Abstract: A palatability enhancing composition for extruded pet food containing at least one tripolyphosphate salt in an amount effective to enhance palatability and at least one ingredient selected from meat products, meat by-products, fish products, fish by-products, dairy products, dairy by-products, sources of microbial proteins, vegetable proteins, carbohydrates and amino acids. Methods for enhancing pet food palatability with the disclosed palatability enhancing compositions and extruded pet food compositions coated therewith are also disclosed.

Abstract: Free-flowing unsaturated fatty acid calcium salts containing from about 0.1 to about 1.5 equivalents of calcium hydroxide relative to the fatty acid content, with the fatty acid content consisting essentially of (a) from about 40 to about 95% percent by weight of unsaturated C:16-C:22 fatty acids; (b) from about 5 to about 60% by weight of saturated C:14-C:22 fatty acids; and (c) no more than about 6% by weight of moisture, insolubles and unsaponifiables; with no more than about 20% by weight being in for form of glycerides; wherein from about 40 to about 65% by weight of the total product weight consists of trans-C18:1 and C18:2 fatty acids; provided that when less than 0.75 equivalents of calcium hydroxide is present, the fatty acid content is at least 25% by weight saturated fatty acids.