Pet Food

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers acacia gum a safe and efficient feed additive for all animal species – up to approximately 280 mg/kg.

Acacia gum acts as a texture improver and can increase softness and water retention. It also enhances the palatability and overall quality of pet food.

Acacia gum is often used as a processing aid in extruded pet food for its lubricating properties; Today, pet food experts apply complex nutritional formulations combining proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. The mix for extrusion is a powdery matrix of flour and starches blended with colourings, spices and flavours. The type of starch gives the finished product its main functional properties including texture, volume, structure and rehydration capacity.

Small amounts of gum significantly improve the homogeneity and machinability of the mix, as well as the texture of the extruded products, for better expansion. Acacia gum improves the product’s rheological properties by stabilising, thickening and emulsifying. As a natural plant-based fibre, acacia gum adds prebiotic fibre and enables the use of specific nutritional claims;

Helping manufacturers develop sustainable, nutritious solutions for healthy pets.

Acacia Fibre is a very useful ingredient in pet food, making it easier to process and increasing nutritional quality. Acacia gum adds fibre to pet food and helps balance the nutritional profile. It also has prebiotic benefits.

Acacia characteristics

• Resists acidity and heat, meaning it can be used to formulate products exposed to extreme conditions during production
• Has no side effects, a neutral taste and very low viscosity
• Doesn’t contain many calories
• Positive effect on rheological properties like extensibility

Excellent digestive tolerance

Acacia fibre provides scientifically proven prebiotic benefits:

• No intestinal discomfort, flatulence or abdominal cramps
• Very slow fermentation: only very slight evolution of acacia fibre content during the whole shelf-life of dairy products containing live lactic bacteria – compared to yoghurts formulated with inulin, FOS or GOS whose fibre content can rapidly decrease during storage
• Minimal digestion in the small intestine combined with a slow fermentation in the colon

We have developed a specific range of acacia fibre that guarantees at least 90% fibre content (international AOAC 985-29 method).