Kent Cooper is the Co-Owner of Evolve Consulting Group, Inc. He has over two decades of experience in the pet food industry. Kent’s vast knowledge of raw materials, raw material supply, procurement, plant processes, product development, and project management can help your company create successful solutions.
What is vital wheat gluten?
Derived from wheat flour, vital wheat gluten is a concentrated wheat protein. It’s produced by removing the starch from wheat, leaving behind a protein-rich ingredient that typically contains 75-80% protein on a dry basis.
In pet food manufacturing, vital wheat gluten serves as both a high-quality protein source and a functional ingredient. Its protein is highly digestible for dogs and cats, and it provides binding and texturizing properties that help manufacturers create consistent products across different pet food formats, from wet canned food to dry kibble.
Why is vital wheat gluten used in pet food?
Vital wheat gluten is used in pet foods for multiple reasons. It provides high levels of highly digestible protein with low ash content, making it valuable in high protein diets of many forms. Vital wheat gluten is also a highly functional ingredient helping with structure and binding in kibble and canned pet food processes.
Pet food formulations benefit from the high protein combined with the low ash content, allowing for high protein diets while controlling calcium and phosphorus content in the formulations.
What role does vital wheat gluten play in wet vs. dry pet food?
Vital wheat gluten is a functional ingredient in dry pet food manufacturing, helping to bind formulations with lower carb content while also bringing high levels of protein to the diet. Wet pet food processes benefit from vital wheat gluten while binding the chunks in chunk and gravy products and providing consistent thickening in paté and gravy concepts.
Is vital wheat gluten safe for dogs and cats?
Yes, vital wheat gluten is safe for dogs and cats when included as part of a balanced pet food formulation.
How does vital wheat gluten support high-protein pet food trends?
High protein pet foods often require a binding agent and ingredients that are high in protein with limited ash content. Vital wheat gluten brings both of these benefits to high protein pet food products.
What should pet food manufacturers look for in a vital wheat gluten supplier?
As with any supplier, product quality and consistency are the most important evaluation parameters. Protein content and analysis to support the functional binding properties are both important evaluation areas. Additionally, domestic sourcing can be an important consideration for supply chain reliability and traceability/sustainability, especially for premium pet food brands that emphasize ingredient sourcing in their marketing.
Is vital wheat gluten used in pet food the same ingredient used in human food?
Amber Wave produces the same quality product for both human and pet food: AmberPro® vital wheat gluten. This means the quality and food safety standards are held to the highest standards. It can also allow for the use of vital wheat gluten in pet foods with human food claims.
Have questions about using vital wheat gluten in your operation? Contact our team to learn more about AmberPro® vital wheat gluten.