Interpretive Summary: Evaluation of graded levels of corn-fermented protein on stool quality, apparent nutrient digestibility, and palatability in healthy adult cats

By: Logan R Kilburn-Kappeler, Krystina A Lema Almeida, Charles G Aldrich

Sustainable ingredients are of increasing demand within the pet food industry. Corn-fermented protein (CFP) could provide a sustainable protein source for pet food. CFP is a coproduct from ethanol production, which is produced using post-fermentation separation technology to create a high-protein, low-fiber ingredient. In this work, 11 healthy cats were fed diets containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% CFP in exchange for soybean meal. Cats were fed each dietary treatment for 14 d with a 9-d adaptation phase followed by a 5-d total fecal collection. Stool quality and diet digestibility were analyzed. Total fecal output of cats increased, and diet digestibility decreased with the 15% CFP inclusion. These results are likely due to the fiber component of CFP indicating a maximum inclusion level at 10% when fed to cats. In addition, palatability of diets was evaluated at a commercial kennel and proved to be acceptable at all CFP inclusion levels when fed to cats. Further research is needed to evaluate the possible impact of CFP on animal health when included in pet food.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.