Pet parents rearing furry babies continue to drive many of the pet humanization trends today especially in pet food and treats. With this in mind, pet humanization is a phenomena where pet owners treat their pets like children. These consumers purchase items that resemble products they purchase for themselves. For instance, pet owners tend to read food labels, select minimally processed foods and veer towards healthier versions. Due to this trend, fresh pet foods continue to thrive within the specialty pet food segment.

Fresh pet foods attract pet parents by their short ingredient lists, fresh raw materials and healthier positioning. For example, many pet parents believe that ‘real food’ should be stored in the same place as human food - the refrigerator. However, creating tasty fresh pet food comes with its own set of challenges. For instance, food preparation and storage affect the quality.

The Challenges when Making Fresh Pet Foods

Some fresh pet foods come pre-cooked and frozen in meal blocks. This improves food safety and minimizes the handling of raw foods. Companies ship the frozen meal blocks to consumers since many use an eCommerce model. Or some companies sell the food in freezer cases at brick-and-mortar stores. During preparation, the consumer needs to slack the frozen meal for several hours before serving. Depending on the food components, water separation is a common issue. For example, many fresh dog foods incorporate vegetables like carrots and peas in the meat matrix. Water tends to leech out during the slacking process creating a pool within the packaging.

Other companies pre-cook and package the fresh food mass into chubs. Retailers sell the chubs in refrigerator cases. Again, depending on the formulation, water migration is inevitable. The product weeps water which does not meet consumers’ expectations when feeding Fido.

Natural Solutions to Improve Refrigerated Pet Food

Though many consumers steer away from stabilizers and binders, some clean options which help bind water exist in the market. One ideal solution includes using Citri-Fi® citrus fiber. This natural ingredient is created from byproduct of the citrus juicing process. However, the key benefit of using Citri-Fi is its dual functionality. It not only binds water but also oil or fat that leech out of a food product during cooking, handling and storage.

At very low usage levels, 0.2%-1.0%, this citrus fiber locks in the water. And yet, not all citrus fibers are created the same. Citri-Fi uses a process that is free from chemical modifications that opens up the fiber. This process preserves the citrus fiber’s holistic composition so that it retains a high level of native pectin. Both the high surface area and the native pectin lock in the water. As a result, consumers prep fresh pet food without the watery mess. Other citrus fibers on the market provide limited water holding due to their processing. On the other hand, Citri-Fi, an upcycled ingredient tells a sustainable story from farm to pet bowl.

Citri-Fi citrus fiber is AAFCO approved. Labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour. This natural ingredient is non-GMO Project certified, allergen-free, gluten-free, grain-free and made in the U.S.A.

The Future of Pet Foods

Other human trends crossing over into the pet food and treat category include plant-based foods. Because of this, the sky is the limit when creating new types of fresh pet foods as long as it is AAFCO approved.  Since plant-based foods like vegetables and fruits tend to release water during storage, Citri-Fi can bind the water to create higher quality, natural pet food products.

For more information, please contacts us to order a sample.