Specialty Proteins: Elevating Nutrition of Pet Food and Treats

The ever-growing demand for specialty and premium pet food remains a main force fueling pet food market growth. Pet parents are proving they are willing to pay a premium for high-quality, nutritious food for their pets.


PROSURANCE™ Proteins for Pet Food

Kemin is a leading manufacturer of spray-dried proteins and protein hydrolysates. Our extensive protein portfolio includes a range of spray-dried products, both hydrolyzed and non-hydrolyzed, providing the flexibility to deliver the nutrition pets need with label-friendly ingredients. Our formulas are important nutritional additives used in pet food, made with high-quality ingredients to support palatability, digestibility and freshness. 

Our specialty proteins platform contains both hydrolyzed and non-hydrolyzed chicken, duck, pork and whitefish.

*Product offerings may vary based on region. Inquire below for more information on specific protein or protein hydrolysate products.*

Why Hydrolyzed Proteins?

Adverse food reactions in dogs typically manifest as diarrhea, vomiting or nonseasonal pruritus (itching.) The severity and duration of the allergic response can also negatively impact skin and coat health over time.2

To eliminate these adverse reactions, pet owners are increasingly looking to address pet digestive sensitivities with hypoallergenic petfood diets. As a result, petfood manufacturers are incorporating ingredients that are easily digestible. 

Smaller protein molecular weight (MW) profiles can lead to fewer allergenic responses and food intolerances1,2 And proteins smaller than 10,000 Daltons are generally considered to reduce allergic reactions.1

Hydrolysis is a process in which the molecular weight of a protein may be decreased by targeting specific peptide cleavage bonds, resulting in smaller peptides. Kemin uses enzymatic hydrolysis to achieve smaller MW profiles. Different methods of hydrolyzation can lead to different outcomes. Chemical hydrolysis is a harsher reaction that can result in a higher degree of hydrolysis, but it can also destroy some essential amino acids. Enzymatic hydrolysis typically avoids extreme temperature and pressure, resulting in the preservation of key compounds.

PROSURANCE.HD - Protein Hydrolysates

At Kemin, we use our expertise in the hydrolysis process to formulate our PROSURANCE.HD line of high quality, spray-dried protein hydrolysates. The PROSURANCE.HD product line was designed with pets and formulators in mind, making it ideal for use in functional and specialty diets. PROSURANCE.HD can increase the nutritional profile of petfood diets by serving as a source of significant low molecular weight protein.


  • High quality animal protein
  • Improved palatability
  • Balanced nutrient absorption and digestibility
  • Reliable hydrolysate sourcing
  • Single animal protein source
  • Export Compliant options available
  • Lower ash content than acid hydrolyzed protein sources


1Cordle, C. T. (1994) Control of Food Allergies using Protein Hydrolysates. Food Technology 48: 72-76.

2Hensel, P. (2010) Nutrition and Skin Diseases in Veterinary Medicine. Clinics in Dermatology. 28, 686-693.

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