Adapted from a news release:
A computer system simulation of domestic cats’ noses recommends that the complicated nasal structures associated with their sense of odor function likewise to parallel coiled gas chromatographs—laboratory equipment utilized for extremely effective analysis of the chemical makeup of compounds. Researchers from Ohio State University discovered that the complicated nasal structures associated with smell detection within cats’ noses operate likewise to parallel coiled gas chromatographs, lab equipment utilized for analysis of unpredictable chemical compounds. The research study broadens pet food makers understanding about cats’ understanding of their food and other stimuli.
Vertebrates utilize their noses for both breathing and smelling, with receptors inside the nose spotting smells in breathed in air. Some previous research studies recommend that smell detection in vertebrates might operate likewise to basic gas chromatography, in which, basically, the compound being evaluated is vaporized and brought by a constant circulation of gas through a tube. Different chemical parts of the compound connect with television in unique methods along its length, making it possible for recognition of each part.
Parallels in between gas chromatography and nose function have actually already been observed in amphibians. However, couple of research studies have actually analyzed these parallels for mammalian noses, which have more complicated channels through which air passes to make it possible for smell detection.
To shed brand-new light, Wu and coworkers established an anatomically precise three-dimensional computational design of the nose of a domestic cat. They made use of a range of strategies, consisting of high-resolution micro-CT scans of a real cat’s nose and computational fluid characteristics modeling.
Simulation of air and smell circulation through the virtual cat nose revealed that it appears to operate likewise to a parallel coiled gas chromatograph, in which the performance of the basic method is improved by the usage of several tubes branching off of one high-speed gas stream.
In other words, if a cat’s nose just had one straight tube for smell detection, it would require to be longer than the physical size of the head allows order for smell detection to be as effective as it really appears to be. Having multiple complex channels seems 100 times more effective than having a single straight tube.
Pet food sensory analysis offers competitive benefits
Pet food sensory analysis can provide ideas about which items will please both animals and their owners, said Kadri Koppel, PhD, assistant teacher at Kansas State University, throughout her keynote address at the Petfood Innovation Workshop kept in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A. on April 3, 2017.
“Consider sensory testing as one of the ways to figure out what pets and owners really like,” she informed Petfood Industry. “I think that will help you along in your market success and your product success.”
How sensory analysis can help family pet food business
Pet food qualities, animals’ responses and owners’ observations comprise a triangle of impacts on whether an animal food is successful in the market, she said. Smell, texture, taste and other feelings can figure out if dogs and cats accept or decline an animal food. Similarly, the sensory qualities of the family pet food and its product packaging impact family pet owners’ understanding of the food.
Beyond observing their animals’ actions to food, family pet owners note physical qualities of the family pet food and its product packaging that can have essential effects, she said.
“Don’t change color of package,” recommended Koppel. “Customers think, ‘I know I buy the yellow bag’ even if they don’t recall the exact variety.”
Once the package is open, some qualities that animals might enjoy can disgust their owners. For example, while dogs might be brought in to pungent smells, owners might hesitate to endure that stink in their houses, she said.
Options for family pet food sensory analysis
Larger family pet food business might have their own sensory labs, while other businesses deal with independent laboratories. However, not all pet food business have access to sensory analysis labs to figure out the qualities of their items. Those pet food business can gain from released research study and perform their own internal sensory analysis, Koppel informed Petfood Industry.
For example, Koppel’s paper “An initial lexicon for sensory properties of dry dog food,” released in the Journal of Sensory Studies, specified sensory qualities of family pet food, such as barnyard, brothy, brown, grain, soy, vitamin, off-flavors, oxidized oil, cardboard and stagnant. Those standardized detailed terms provide pet food business a typical vocabulary to comprehend their items and their rivals’. The American Society for Testing and Materials likewise offers unbiased meanings for sensory qualities.
“A major difficulty in sensory analysis of pet food is that testers need to be trained to be objective,” Koppel said. “It isn’t about human preferences. Panelists need to be trained to describe the characteristics of the pet food, not their subjective reaction to it.”
Once those qualities have actually been identified, the outcomes can help family pet food business comprehend what associates impact family pet choices for one food or another when tests are performed with animals.
Techniques for family pet food sensory analysis
The most typical family pet food sensory analysis is done utilizing a 2-bowl test. Researchers present two items side by side and record animals’ choice for one over the other.
“Think about the objectives of the test first, then select the proper sensory testing methods to go about solving your sensory testing issues,” she said.
Currently, researchers are establishing brand-new approaches to make screening more effective and exact, said Koppel. In the competitive family pet grocery store, the advancing science of sensory analysis can provide brand names a benefit.
Sensor innovation might help family pet food palatability screening
Electronic sensing units, called e-tongues and e-noses, might help in pet food palatability evaluations, brand-new item advancement, quality control and other dog and cat food production processes, Federica Cheli, PhD, professor of animal science at the University of Milan told Petfood Industry in 2017.
“This could reduce costs for smaller pet food companies,” she said.
Research on e-tongues and e-noses with pet food
However, scientists still need to establish certain parameters to calibrate the electronic sensors to dogs’ and cats’ preferences, she noted.
“Before using of e-nose or e-tongue analysis for pet food palatability evaluation, the correlation to animal response to a product must be evaluated, and palatability tests must be associated with e-nose evaluation of the products,” she said. “Thereby, we can obtain standard odor and aroma profiles [fingerprints] associated with high palatability to develop highly palatable pet food, maybe for different pets: cats versus dogs, puppies, senior pet, dietetic pet food, et cetera.”
Cheli and her colleagues at the University of Milan analyzed the potential for e-noses and e-tongues as sensory analysis tools for the pet food industry. They published their conclusions in the journal Sensors and Transducers.
Potential for e-noses and e-tongues in pet food platability
“In literature, the applications of the e-nose and e-tongue in pet food analysis are very scarce,” said Cheli.
Once the basic research is done, the e-sensory approach could have numerous applications in the pet food industry, she said.
E-noses and e-tongues could be used to:
- develop a flavor/aroma profile of different pet food and pet food palatants, as a quality assurance tool,
- evaluate product consistency during manufacturing and
- standardize the product development process,
- measure product stability and shelf life and
- analyse off-odors for family pet customers.
What are e-nose and e-tongue electronic sensors
The e-nose and the liquid counterpart, the e-tongue, are instruments capable of recognizing specific simple or complex chemicals, called volatile organic compounds, explained Cheli. Volatile compounds are chemicals that release some of their molecules into the air, which allows dogs, cats, humans and other animals to smell them. By organic, chemists mean that the molecule contains carbon.
These volatile organic compounds produce specific odors in dog and cat food, which play roles in animals’ sensations of taste beyond the abilities of the tongue. For an example of the power of volatile chemicals in sensation, think of a wine connoisseur slurping their beverage, like Hannibal Lecter as he remembered a nice Chianti in “Silence of the Lambs.” The slurping releases those volatile chemicals and mixes them with air, which allows more of the aromas to travel to the nose.
Along with identifying those aroma compounds, e-noses and e-tongues provide qualitative and quantitative data on the composition of mixtures of various chemicals, such as those found in dog and cat foods.
With those sensory sensing units, a family pet food formulator can evaluate a flavor or aroma profile of different products to establish a particular “fingerprint” to discriminate items, said Cheli.
