187 Evaluation of Textural Characteristics of Commercially Available Meat Stick-Style Pet Treats

Abstract

Abstract Availability of pet treats in the U.S market is high, and the organoleptic attributes likely differ depending on ingredient composition, product type, and brand. However, there is a lack of comparative textural data of commercially available products. The objective of this experiment was to assess texture parameters of commercially available meat stick-style pet treats with the overall goal of improving our understanding of how this may affect consumer demand. A total of 4 meat stick pet food treats of different brands were purchased to perform 3 different textural analyses. A total of 120 commercial treat samples (n = 10 from each treatment per analysis) were analyzed. A TA-HDplusC texture analyzer using a Warner-Bratzler (WBSF) probe for the shear force (SF) test to evaluate firmness (peak force) and toughness (total force over distance), and a TA-43R probe for the 3-point bend (3PB) test to assess hardness (force to break), flexibility (distance to break), and stiffness (force over distance). Additionally, a TA-30 cylinder probe was utilized for the texture profile analysis (TPA) to measure hardness (maximum force required to deform), resilience (ability of sample to regain original form), cohesiveness (represents structural integrity under compression), springiness (height that the food recovers between compressions), and chewiness (energy required to masticate). Data were analyzed as a 1-way ANOVA using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 with the PDIFF option at P ≤ 0.05 to separate means. For SF, AHJPOULT treats had the greatest shear force when compared with other products (P ≤ 0.0001). The total force over distance (toughness) was lowest in ORBEEF and PPSBEEF and highest in AHJPOULT and TCPOULT samples (P ≤ 0.0001). For 3PB, the force required to break samples was greater for TCPOULT when compared with the other products (P ≤ 0.0001). TCPOULT treats were also the most flexible commercial product samples tested (P ≤ 0.0001). The force over distance was lower for PPSBEEF samples when compared with other products (P ≤ 0.0001). For TPA, ORBEEF was the hardest product of all samples assessed (P ≤ 0.0001). Resilience, cohesiveness, and springiness were greatest for TCPOULT compared with all other products (P ≤ 0.0001). TCPOULT treats also required the most energy to masticate (P ≤ 0.0001). In summary, textural characteristics differed among commercially available meat stick treats procured for this experiment where TCPOULT were the toughest, hardest, and most resilient. These differences may impact pet-owner acceptability and purchasing decisions which will be evaluated in future sensory experiments to better understand consumer demand.