Nutritional innovation does not come only from new foods: it also relies on the improvement of palatability tests to make them more reliable. The procedures established by ROYAL CANIN illustrate this increasingly rigorous approach. 

A CAREFULLY SELECTED AND SCREENED PANEL

Preference tests are conducted as early as possible on kennel animals. From a very young age, these “testers” receive all their food in two identical bowls.

Dogs begin testing between the ages of 12 and 24 months depending on breed, with access to meals for 20 to 30 minutes. Specific protocols (blank tests, provocation tests) verify the test panel’s reliability.

SEVERAL TESTS TO ASSESS PALATABILITY

Some tests compare the palatability of paired foods: the ratio of consumption of the two foods served at the same time is measured for each animal. Preference for a food is evaluated through the number of animals on the entire panel having preferred it. The food eaten first (“first choice” criterion) is also noted.

Others tests measure the number, size, speed and duration of meals. Finally, tests are conducted in real conditions (i.e. in the home), where owners measure consumption and give their own opinions.