Beneo unveils low-glycemic antioxidative syrup for pet food to replace glucose and caramel

Beneo introduces a low-glycemic syrup for pet food applications, including semi-moist and moist products or snacks. Derived from sugar beet, BeneoCarb S is branded a natural alternative to traditional ingredients such as glucose syrup or caramel, appealing to health-conscious pet owners.

According to the company, pet owners are increasingly demanding healthier pet foods, with four in five considering their pet’s health to be as important as their own.

“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,” says Dr. Maygane Ronsmans, product manager of Animal Nutrition at Beneo.

“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.” 

Color and antioxidant properties

Aside from its nutritional value, BeneoCarb S is made to be easy to handle and process thanks to its low viscosity. It can serve as a natural alternative coloring agent in place of caramel additives that are to be banned from pet food by July 2025.

Recent tests on gravies and jellies for wet pet food demonstrated its browning properties during retorting thanks to its reducing capacity in Maillard reactions.

Next to its coloring properties, Beneo spotlights that the offering can have a positive influence on the palatability of pet food products due to its honey-like flavor. Additionally, 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 value of 60.

FrieslandCampina also highlights the ingredient’s antioxidative properties, along with its water activity-reducing effect, improving the stability of pet food and can limit the growth of microorganisms. It is branded a natural alternative to additives such as glycerine and propylene glycol in semi-moist and moist pet foods and snacks.

Speaking with Nutrition Insight on its latest market analysis, ingredient supplier ADM recently underscored that pet owners increasingly view their pets as family, driving up demand for high-quality nutrition, preventative care and mental stimulation.

In other pet sector developments, General Mills acquired Whitebridge Pet Brands’ North American premium Cat feeding and Pet treating business from NXMH in a transaction valued at US$1.45 billion. The business, which includes the Tiki Pets and Cloud Star portfolio of brands, is active in these segments.