My colleagues, recently, attended the Petfood Forum at K-State and I wanted to share a breakout session Tree Top led. We received so many positive reviews on the hands-on workshop, I thought I’d share some of what we covered.
As our pets age, they can develop age-related problems the same as humans do.
- Oxidative stress in animals has been linked to heart failure, cognitive decline, and chronic inflammation.
- Oxidative stress is the destruction to cells caused by free radical molecules. This happens when there aren’t enough antioxidants to neutralize the free radicals.
- The flavonoids within fruit possess both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that can help counteract and reduce this damage.
- Phytochemicals have a complex molecular structure allowing them to bind free radicals so they cannot attack metabolic systems within the body.
Participants were given an opportunity to formulate innovative products that cross the blood-brain barrier to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. See our Low Aw Recipe below. To learn more about Oxidative Stress, please see our newest whitepaper here.
High Antioxidant PET TREATS Low Aw Recipe
Each recipe makes 6-10 treats (130-145g)
Ingredients:
- Low Aw Grind 1/8” – 4 TBSP
- Nut Butter – 2 TBSP
- Fruit Juice Concentrate – 1 TBSP
- Flake Powder – 2 TBSP
- Fruit/Nut Inclusion – 1 TBSP
- Grain Inclusion 1 – 1 TBSP
- Grain Inclusion 2 – 1 TBSP
- Coating – 2-4 TBSP
Instructions:
Combine 4 tbsp low aw grind with 2 tbsp of nut butter and 1 tbsp of fruit juice concentrate. Knead together.
Add 2 tbsp of flake powder, 1 tbsp total of fruit/nut inclusions, and 2 tbsp total of grain inclusion. Knead together.
Let sit for 2 min. Roll into balls. Measure out 2-4 tbsp of coating. Toss balls in coating.
Fruit is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that can help to neutralize free-radicals produced by the body because of increased age, stress, and physical injury. Excess free-radicals in the body can lead to increased inflammation which in turn can lead to chronic illness.
Adding fruit to any pet food formulation is easy! Tree Top offers a variety of fruit ingredients to suit every need. When excess moisture is undesirable, we offer drum dried fruit powders which can help bind water and lower water activity. In addition, we also have a line of dried apple products that can offer piece ID and really stand out in the final product. Tree Top also offers fruit purees, puree concentrates and juice concentrates to add extra color, flavor and nutritional value to your products.
Let us know how we can help! We’d love to be apart of your next product formulation.
