Abstract

Industrial processing of tomato generates large amounts of tomato pomace (TP), whose disposal and stabilization are challenging due to its high moisture content. This study evaluated, for the first time, the effects of increasing inclusion levels of enzymatic pre-treatment, vacuum paddle-dehydrated TP (ETP), in extruded diets for adult dogs. Three diets containing 0%, 2% or 4% ETP, replacing wheat bran and sunflower meal, were produced. Three two-bowl tests assessed palatability, and a feeding trial was performed using a four 3 × 3 Latin square design with 12 healthy adult Beagle dogs across three 28-day periods. Inclusion of ETP had negligible effects on the chemical composition of diets and kept unaffected palatability, body weight, food intake, fecal consistency and output. Fecal pH was lower, and valerate proportion was higher, in dogs fed the 2% ETP diet. All diets exhibited high digestibility (>90%) without effects of dietary treatments. Overall, ETP, a locally sourced co-product of the food industry, may represent a more sustainable alternative to imported raw materials, although further studies are needed to explore its effects on fecal microbiota and health-related parameters.

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