

Examples of Situations in Which the Cat’s Appetite Is Disturbed

• Changes of environment: when a kitten or an adopted cat arrives in a new home, moves house or is put in a cattery during the holidays.
• Changes to diet: some cats tend to reject a new food (neophobia). This phenomenon is especially observed when the food is offered in unfavorable environmental conditions or when cats have been given the same food for a very long time. Conquering neophobia entails realizing the most gradual dietary transition possible (Figure 1) in conditions that are ideal for the cat’s well-being, thus preventing the development of an aversion that would be even more difficult to overcome.

Figure 1. Technique to ensure good dietary transition.

How Is Palatability Evaluated?

Palatability is measured through objective studies to assess the cat’s behavior in the presence of one or several foods. It is mostly interesting to try to estimate the cat’s preferences and the way the food is ingested.

The Cat’s Preference for a Given Food

This can be realized by measuring the respective consumption of two different foods freely available to the cat (Figure 2). The cat’s selection criteria are subsequently analysed. The reliability of the result depends on the number of cats used and the duration of the study among other things. The selection of the most discriminating cats helps increase the sensitivity of the tests.

Figure 2. Two different ways to express the results of palatability.

The Way the Food Is Ingested

This reflects the attractiveness of the food for the cat. The quantity of food spontaneously ingested within a given time or the time needed to ingest a given quantity are important data. Videos showing the prehension method and any consumption difficulties provide some useful additional data.

The information obtained at the cattery is confirmed by studying cats owned by private individuals when evaluating palatability in diverse environmental conditions and taking into account such notions as the owner’s appreciation of the look of a product and his or her attitude when serving the food, the variable conditions of serving a meal, etc.

Does Palatability Diminish with Time?

All food products tend to deteriorate with time. Guaranteeing good palatability during the whole shelf life of a product entails slowing down the aging of the product.

Quality of Fats

The conservation of the fats in a food demands close monitoring, particularly those in the kibble coating. In contact with the oxygen in the air, the fat molecules generate the production of unstable molecules – free radicals – that cause oxidation. Liquid fats at ambient temperature (poultry fats, vegetable oils) are the most sensitive to oxidation, because they are unsaturated. Keeping food in the light at a warm temperature accelerates the process.

The role of antioxidants is to block the free radicals before they provoke chain reactions that lead to the appearance of peroxides, then secondary oxidation compounds, aldehydes and ketones. All of these compounds are potentially toxic. It is rare for the cat to consume a food that contains deteriorated fats however, as it is very sensitive to the rancid smell emitted by oxidation. The use of truly effective antioxidants is indispensable to conserve palatability and protect the health of the animal.

Development of the Aromatic Profile

Expertise on palatability is not restricted to the development of aromas that are particularly attractive to the cat. These aromas are essentially volatile, so they can be easily picked out by the cat’s sense of smell. That means they risk evaporating in the ambient air. As a result, the kibbles internal odors come to the fore. The cat does not necessarily find this different aroma profile as pleasant.

Another risk is the deterioration of aromas with time. What starts out being a pleasing flavor may ultimately turn into a negative palatability factor.

The research carried out on palatability entails following the development of these substances to verify their behavior as the product ages. Palatability must remain satisfactory throughout the life of the product, right up to the best before date on the pack.

To limit the risk of the loss of palatability after the pack has been opened, it is important to select the right size of pack for a particular cat’s daily consumption. A 4 kg cat that eats an average 50 g of kibbles per day, consumes the equivalent of a 1.5 kg (3 lb) bag in a month. The aromas will be conserved well during that period as long as the bag is stored in a dark place in a hermetically sealed container at a stable temperature. It’s better not to select a larger bag as this would require a longer period of storage.

The quality of fats is monitored in the ingredients and in the final product. The freshness and the resistance to oxidation of oils and fats are major criteria for good palatability. (© C. Renner).

Working on Conserving the Nutritional Qualities of the Product

The preservation of a product’s organoleptic qualities entails vigilance at various levels.

The Choice of Ingredients

Palatability must be a key factor to take into account from the moment of formulation. The thermal treatment used to separate proteins and fats from a meat has an impact on palatability for example. Likewise, a given source of fat will be favored depending on its resistance to oxidation (Figure 3).

The role of all the antioxidants is to stabilize the fat in the product and the kibble coating to preserve palatability and the health of the cat. (© C. Renner).

Figure 3. Comparison of the quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in different oils and fats.

The Process

All the technology involved in kibble grinding, cooking, drying and coating is oriented to preserving the original qualities of the ingredients. The time between manufacture and packing is minimized.

Antioxidation

To prevent the oxidative reactions from beginning, it is preferable to use chelated trace minerals (especially iron and copper). Once chelated, their bioavailability is increased and they are unable to catalyze oxidation reactions in the food.

All fats in the food must be fresh and protected before they are transported and used: substances used in cat food are the same as those used in food for human consumption. They are selected on the basis of their safety and efficacy.

Packaging

To rule out the loss of aromas and oxidation the food is kept in an airtight pack totally devoid of oxygen, a technique called modified atmosphere packaging (Figure 4). The air is replaced by a neutral gas (nitrogen) during packaging. The food conserved in this way is protected as the bag is closed. After opening, the aromas are preserved properly by keeping the bag away from light and humidity at a constant, low temperature.

Figure 4. Principle of the controlled atmosphere.