As more and more vegans and vegetarians seek out non-animal sources of protein in foods for their pets, some manufacturers are seeing plant-based pet foods as the next big growth opportunity. Learn what’s driving interest in plant-based pet foods and how manufacturers can meet this demand, while still ensuring good nutrition with the right plant proteins and nutrient fortifications.

Pet owners are increasingly turning to pet food to prevent and treat health issues in their pets. In response, manufacturers often reach for functional ingredients that are trending in human food. How can you be sure of their effects on pets? Here we review some key research findings on the efficacy of functional nutrition in pet foods and consider how efficacy research can help manufacturers of pet food as well as human food.

According to Euromonitor, the premiumization megatrend is playing out even in the pet food category—with premium products now accounting for 61 percent of U.S. dog and cat food sales.¹ Pet owners are seeking quality and have proven they’re willing to pay for it. Learn what’s driving the growth in premium pet foods, what premium really means to pet owners, and how manufacturers can deliver.

Here’s a look at 2020’s top emerging trends in pet nutrition that pet food and supplement manufacturers need to know—including personalized nutrition, plant-based, online private label, and more!

The growing demand by pet owners for healthy, nutritious pet snacks and treats has led to an explosion of innovative products. From spent brewer’s grains to freeze-drying, here’s a look at the top emerging pet snack and treat trends for 2020, which include creative new approaches to sustainability, clean label, and of course, health.

Pet home meal delivery providers, like Ollie, NomNomNow, and The Farmer’s Dog, are offering a compelling value proposition—pet food that is fresher, customized, tastes better, and is delivered straight to your door. 

So far in 2018, we've added a lot of exciting new content on the subject of Pet Food Trends. This includes multiple blog posts on everything from functional foods for pets to Edible Glitter™ for dog treats to the rise of grain and gluten free pet foods. We've also published a 16 page E-Zine which incorporated all of these posts into an easy to read format. Continue reading for excerpts of these posts and a link to our free E-Zine.

The question on every pet owner’s mind seems to be “What’s in my pet’s food?”. Americans have increasingly been scrutinizing food labels when they shop for their families, and their pets are no exception. A healthy diet for pets is a major theme this year, along with a few disruptive distribution innovations. Here are the pet food trends for 2018:

Part 2 of 2 - View Part 1 here

The global pet supplement market is expected to grow by more than 5% between 2018 and 2022¹ and continues to closely follow trends in human supplements—including condition-specific products for healthy joints, digestion, weight, skin/coat, and cognition. Since palatability is essential to ensuring pets will actually consume the supplement, microencapsulation may be the key to formulating a successful product.

Part 1 of 2

The growing awareness of the links between diet and health is changing how pet owners buy. More than ever, they’re scanning nutrition and ingredient labels on pet foods and supplements to make sure their pets are getting the very best. Themes this year for pet supplements include natural and organic ingredients, more palatable formats like soft chews and gels, and combination products that blend vitamins, essential fatty acids, herbs, and other actives into a supplement optimized for specific health conditions.