Transparency is key
In the modern pet food business, integrity is the unique selling point
Focus on quality
Today, more than ever, pet humanization is a growing trend, and has also become a growing market for the pet food industry. Pet owners are increasingly feeding their pets the best possible foods. And as with human consumption, the focus is unequivocally on quality and product integrity. Not only do people want to know what their food is made of, they also want to have information on its origins and production methods. In this day and age, the food quality standard that used to apply only to humans now also applies to pets. People demand healthy, nutritious and durable food, for themselves as well as for their beloved animals.
High-end pet food market
As the demand for high-quality food and human grade products grows, the emphasis on reliability increases. Put in another way, if you make a claim about the contents of your pet food products, pet owners (and competitors!) will hold you to that. In today’s high-end pet food market, there is no room for compromises on quality or disingenuous claims. Pet owners want to be 100% sure that they get the best food, and they expect producers to vouch for it.
Full supply chain control
To successfully cater to the humanization trend, offering transparency is key. Integrity, sustainability and traceability are defining positioning elements in pet food branding. The level of insight a producer offers is a strong indicator of a product’s success. New regulations are already pushing for more transparency and accountability at all industry levels. Contamination with foreign material or different forms of DNA, for example, can be prevented by scrutinizing every stage in the supply chain. But most pet food producers lack the time and expertise to conduct the required audits. To be sure that they’re working with unadulterated raw materials, they simply have to trust their suppliers. Another, more secure option is to demand proper documentation, containing DNA analysis and product health and integrity checks, of all stages of the supply chain.
From farm to warehouse, if you want guaranteed quality, my advice would be to explicitly ask for it. Full supply chain control is a prerequisite for a longlasting relationship with today’s pet owners. To win the hearts of pets and their owners, we first have to earn their trust.