Current trends in pet food ingredients
Pet food manufacturers and brands have long recognised that good nutrition contributes significantly to the wellbeing of pets.
Importance recognized
Ingredients in pet foods, both feed materials and additives, are important in delivering high quality nutrition and allow brands to differentiate their products on-shelf. Pet parents also increasingly recognise the role of good nutrition in their pets wellbeing and seek the best possible foods for their pets. Many factors affect food choice with specific ingredients and ingredient attributes playing a critical role and driving brand loyalty.
Origin of pet food trends
Many of the key ingredient trends we see in pet foods have their origins in the world of human foods. The transfer of food trends from human foods into pet foods has accelerated over recent years with the increasing humanisation of pets. Consequently we see a significant proportion of the market, especially in wet foods, including foods that are visually attractive to owners who comment “they are good enough to eat”. The appearance of ‘superfoods’ (blueberry, kale, beetroot, etc.) in pet foods is just one indicator of the transfer of human food trends to pet food.
Some current trends
Natural
The term ‘natural’ has been used and misused many times, and as a result ‘natural’ now has a specific definition in the FEDIAF code for good communication on pet foods. This is the same for terms such as ‘fresh’, ‘authentic’, ‘real’, ‘true’, ‘genuine’, etc.
Locally supplied
Ingredients with defined provenance or those that are locally supplied are common sights in the pet food aisle. For example ‘with Scottish salmon’ or ‘with Aberdeen Angus beef’.
Protein sources
Products are available with single protein sources and increasingly novel proteins, for example Kangaroo, Camel and many others. These products may be useful in animals with food allergies or intolerances. Alternative proteins, such as insect proteins, are also being developed for use in animal feeds but owner acceptance may be a barrier to their application in pet foods initially.
Sustainable
A critical concern for pet owners has become the sustainability of pet food ingredients, especially when considering materials derived from the oceans. Sustainability of fish stocks is widely acknowledged so source of fish materials and choice of fish species is something to consider as a pet food manufacturer. We have also seen a move away from shark cartilage as a source of chondroitin sulphate for joint care claims towards avian sources being used in preference. Some oceanic products, like krill meal, offer good sustainability credentials alongside potential health benefits through the provision of omega-3 fatty acids.
Grain-free
Grain-free foods are an important and increasingly prominent niche in the market and are now exploiting novel carbohydrate sources, for example potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, etc.
Artificial ingredients
No added artificial colours, preservatives and antioxidants have been key features in a wide range of pet foods for some years as the market has seen widespread ‘premiumisation’ with the generation of super-premium and more recently ultra-premium brands. Natural colours, like iron oxides, have become widely preferred to artificial colouring agents but artificial colours still have a place in the market. Similarly natural antioxidants, tocopherols and rosemary oil extract, are used to stabilise premium products but artificial antioxidants, BHT and BHA, are effective.