Potato protein: the pet food ingredient that ticked every box
When palatability is non-negotiable, the bitterness of standard protein additives becomes a real formulation challenge. When specialist pet food producer Vobra needed a plant-based protein their cats and dogs would actually choose, they asked Avebe for help. ProtaSTAR® proved to be the ingredient that ticked every box. Discover how our high-purity potato protein became a cornerstone of Vobra’s product range.
Unstable textures, an off-taste and unhappy customers
Producing plant-based dairy products is not an easy task. A European producer ran into trouble with their fermented oat yoghurt range. Standard hydrocolloid blends failed to prevent syneresis, resulting in unstable texture and off-taste.rnrnThe producer needed a solution that would deal with inconsistent gel formation across batches and visible whey separation after 14 days. Aside from that, they found out that their ingredient list tested poorly in consumer research. The producer wanted a solution with a 60-day shelf-life guarantee that was compatible with existing fermentation equipment.
One replacement for the existing thickeners
PerfectaSOL® D 600 was introduced at trial scale as a replacement for the existing modified starch and xanthan gum combination. Dosage was calibrated across three texture variants. In collaboration with Avebe’s application team, they developed a pourable, stirred and Greek-style yoghurt.
Smooth yoghurts with stable textures and clean labels
The trials delivered smooth yoghurts with stable textures across all three variants. No syneresis was observed at day 60 and live culture counts remained within specification. PerfectaSOL® D 600 met all challenges and cleaned up the label as well. The long list of artificial ingredients has been replaced by potato starch, potato protein and nothing else.