Coating

Coating is the application of a surface layer on the kibble after cooking, a step that mainly improves [palatability](/glossary/palatability). Fats, flavours, [protein hydrolysates](/glossary/protein-hydrolysate) or palatants are sprayed on to make the kibble more attractive, and coating can also deliver heat-sensitive nutrients added after cooking to avoid their breakdown, such as some vitamins, probiotics or omega-3-rich oils (FEDIAF). This is the surprising part for many owners: coating explains why a kibble with a modest formulation can be highly palatable, so perceived enthusiasm at the bowl does not always reflect the quality of the base recipe. A storage point matters too: coating fats are exposed to air and can turn rancid, so the quality of antioxidants and packaging becomes important, linking coating to [rancidity (oxidation)](/glossary/rancidity-oxidation). Coating is a common and legitimate process, but it is also a marketing lever, and a very palatable kibble is not necessarily nutritionally superior. The reading marker: judge a food on its composition and analysis, not only on how eagerly the animal eats it, because coating acts precisely on that eagerness. It is one reason [brewer's yeast](/glossary/brewers-yeast) and [poultry fat](/glossary/poultry-fat) appear so often near the end of ingredient lists, as the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary) explains.

Petipedia · Editorial team

General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.