Moist Pet Foods

Moist pet foods are usually defined as pet foods having a meat-like character and a moisture content of 50% by weight or higher. The maximum allowable moisture couteut for moist pet foods is 78% by weight (AAFCO, 2003) the moisture couteut iu most moist pet foods is two to three times of that iu semimoist pet foods aud up to mauy times of that iu dry pet foods. 

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Semimoist pet foods are those pet foods that have moisture content in the range of 15%-50% by weight (Priegnitz, 1980 Parthasarathy, 2004). Semimoist pet foods represent more expensive products with more meat-like characteristics and better appearances as well as improved palatability as compared to dry pet foods. Semimoist pet foods tend to maximize the advantages of both dry and moist pet foods, while minimizing the disadvantages of both products. 

Source Priegnitz, R.D., Semi-moist pet food product and process, U.S. Patent 4,228,195. October 14,1980. 

There are two major product formats for moist pet foods CIG/J and CIL. CIG/J is recognized as a premium product, while CIL is a less expensive product type. Both types of products are packaged in three main container types cans, trays, and pouches. Cans still remain the main format trays and pouches, however, are increasingly favored by pet owners today. Different equipment and processes are required for these different products and container formats. 

In order to improve the qnality of moist pet foods, several interesting alternatives of moist pet foods have been developed some of them are discnssed below. 

Moist Pet Foods Containing Filamentous Fungal Biomass... 

Moist Pet Foods with Sliced Meat Analogue... 

S)ME Physicochemical Properties of Moist Pet Foods AS Affected by Processing... 

Ingredients and heating condition are important factors influencing the flavor of moist pet foods. The main ingredient affecting the flavor of moist pet foods is fat, because crude fat acts as an oil-soluble flavor carrier. Bacon and chicken fats, for example, have strong aroma characteristics and tastes (Hanna, 1976). The fat flavor is influenced by relative protein tissues and the nature of the fat itself. A suitable amount of fats in moist pet foods is around 3%-6% of a final product. Excess fats in moist pet foods may lead to a problem of nutrition balance and inversely affect the... 

Low moisture content also has a negative effect on the palatability of moist pet foods. Several producers thus try to increase the moisture content of the products... 

Bartsch, A.G. Expanded semi-moist pet food. U.S. Patent 4,001,345. March 8, 1977. 

Semi-moist Pet Foods are generally received more favorably by the dog than are dry, meal-type animal foods. Compared to canned foods, the semi-moist products are sometimes preferred in the case of lower priced maintenance diets, but less preferred than the higher priced (higher meat-type) diets. 

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