Appraisal or palatability evaluation method of pet food

The specific method is to use pet food as a carrier, add an attractant to be tested, and then conduct an animal palatability test to determine whether the attractant has an effect on improving the palatability of the food.

1 Double basin method

The double-basin method is a common way to measure the suitability in the world at present. A group of pets (all dogs or cats) are provided with the same amount of two kinds of food A and B, and the pets eat freely within a certain period of time, and the pets are recorded respectively. For the consumption rate of food A and B, the food with high consumption rate has good palatability (consumption rate A=consumption of food A within a certain period of time/total amount of food A and B).

2 First Bite Preference Test

Give the test pets two kinds of food at the same time, the one that the pet chooses first is judged as having better palatability, and the consumption rate of this food is calculated. This test focuses on the pet's first impression of the smell or appearance of the food.

3 individual tests

Only one kind of food is given, and the feed intake rate is measured (feed intake rate = total feed intake/total amount of food given), and the result depends not only on the palatability of the food, but also on the animal's appetite, feeding conditions and environmental factors . The double-basin test can be supplemented by a single test because the results of the double-basin test may be the result of the animal being forced to eat in desperation.

4 Instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation

The animal palatability test can truly and effectively reflect the application effect of pet food attractants. However, animal palatability testing is easily limited by hardware conditions such as experimental sites, and the experiment is time-consuming and expensive; more importantly, animals cannot express their cognition and preference for flavor in a timely and effective manner. The process cannot play a guiding role in the optimization of formula and process. In the research process of flavor products, methods of instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation can be used. The resolution and sensitivity of the instrumental analysis are good, and the compounds that contribute to the flavor can be determined, providing a theoretical basis for the synthesis of flavor products.