BENEOCARB S enables producers to create healthier pet foods and snacks, that are naturally coloured and taste great
BENEO, one of the leading manufacturers of functional ingredients introduces BENEOCARB S, a low-glycaemic syrup for pet food applications, including semi-moist and moist products or snacks.
Derived from sugar beet, this syrup offers a natural alternative to traditional ingredients such as glucose syrup or caramel, while appealing to health-conscious pet owners. With attractive nutritional and technological properties, BENEOCARB S is a valuable addition to any petfood manufacturers’ ingredient portfolio.
Meeting the demand for healthier pet nutrition
Today’s pet owners are prioritising healthier pet foods, with 4 in 5 considering their pet’s health to be as important as their own (1). As overweight and obesity in pets 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. Compared to fast carbohydrates like sucrose or cooked starches, BENEOCARB S helps promote balanced blood glucose levels. A recent scientific study (2) confirms that isomaltulose, a key component in BENEOCARB S, is a suitable ingredient for dog food since it induces 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.
BeneoCarb S is easy to handle and process
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 also serve as a natural colouring agent, offering an alternative to caramel additives which will be banned from pet food by July 2025 (3). Tests on wet pet food gravies or jellies have demonstrated its browning properties during retorting thanks to its reducing capacity in Maillard reactions.
Additionally, BENEOCARB S enhances pet food palatability with its honey-like flavour. It can function as a binder in dog biscuits, comparable in sweetness to glucose syrup with a dextrose equivalent (DE) value of 60. Moreover, its antioxidative properties and water activity-reducing effects, improve the stability of pet food and can limit the growth of microorganisms. As a result, it provides a natural alternative to additives such as glycerine and propylene glycol in semi-moist and moist pet foods and snacks.
BENEOCARB S: sustainable and high-value feed ingredient
BENEOCARB S is a co-product derived during the production 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 this syrup in animal nutrition, BENEO strives for full raw material valorisation, aligning with its sustainability goals of reducing waste and promoting circularity.
Already considered a high value ingredient in livestock feed applications, BENEOCARB S is listed in the EU Catalogue of Feed Materials as ‘isomaltulose molasses’ (4).
(1) 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).
(2) 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
(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1173 of 15 June 2023: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1173
(4) Commission Regulation (EU) No 68/2013 of 16 January 2013 on the Catalogue of feed materials – listed under entry 4.1.6: “isomaltulose molasses”
