Guide to Pet Food Flavor Enhancers: Paste and Powder Product Applications

In the competitive pet food industry, flavor enhancers play a critical role in boosting palatability and differentiating products in the market. At Matchwell, we offer a range of paste and powder solutions designed for both dog and cat food applications, meeting diverse formulation needs across quality levels.

1. How to Use Paste and Powder Products

Paste Products:

• Temperature Sensitivity: Paste products exhibit excellent fluidity. As the temperature decreases, they thicken; as it rises, they become thinner.
• Application Method: Typically heated separately or with grease to approximately 40°C before spraying onto the product surface.
• Recommended Usage:
  • General addition rate: 4%–6%
  • For low-end pet food: Can increase up to 10% (e.g., dog food priced around ¥4000/ton in Hebei).
  • Special note: For economical dog foods, you can opt for paste-only addition without powders.

Powder Products:

• Recommended Usage:
  • General addition rate: 1%–2%
  • Adjustment based on formulation: Adjust according to cost requirements and the presence of meat powders or fresh meat content.
• Cat Food Specifics: Typically both paste and powder are added, with a slightly higher proportion of powder to enhance palatability.

2. Overview of Key Paste and Powder Products

Chicken Liver Hydrolysate Powder — YCF-P01

• Flavor: Mild, standard chicken liver profile.
• Production: Enzymatic hydrolysis with spray drying, no Maillard reaction.
• Positioning:
  • Cost-effective solution.
  • Ideal for customers focusing on cost reduction or self-formulation.

Dog Seasoning PowderTaste amplifier spices seasoning powder food seasoning for dog seasoning for cat pet food production flavor YCG-QT-916 — MYF-QT-01

• Flavor: Enhanced via Maillard reaction.
• Composition: Includes salt, yeast, and other natural flavor enhancers.
• Applications:
  • Suitable for kibble spraying and health product formulations (tablets, powders, lecithin blends).
• Market Feedback: High market acceptance after extended performance testing.

Pet Seasoning Powder — MYF-QT-02

• Appearance: Dark brown.
• Features:
  • Strong, distinctive aroma.
  • High antioxidant capacity, long shelf life.
  • Outstanding palatability improvement for dogs.
• Best for:
  • Products with lower meat content such as dental chews and supplements.
  • Premium cat food looking to enhance flavor profiles.

Cat Flavoring Powder — YCF-MT-02

• Ingredients: 35% chicken liver hydrolysate, yeast powder, fish meal, salt, acidity regulator.
• Usage:
  • Cost-effective flavor booster for dry and wet cat foods.

Cat Flavoring Powder Upgraded — YCF-MT-02P

• Upgrades:
  • 45% chicken liver hydrolysate (increased).
  • Reduced fish meal content.
  • Added krill powder (marketable as “with Antarctic Krill”).
• Performance:
  • Significantly better palatability vs. standard MT-02 cat powder.
  • Ideal for premium cat food ranges.

Dog Flavoring Paste — MYG-QT-01

• Positioning: Basic model with good value for money.
• Target Users: Customers without extremely high palatability demands.

Dog Flavoring Paste High-End — YCG-QT-916

• Features:
  • No artificial flavoring agents.
  • Flavor developed naturally via the Maillard reaction.
• Performance:
  • Superior palatability compared to MYG-QT-01.

Cat Flavoring Paste — YCG-MT-915

• Ingredients: 20% real salmon, no artificial flavors.
• Highlights: Strong, authentic meat aroma ideal for attracting finicky cats.

Fish Paste

• Source: Pure mackerel.
• Flavor Profile: Deep, rich fish flavor ideal for marine-themed pet food lines.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right flavoring solution—paste, powder, or a combination—depends on your product positioning, target market, and cost structure.
At Matchwell, we provide customized flavor solutions for pet food manufacturers, wholesalers, and OEM/ODM partners to meet varying needs across all segments.

For consultation on flavor system design or custom sample requests, contact our team.