AFB specializes in creating flavor coatings for dry pet food. To evaluate these coatings, they first produce small batches of plain kibble, which are then coated with different flavors. These flavored kibbles are presented to consumer panels for their opinions.
The consumer panels consist of various dogs and cats, including individuals like Spanky, Thomas, and Elvis, all residing at AFB's Palatability Assessment Resource Center (PARC), located about an hour from St. Louis. This diverse group, which includes over three hundred animals, plays a crucial role in assessing the palatability of the flavored pet foods.