Page 55 - FoodFocusThailand No.223 October 2024

SMART PRODUCTION

Plant-based proteins are derived from with a 5.5% increase in digestibility. Therefore, plant proteins can be used as a
agricultural products such as corn, oats, substitute for animal proteins in pet food.
potatoes, soybeans, peas, mung beans,
lentils, kidney beans, wheat, and barley. Challenges in Extracting Protein from Plants
However, proteins from a single source Choosing an appropriate protein extraction method for each type of plant is a
do not contain all the essential amino crucial factor to consider to minimize loss and increase the amount of protein
acids in the right proportions to meet the extracted. The process of extracting protein from plants can be categorized into
needs of pets. Therefore, using proteins three methods:
from multiple sources and selecting 1. Dry method: 1.1 Electrostatic separation: Used to separate proteins
agricultural ingredients in quantities from starches in legumes, where proteins are separated using an electromagnetic
appropriate for each type of pet can help field. This method yields a higher protein content than the air classification
ensure that all essential amino acids are technique. 1.2 Air classification technique: A low-energy method suitable for
present in the suitable proportions for pet plants with distinct components, such as soybean seeds and sunflower seeds
food. Additionally, the protein requirements (Figure 3).
in the diet of dogs and cats depend on
various factors such as age, body
composition, and physiological conditions
(pregnancy, lactation, or health status).
Most pet foods focus on essential
nutrients for pets, such as protein, iron,
zinc, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B12,
and other B vitamins . However, selecting
1
a diverse range of plant ingredients can
help overcome potential nutritional
limitations in designing plant-based pet
food, such as some plants containing
lower levels of methionine and cysteine
compared to animal products . These
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limitations can be mitigated by using a
variety of plants, fortifying the product
with additional nutrients, or combining
plant and animal proteins to reduce the
use of animal protein in pet food .
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Digestibility of Plant Proteins in
Pets
Dogs and cats have a high capacity for
digesting proteins in their digestive
systems by using naturally occurring
digestive enzymes, specifically proteases,
for protein digestion . When comparing
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the digestibility of plant protein sources,
such as wheat gluten and isolated soy
protein, with animal proteins, like dried
pork, poultry, and lamb, it was found that
dogs and cats could digest wheat gluten
protein up to 99% and isolated soy protein
up to 95%, which is higher than the
digestibility of animal protein sources, as
shown in Figure 2 (Royal Canin Research
Center, 2024). Furthermore, Golder et al.
(2020) conducted a study on the
digestibility of plant and animal proteins
in 226 dogs and 296 cats. They found
that both dogs and cats could digest plant
proteins. The digestibility of protein in
dogs remained unchanged with increased
plant protein in their diet. In contrast, cats
showed improved protein digestibility with
increased plant protein (such as ground
soybeans, isolated soy protein, gluten
flake, corn, and rice protein concentrate),

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