BARF pet food: the story so far

It may still be in its infancy – at least in terms of perceived market share – but biologically appropriate raw food (BARF), a diet made up of fresh uncooked meat, grains and vegetables, as well as dairy and supplements, is a rapidly growing market. It is attracting interest from pet owners who are appreciative of its nutritional benefits and the ‘naturalness’ attached to it.

What’s really driving the interest?

According to Pierre Kemseke, Co-founder of Belgian brand Freshfrozen for Pets, there are 3 major drivers behind the rise of raw pet food. First, unsurprisingly, is the humanization of pets – and people are more wary of what they themselves eat than ever before. But also, less trust in ‘black-box’ dry kibble (a lack of ingredient transparency) as well as expensive wet food. Thirdly, a back-to-nature approach to feeding, with owners saying that dogs are descendants of wolves – who don’t eat kibble.

More and smaller brands

More and more brands are popping up in the sector. Some have been operating in this space for a while now, like Big Dog (Australia), Naturaw, Bella & Duke, Nurturing by Nature (all in the UK), Voff (Sweden) or KIN Dog Food (Indonesia). Newer players include Dog Chef (Belgium), Instinct Pet Food, Viva Raw, Maev (all in the US) and Babarf (Switzerland).

Pierre Kemseke ascribes the new wave of BARF pet food brands to the low entry barrier for small-scale brands. The challenge, he says, is scaling up, as the main players today have been around for quite some time and are unlikely to be unseated any time soon.

Noticing positive changes

But why is there a growing influx of raw pet food brands? Who better to ask than Karen Campbell, Founder of Totally Raw Pet Food, a Canadian brand set up in 2003. “Most pet owners report positive changes in their pet’s health just days after changing to a natural diet,” she says. She points out that while there’s very little advertising for raw pet food, it is the fastest-growing segment of the pet market.

More information on pet nutrition becoming available to consumers is also behind the increased popularity of this type of diet. “20 years ago, myths such as ‘raw food will make your dog vicious or wild’ were believed,” she recalls. “Now, many pet owners see the benefits of fresh food and look at the labels of not only their own food, but also their pet’s food.”

Campbell also warns about the hazards of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on human health, adding that the same can be said for pet nutrition and that whole, fresh, natural food will obviously always be superior to UPFs.

Regional popularity

North America is the biggest market for raw and fresh pet food, according to Future Market Insights. This should come as no surprise, given that the US alone has the highest pet population in the world. Europe comes second on the list, with clear differences in different parts of the continent. Scandinavia, for example, already has a market share of over 15% for raw food in the specialty trade, while this is just 5% in the Benelux.

In Southern Europe, there is now some interest, but there’s a long way to go. Pierre Kemseke: “This is not the type of market where you can make a big jump in a given country all at once. It takes time for the mentality of the consumer to mature, and frozen logistics and shelf space need to be put in place too.”

He adds that the demand for raw pet food overall remains very strong. “In the past 5 years, for instance, the specialty trade in Belgium has witnessed same-store sales growth, year after year, of over 25%, with some specialty chains going above 35%.”

Still a dog thing?

While BARF is mainly a ‘dog thing’, countries like Germany are emerging as strong markets for raw cat food. “For a long time, there was no focus on raw food for cats,” Kemseke points out. “Back in 2016, we were one of the first to launch a dedicated range of products for cats, simply because it makes sense. Cats are, unlike dogs, strict carnivores.”

The key is early adoption, to overcome cats’ neophobia: their fear of anything new. Cats also prefer food at a certain temperature (around 38°C). Experts say this corresponds to that of fresh prey. Cats routinely reject cold or chilled food, which to them is a sign that the prey has been dead for a long time and is therefore potentially toxic.

The sustainability challenge

BARF pet food does pose a giant sustainability question. As consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of meat, and vegan pet food enters the mainstream, how does raw pet food fare?

Experts believe that while animal protein has a larger carbon footprint than plant-based food, this isn’t necessarily the case with BARF.

“Raw pet food usually accesses animal proteins lacking an adequate human food market. That means the raw material is being diverted into the raw pet food market without the ultra-processing that goes along with kibble,” explains Karen Campbell. “Raw is minimally processed and uses underutilized cuts of meat, organs and bone,” she adds.

Pierre Kemseke echoes this point: “Most of the ingredients we use are products that are commercially no longer interesting for human consumption, yet in perfect, healthy shape.” He highlights the fact that raw food allows for commercial repurposing of goods that would otherwise be waste. And that pet food producers tend to be small and local – using local ingredients – explaining that the cost of frozen logistics makes it hard for companies to be competitive too far away from the production plant.

But there are negatives as well. “We need quite a lot of energy to keep the cold chain intact, from production up to the point of sale,” says Kemseke. “With kibble, the production process is probably more energy-intensive due to the double heating – first to make the meal, then to make the kibble – yet once the final product is made, no further energy is needed.”

Challenges versus opportunities

Kemseke says cost is one of the biggest hurdles in the raw pet food industry, whether that’s to do with high-quality materials or frozen logistics. And therefore, good relationships with suppliers are a must.

Campbell shares that view, explaining that kibble can be based on cheap fillers and highly processed, rendered animal protein. “But raw is based on high-quality meat, bones and organs,” she says. “Although it may cost more to feed raw, money is saved at the vet’s. Raw-fed dogs tend to be much healthier – clean teeth, fewer allergies, better weight control, etc.” Indeed, studies have shown that raw food promotes healthy gut function in dogs, and improves dental health and fur quality.

Storage is another challenge. Although raw is now conveniently packaged in single serving sizes, it’s still perishable and needs to be frozen or refrigerated. There is a line of raw pet food that is dehydrated and shelf-stable, but that can be very expensive.

Awareness

Then there’s the tricky matter of consumer adoption. Awareness is a big obstacle. In Belgium, for example, it is estimated that 50% of pet owners don’t visit specialty stores and don’t know anything about BARF. And even those who are aware of it may have misconceptions about its usage, believing that they need to completely switch from kibble to raw pet food – which is not
the case.

Karen Campbell says that the kibble sector in Canada has close ties with vets: “This relationship has resulted in many vets selling kibble, which is a big part of their revenue stream. These vets tend to speak negatively about raw food.” But some influential groups are aiming to promote species-appropriate nutrition via vet education.

Where will it go from here?

Pierre Kemseke puts the perception that BARF is expensive in context. While, on average, high-quality raw pet food can carry a 10-50% premium compared to high-end kibble, he feels that it’s a bit like comparing ‘real food’ to breakfast cereals. “What’s more, when compared to premium wet food, complete high-quality raw pet food always sells at a much lower price,” he says. “To be honest, raw pet food is crazily cheap. So there’s a lot of educating to do.”

Karen Campbell believes that natural feeding will continue to grow and, as it does, large kibble companies will take over the raw food space. Provided that all the fundamentals – sourcing, logistics and shelf space – move in the right direction, the future looks pretty good to Kemseke too. “In the next 5 to 10 years, we should be able to double our volume,” he predicts.