Palatability in Wet Pet Food: Key Insights for a Growing Market

One dimension remains crucial to both pets and their owners: palatability. Understanding the factors that influence flavor, aroma, and texture particularly through processing and formulation is key to creating wet pet food products that succeed in a competitive and rapidly evolving market.

Wet Pet Food Takes the Lead: Trends, Insights, and Innovation

In 2024, Wet Cat Food dominated new pet food product launches in the EMEA region, continuing a trend that has held strong since 2020. According to the Innova Database, this segment accounted for 25% to 30% of all new launches over the past five years. While Wet Dog Food trailed slightly, it maintained a steady presence, contributing between 12% and 18% of annual launches in the same timeframe. Combined, wet formats for cats and dogs have represented over 40% of new product development efforts since 2020, a testament to their enduring appeal (figure 1). In this context, understanding the key drivers behind consumer choices becomes essential for developing products with true differentiation.

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Figure 1: Innova Database New Pet Food Launches in EMEA 2025 (2)

The wet pet food market's sustained growth is powered by converging trends in ^{premiumization}, health-focused formulation, and sustainability. Today's pet owners seek organic, grain-free recipes enhanced with visible functional benefits to support overall health and wellness. Wet food has a high moisture content which helps with hydration and digestion. Convenient packaging is also a big advantage. Formats like single-serve trays and resealable pouches keep food fresh and easy to use. At the same time, eco-consciousness is growing. Brands are now expected to use recyclable materials and source ingredients responsibly. ³
 

Palatability has long been a cornerstone of product differentiation and premium positioning within the pet food industry. Wet food, in particular, is widely recognized for its superior palatability. However, in the face of intensifying competition, an expanding variety of products, evolving raw materials, and new processing techniques, manufacturers are now exploring ways to further enhance palatability offering added value and reinforcing brand loyalty in an increasingly crowded market.⁴
 

Palatability in wet pet food remains a complex and evolving field, with much still to uncover. However, recent research continues to reveal promising strategies to enhance flavor appeal and feeding enjoyment. In this context, two key areas deserve closer attention: the influence of processing techniques on palatability and the strategic use of palatants to elevate sensory experience.

Time, Temperature, and Safety: The Role of F₀ in Wet Food Manufacturing

To truly grasp how wet pet food processing influences palatability, it's essential to start with the parameters that control thermal treatment, primarily time and temperature. These two factors shape what's known in the industry as the F₀ value.
 

In wet pet food production, F₀ is a key measure used during heat processing (called retorting) to make sure the food is safe. It tells us how efficient the heat treatment is to kill harmful bacteria. F₀ is expressed in minutes and represents, for a certain temperature and time, the equivalent duration of the sterilization at 121.1°C (figure 2). It was determined that to eliminate Clostridium botulinum in 12 logarithmic units (12D), foods must be exposed to a temperature of 121.1 °C (250°F) for 3 minutes. Thus, an F0 value of 3 minutes is generally regarded as the standard in the wet pet food industry, ensuring adequate reduction of most microorganisms to meet safety requirements.⁵ However, many pet food manufacturers will choose to have higher values such as 5, 25, or even more.
 

Figure 2: Formula of the retorting value (6)

But safety is just one side of the equation. The F₀ value also plays a critical role in preserving the flavor, texture, and nutrient density of the final product. Typical sterilization processes operate within a temperature range of 120–130°C, with cooking durations ranging from 10 to 120 minutes, depending on the formulation and packaging. Fine-tuning these variables can profoundly impact not only microbial control, but the sensory experience that drives consumer acceptance and animal enjoyment.

Cracking the Code: How Retorting Conditions Impact Palatability in Wet Pet Food

To explore how thermal processing influences palatability in wet pet food, Kemin conducted a targeted study using a turkey and giblet loaf recipe for cats. The formulation included 1% PALIVATE™ WP.65 Dry as a palatant. Seven distinct versions of the loaf product were prepared by varying the retort time, temperature, and resulting F₀ values. Cooking temperatures were set at 110°C, 120°C, and 130°C, while time ranged from 36 to 150 minutes, generating calculated F₀ values between 10 and 140 minutes.
 

To evaluate palatability, all variants were subjected to a versus test at a third-party cattery in the United States. Each product was tested one versus each other over two days, involving a panel of 30 cats. The statistical significance of the preferences was assessed for each test using a Student t-test, allowing for a rigorous analysis of the impact that processing conditions had on sensory acceptance.
 

The summarized palatability results of this evaluation are presented in the following table (figure 3). 
 

Figure 3: Palatability Results Across Seven Wet Cat Food Formulations

Among the retorting processes tested, the longest heat treatment (303 minutes) showed a clear decline in flavor appeal, while the shortest process, just 36 minutes, consistently delivered the best results across the board. Shorter retorting times at a constant temperature clearly emerged as a key factor in boosting palatability. Higher temperatures also played a positive role, with the top-performing recipe processed at 130°C for 36 minutes (F₀ ≈ 80), closely followed by 130°C for 41 minutes, which had the highest F₀. Surprisingly, a product processed at the lowest temperature and F₀ value (110°C for 148 minutes) still ranked well against medium F₀ products, suggesting that maximum heat treatment does not always equal maximum palatability.
 

These findings reaffirm that the retorting process plays a significant role in shaping the palatability of wet pet food. Both processing temperature and duration influence the final sensory quality, with shorter cooking times and higher temperatures generally yielding more palatable results.

Tailoring Taste: Innovations in Palatability for Wet Pet Nutrition

While wet pet food is known for its high palatability, there remains room for improvement. As seen together, one key area is process optimization, particularly the thermal treatment during retorting. Another promising avenue is the use of palatability enhancers. It's important to note that these enhancers differ from those used in dry pet food, both in composition and application.
 

In dry formulations, palatants are typically sprayed onto the surface of kibbles after processing, delivering immediate flavor impact. In contrast, wet pet food requires palatants to be incorporated directly into the blend prior to the retorting phase. This distinction means that wet food palatants undergo transformation during cooking. Flavor development occurs through in-process reactions such as protein hydrolysis and the Maillard reaction, the latter being particularly influential during retorting. To be effective, wet palatants must include the right precursors to enhance these reactions and generate a desirable aromatic profile by the end of processing.
 

To evaluate palatant efficacy in wet food, manufacturers often rely on similar testing protocols as for dry food. Typically, preference trials involving 20 or more animals over a two-day period. Beyond flavor, texture is another critical consideration. Producers are now looking at how palatants can be tailored to complement the physical characteristics of wet formulations, ensuring both sensory appeal and technical compatibility.

Palatants in Chunk-in-Gravy Pet Food: Where Placement Makes the Biggest Impact

One frequently asked question in wet pet food development, in chunk-in-gravy formats, is where to incorporate palatants for optimal palatability: in the chunks or in the gravy? While further research and palatability testing are needed across various formulations, palatants, and processing conditions, initial findings have begun to reveal some promising trends.
 

A series of trials conducted with three different palatants offered early insights. For the first two palatants, 2% was added either into the chunk or into the gravy and compared against a control with no palatant. The first palatant demonstrated a clear improvement in overall palatability versus the control, though no distinction could be made between the two application methods. In contrast, the second palatant yielded better results when added to the gravy, indicating that the carrier matrix can influence palatant effectiveness.⁸
 

A more comprehensive study was then performed using a third palatant applied at 1%. Four formulations were tested: one without any palatant (Control 1), one with a 50/50 distribution between chunk and gravy (Control 2), one with palatant entirely in the chunk, and one with palatant entirely in the gravy. Both palatant-enhanced products outperformed Control 1, with the gravy-only application showing statistically stronger results. Compared to Control 2, only the gravy-focused formulation showed a significant increase in consumption, suggesting that incorporating palatants in the gravy may be the most effective strategy (figure 4).

Figure 4: Palatability test with different inclusion in chunk and gravy formula (9)

However, this approach is not without its trade-offs. The inclusion of palatants in the gravy can impact product color, which is an important aesthetic and consumer acceptance factor. To mitigate this risk, a balanced application, splitting the palatant between chunks and gravy, might offer a functional compromise. While the preliminary data points to promising directions, further in-depth studies will be essential to confirm these findings and refine best practices.

Conclusion

As wet pet food continues to capture a significant share of product innovation, the challenge for manufacturers goes beyond meeting basic nutritional and safety standards. The insights gathered from research into thermal processing, F₀ values, and palatant strategies underline the importance of precision in both recipe design and production techniques. Whether enhancing Maillard reactions through controlled heat exposure or determining the optimal placement of palatants within chunk-in-gravy formulations, these refinements are pivotal to delivering elevated sensory experiences that drive pet preference and owner satisfaction. The path forward will require continued experimentation, deeper understanding of ingredient behavior under thermal stress, and a willingness to rethink conventional approaches, all in pursuit of the perfectly palatable bite.
 

By Maïlys Le Thiec - Technical Service Manager
Source: Kemin Nutrisurance

About the author
Maïlys Le Thiec is a food industry engineer who began her career in human food before transitioning to pet food. After developing palatants and hydrolyzed proteins in China, she became the Technical Service Manager for Kemin Nutrisurance Europe. Maïlys provides tailor-made solutions to enhance palatability and health benefits for pets.