Feline flavors: Scientists use cats as “taste testers” to elevate pet food appeal

06 Aug 2024 --- Researchers in China have attempted to improve cat food by using a panel of feline taste testers to identify favored flavor compounds in chicken liver-based sprays used as pet food attractants. The findings revealed a preference for more free amino acids, responsible for “savory and fatty flavors,” over commercially available cat food attractants.

The results, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, can help manufacturers enhance future cat food formulations and increase cats’ enjoyment of kibble (ground meal shaped into pellets).

The testers included ten “hungry” adult cats, which were presented with commercially available cat food coated with chicken fat and then sprayed with one of the four chicken liver attractants formulated by the team.

They observed which bowl — from the team’s sample and control food (treated with a different, commercially available attractant) — the cats chose first and how much food they ate throughout the day.

Role of aroma
Cats have a more acute sense of smell than humans, and the aroma of their food plays a key role in whether they will accept or reject cat food.

“Feline palates are also more sensitive to umami (savory) flavors than humans, and they can’t taste sweetness,” note the researchers.

The cat participants chose pet food sprayed with the scientists' chicken liver attractants over those with commercial attractants.“While meat-flavored food attractant sprays can help improve the scent and tastiness of dry kibble, the exact correlation between volatile flavor compounds and palatability is not well understood.”

Previous studies in this area lack input from a very important focus group: actual cats. They have mostly involved surveys on "cat guardians," to analyze the impact of pet food on cats' health, for instance.

Formulating food attractants
The study was conducted by scientists at the School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, College of Food Science, Shanghai and Northeast Agricultural University, Heilongjiang, in China.

The researchers homogenized and heat-treated chicken livers to prepare the fragrant sprays. They then used enzymes to break down proteins in the liver paste to various levels to produce four different food attractants. 

The researchers identified over 50 different flavor compounds across the sprays, ranging from tropical and floral to sweaty and rubbery.

Preferred flavors
The researchers found that most cats opted for and consumed more of the foods sprayed with the team’s attractants, particularly the sprays with proteins that were further broken down by the enzymes and contained more free amino acids. These compounds are essential “flavor precursors” that can undergo the Maillard reaction, which could have produced various aroma-enhancing compounds when heated.

The favored foods contained more “mushroom and fatty flavors” as well, while the less-enjoyed foods included those with acidic- and sweet-tasting compounds. This finding could be attributed to fewer Maillard reaction occurrences.

Dog and cat food manufacturers recently welcomed a new federal bill aimed at harmonizing the regulatory process for product approval across the US. However, adversaries warn it could adversely impact food safety and reduce label transparency.

By Insha Naureen