What is the jelly in 3coty®?
Jelly is odd. Even one dictionary definition is circular, stating “any substance having the consistency of jelly”. Another definition explains it better, “food preparation of a soft elastic consistency due to the presence of gelatine, pectin, etc.”. But what is gelatine, pectin and etc?
Gelatine is hydrolysed collagen and made from animal products such as bones, skin and connective tissue. Pectin is present in fruit, especially apples. The “etc.” of the definition includes spray dried plasma, made from healthy animal blood, centrifuged to separate it from blood cells. An alternative vegan gelling agent, stronger than pectin, is Agar Agar a seaweed product.
Having explained these gelling agents, we confess that none of them are added to 3coty® cat food. Our main ingredients are natural meat and meat derivatives, which happen also to be sources of gelatine. Because the water content of food is important for cats, the process we developed cooks the meats slowly, retaining the liquid. Depending on the collagen content it turns to jelly or jus, which goes into the tin with the meat. The jelly you see in the tin of turkey food comes from turkeys. On hot days the food may seem a bit more liquid because natural jelly “melts” naturally when it is warm and no artificial thickening agents are added.
Our cats always start their meal with “drinking” the jelly or jus. How about your cat? Tell us!
Did you know?
- Gelatine is collagen extracted from animal bones, skin and connective tissue, mostly from pigs. It is produced through a long process of boiling and filtration. Although it is common in many foods, gelatine is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
- Pectin is a soluble fibre naturally found in fruits, especially apples and citrus peels. It helps form soft gels in jams and desserts.
- Agar agar is a plant based gelling agent made from red algae. It creates a firmer gel than pectin and is often used in vegan foods, but it can sometimes cause allergies or mild digestive issues in cats.
- Carrageenan is another red algae extract used as a thickener and stabiliser. It has no nutritional value for cats and may irritate digestion.
- Guar gum is made from the guar bean and is often used to thicken food. In cats it can act as a laxative and cause soft stools.
- Spray dried plasma is made from animal blood that is separated from blood cells, concentrated and dried for use as a binder in some pet foods.
