Plant-based ingredients: A growing trend

Innova’s research

Studies by Innova Market Insights show growing consumer demand for the integration of plant-based ingredients in human food. Interest in plant-based eating has been developing for some time, resulting in positioning it as one of Innova’s Top Trends for 2021. Human food trends are driving the development of plant-based ingredients in pet food too.

Plant-based ingredients in pet food

Pet food manufacturers and brands must act to meet consumers demand but face some challenges. Plant- based pet food cannot compromise taste and must maintain good nutritional value. Ideally, one adds ingredients with a lower carbon footprint to reduce the environmental impact of the pet food.

Finding a partner is important to optimise plant-based pet food. Duynie Ingredients has strong partnerships with many European pet food manufacturers to work together to integrate more sustainable plant-based ingredients into pet food manufacturing. In response to the growing demand for plant-based ingredients and for sustainability in the market, the company built a state-of-the-art plant in the Netherlands, where high quality and custom-made plant-based ingredients for pet food are produced.

Locally sourced co-products

All wet incoming products are locally sourced co- products from the food industry. Co-products are released during processing of crops into food and beverages, like chicory pulp, potato cuttings and side- stream potato starch. Vegetables, like carrot pieces, which are not used for human consumption, may also be used. These co-products are dried with residual heat and green electricity instead of fossil energy.

Keep up the nutritional value

Pet owners are looking for plant-based pet food that will boost immunity. Ingredients with immune benefits like vitamins, minerals and a prebiotic function are favoured. Vegetable ingredients play a key role because they are a good source of fibre, minerals and vitamins. Chicory ingredients are important to add because of the prebiotic effect of inulin. Pet owners also often prefer pet food that is gluten-free. That is why adding potato ingredients is popular in pet food. Being Europe’s largest producer of potato ingredients, Duynie Ingredients can offer all kinds of variations to use in recipes.

Moving towards more plant-based pet food is a challenge that pet food manufacturers need to face. Luckily there are many sustainable and healthy ingredient options to choose from.