Calls for protein transparency in pet food

Moving beyond the high-protein claim

The high-protein trend in the UK food and drink industry is well established yet still growing. 48% of UK pet owners deem health-boosting ingredients to be just as effective for pets as they are for humans, so it is not surprising that high-protein claims are extremely attractive in the pet food market too.

However, since the protein content is already regarded as being the essence of meals for dogs and cats – with meat, fish or poultry as the primary ingredients – being high in protein is a base expectation rather than a desired quality for these products.

In order to stand out on the protein front and capitalise on the current health buzz around protein, pet food brands need to go much further than the high-protein claim and demonstrate exactly how strong their credentials are in this area.

This aligns with the Mintel Trend ‘Prove It’, which explores how increasingly savvy and well-informed consumers are doing their homework and expecting proof before purchase. This is creating a growing trend among pet food manufacturers who can boast a very high protein content to draw attention to the exact percentage of meat/fish/poultry in their products.

Emphasising the quality of protein

While assuring consumers that meat, fish or poultry makes up a healthy majority of the pet food is important, it is not the be-all and end-all; many

pet owners also recognise the relevance of ‘quality over quantity’. In fact, according to Mintel research on the UK pet food category, six in ten adults with either a cat or a dog in their household note that the quality of meat is more important than the overall meat content in pet food. This reflects that there is a wide array of very cheap, low-quality and hard-to- digest animal byproducts that can be used to make processed pet food.

Openness aligns with a wider desire for transparency

Half of UK cat/dog owners find the ingredient lists on pet food – which are often shrouded in mystery with vague ingredients such as ‘meat meal’ or ‘meat byproducts’ and unrecognisable additives – difficult to understand. This has sparked strong demand for brands to be much clearer in this respect. The challenge for pet food producers is to provide greater openness in order to build brand trust. Being absolutely transparent about their ingredients and telling consumers the exact proportion of meat/poultry or fish in their products while pointing out the ‘real’ and familiar cuts – such as chicken breast or fillet of fish – is a compelling way to showcase genuine high quality.

Final thoughts

Providing a source of protein is a bare minimum for meals for pets. To capitalise on the current buzz around protein and its associations with health, pet brands must not only prove their high-protein claim but must also reassure consumers about the high quality of the protein in order to win their trust. Clear labelling, including spotlighting the use of recognisable ‘real’ cuts of meat/poultry/fish, can help to meet this demand for more transparency.