This syrup, which is made from sugar beet, gives manufacturers a natural substitute for conventional components like glucose syrup or caramel and a chance to win over pet owners who are concerned about their health.
With attractive nutritional and technological properties, BeneoCarb S is a valuable addition to any petfood manufacturers’ ingredients portfolio. Pet owners are increasingly demanding healthier pet foods, with 4 in 5 considering their pet’s health to be as important as their own i. With the number of overweight and obese pets on the rise, incorporating low-glycaemic carbohydrates into their food can help with blood glucose and weight management. BeneoCarb S is a carbohydrate source which features high levels of the low-glycaemic disaccharides isomaltulose and trehalulose. Both occurring naturally in honey, they generate lower glycaemic and insulinemic responses thanks to a stronger glycosidic bond than that of standard sugar. Therefore, compared to “fast” carbohydrates like sucrose or cooked starches, they support a more balanced blood glucose management.
Technological ingredient easy to handle and process
A recent scientific study (ii) shows that isomaltulose, a key component in BeneoCarb S, is a suitable dog food ingredient that triggers a lower rise in blood glucose after consumption. This property makes it a particularly appealing solution with the potential to support metabolic health and weight management.
Aside from its nutritional value, BeneoCarb S is an interesting technological ingredient that is very easy to handle and process thanks to its low viscosity. It can serve as a natural alternative colouring agent in place of caramel additives that are to be banned from pet food by July 2025 (iii).
Recent tests on gravies or jellies for wet pet food demonstrated its browning properties during retorting thanks to its reducing capacity in Maillard reactions. On top of the colour, it can have a positive influence on the palatability of pet food products. With its honey-like flavour, BeneoCarb S can perform as an alternative binder to glucose syrup, for example in dog biscuits, and provides a comparable sweetness to one with a dextrose equivalent (DE) value of 60. In addition, its antioxidative properties, along with its water activity-reducing effect, improve the stability of pet food and can limit the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, it can serve as a natural alternative to additives such as glycerine and propylene glycol in semi-moist and moist pet foods and snacks.
Dr Maygane Ronsmans, Product Manager Animal Nutrition at BENEO comments: “Interestingly, despite inflation, and rising costs of pet food, pet owners don’t want to compromise on ingredient quality, nutritional value, taste and health claims (iv). With owners prioritising the health of their companion animals, producers of pet food need to incorporate functional ingredients that can deliver proven nutritional and technical benefits. BeneoCarb S enables producers to create healthier pet foods and snacks, that are naturally coloured and taste great.”
BeneoCarb S is a co-product generated during the manufacturing of BENEO’s smart carbohydrates, including Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) for human nutrition, in a state-of-the-art and food-certified processing plant in Offstein, Germany. By using the syrup for animal nutrition, BENEO strives for full valorization of its raw material, supporting the company’s goal of decreasing waste and increasing circularity principles. Already considered a high value ingredient in livestock feed applications, BeneoCarb S is included in the EU Catalogue of Feed Materials as ‘isomaltulose molasses’ (v).
(i) BENEO Consumer Research On Pet Care 2023. FMCG Gurus conducted a quantitative online survey in August 2023 with 2.500 pet owners in the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, and China (250 cat and 250 dog owners per country).
(ii) Corbee, R. J., Mes, J. J., de Jong, G. A. H., van den Dool, R. T. M., Neumer, F., Theis, S., & Bosch, G. (2023). Brush border enzyme hydrolysis and glycaemic effects of isomaltulose compared to other saccharides in dogs. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 1– 9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13860
(iii) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1173 of 15 June 2023: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1173
(iv) BENEO Consumer Research On Pet Care 2023. FMCG Gurus conducted a quantitative online survey in August 2023 with 2.500 pet owners in the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, and China (250 cat and 250 dog owners per country).
(v) Commission Regulation (EU) No 68/2013 of 16 January 2013 on the Catalogue of feed materials – listed under entry 4.1.6: “isomaltulose molasses”
