Company’s MaltRite™ line meets demand for natural ingredients; molasses-based products provide powerful antioxidants.

Saddle Brook, NJ – Malt Products Corporation (MPC), a manufacturer of malted barley extract and other natural, nutritious sweeteners, will feature a variety of products from its MaltRite™ portfolio of malted barley extracts at Petfood Forum, April 29–May 1 in Kansas City. As the demand for non-GMO, plant-based, and nutrient-rich ingredients in pet food increases, MPC will showcase its liquid (LME) and dry (DME) malt extracts and molasses products at Booth #440.

For pet food applications, notable benefits of malt extract include:

  • Minerals,including calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium and zinc. Copper and selenium in particular are integral as antioxidant enzyme co-factors, which help shorten recovery in sporting and working dogs.
  • B Vitamins, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, nicotinic acid, biotin, folic acid and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Vitamins are primary cofactors for healthy metabolisms, and formulating with vitamin-containing ingredients helps aid energy production and utilization in animals.
  • Protein and amino acids: Malt extract contains ~6% protein and free amino acids, nutritional components required for building and maintaining muscle tissue.
  • Palatability: Malt contains compounds that help improve the overall flavor profile of pet foods while masking bitter tastes.

Rich with antioxidants

Grain extracts such as malt extract, and other plant-derived ingredients including molasses, possess free phenolic compounds providing protective benefits against reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals. For example, malt extract contains more than five times the antioxidant power of fresh broccoli, while molasses has been shown to prevent DNA oxidation, protect oxidatively stressed HepG2 cells in humans as effectively as α-tocopherol.

Malt extract also has been shown to significantly increase the gastrointestinal tolerance of probiotics, positively impacting gut microbiota and digestive health in animals. There is increased awareness that compounds from plants, also called dietary phytochemicals, play a role in the prevention of chronic disease.

Like malt extract, molasses also contains significant amounts of calcium, potassium and Vitamin B6. Molasses also has healthy amounts of blood-building iron.

“Petfood Forum is an ideal platform for MPC to demonstrate the numerous benefits of malt extract and molasses in pet nutrition applications,” said Amy Targan, President of MPC. “As people turn a more watchful eye to what they are feeding their pets, malt extract and molasses provide natural, nutrient-rich alternatives to conventional pet food ingredients.”