Lynn Dornblaser, director of Innovation & Insight at Mintel, a global market intelligence agency, says there’s more innovation in pet food than human food these days. The pet food market continues to introduce new products, with dog and cat food accounting for nearly half of new product introductions.
“About a third of pet food product introductions in the last five years have been from new companies or brands, which is higher than what we see in human food,” Dornblaser said. “And the largest percentage of pet food launches appeared in Europe.”
In his session, “Nutritional supplements: emerging trends in the global pet food market” which opened the American Feed Industry Association’s Pet Food Conference held in Atlanta on January 30 during IPPE 2024, Dornblaser said there are three main global trends for pet food to explore:
- Product and formula personalization
- Natural and easy to understand ingredients
- Maintenance
1. Product and formula personalization
Obesity in pets is a major concern for consumers, and a customized, personalized diet can help pet owners, explains Dornblaser.
“A major concern among pet owners — and one that can benefit from a personalized approach — is obesity,” he says. “In France, for example, 33% of pet food buyers think their pet would benefit from losing some weight. In the UK, 62% of pet food buyers agree that their pet would benefit from some weight loss and would be interested in personalized meal plans.
Personalization can take many forms, and “health” means many different things to each pet owner. There are products on the market that offer reduced calories, are formulated to support kidney function and gut balance for senior dogs, and feature prebiotics to support whole body health.
“Pet food consumers are now looking for products that help with the ‘health span’ — not a lifetime,” Dornblaser said. “They value products that promise to optimize health.”
He noted that wellness-related claims have grown on dog and cat food packaging. Although changing pet food can be difficult due to the potential for digestive issues due to the transition period, consumers seem willing to pivot their pets’ diets to optimize their health.
“In the US, a large number of cat and dog owners have changed their pet’s diet in the past year in a bid to improve their health and well-being,” Dornblaser said.
What is the future of product and personalization? DNA tailored diets.
While there are dog foods for specific breeds, and DNA testing to understand the pedigree of pets, there is a space for DNA-tailored pet food, Dornblaser said.
“As consumers continue to look for ways to personalize and optimize their own health, we can expect some consumers to consider the same for their pets,” he said. “In France, 31% of pet owners are willing to pay to have their pet’s DNA tested to find out the healthiest pet diet. Brands, however, need to ensure that the price is not prohibitive.”
Fully customized healthy formulas can appeal to consumers willing and able to pay a premium for pet food, Dornblaser said. “More than that, offer products that address weight management.”
2. Natural and easy to understand ingredients
As with human food, a trend toward natural product values continues to be strong in dog and cat food, with a focus on no artificial ingredients and a small but growing chilled and frozen offering.
“In the US, 23% of pet owners look for products with a limited list of ingredients,” says Dornblaser.
For example, Mars Petcare has expanded its Nutro range with I fed So Simple, a dog food formulated with only a few essential ingredients, pictured and branded prominently on the front of the pack.
“There is no ‘bad thing’ that tends to focus on additives,” says Dornblaser. “Worldwide, no additives and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives lead the way when it comes to claims about overall ‘naturalness.'”
One way to deliver “naturalness” is frozen or refrigerated pet food. These offers are more likely to feature natural claims than shelf-stable launches.
“To provide natural products for their furry family members, some pet owners are turning to ‘fresh’ pet food launches, whether frozen, refrigerated or homemade,” says Dornblaser. “Global frozen and chilled launches are more likely to feature natural claims than shelf-stable launches.”
He noted that only about 1% of product launches in any given year worldwide are frozen or refrigerated.
What’s ahead for the natural ingredient trend? Frozen/refrigerated pet food is becoming more mainstream.
Although new product introduction numbers are small, retailers are starting to offer their own frozen/chilled pet food, Dornblaser said. Woolworths, South Africa, offers frozen pet food in pet aisle freezers. Asda, UK, launched a private label line in 2022, a first for the country. In the US, some retailers selling JustFoodForDogs have kitchens where consumers can watch the food being prepared. And in 2022, Mars acquired Nom Nom Nom, a brand that makes specialty chilled meats.
“In pet food, it’s not about a small number of ingredients, except sometimes,” he says. “Rather, it’s about the purity and provenance of the key ingredients.”
3. Sustainability
In the pet food industry, all kinds of sustainability claims are on the rise, especially those related to packaging. There are also several benefits associated with ingredient retention that provide a myriad of ways to attract consumers.
As products containing environmental or ethical claims continue to grow, there are several important areas for the pet food industry to investigate, Dornblaser said, including:
- Continue to focus on sustainable packaging
- Conservation of ingredients, including regenerative agriculture
- Upcycle ingredients
- Water use
Consumers want to know about the environmental impact of their pet food, Dornblaser said.
“In the US, 61% of pet food buyers want brands to limit their impact on the environment,” he said. “In Colombia and Mexica, 62% of consumers say that environmentally friendly packaging is important to them when choosing any food, human or pet. In Italy, 79% of pet owners want to know more about the eco footprint of the pet foods they buy. And in Germany, 54% of pet owners say that ethical alternatives to regular pet products are always preferred .
“Consumers want to know what’s in there … it’s that simple,” he said.
Some pet food brands talk about regenerative agriculture, in line with the human food movement. “The numbers are small,” Dornblaser said. “But there is interest there.” In the US, 74% of consumers say companies should be more transparent about their farming practices.
Interest in upcycled ingredients is also emerging among pet owners. In Poland, 58% of pet food buyers are interested in pet food made from ingredients that would otherwise be wasted; 68% of consumers in France think that pet food made from leftover ingredients has a positive impact on the environment.
What could be down the road in the sustainability trend? A focus on less water use.
“On its packaging, Purina Dog Chow Extra Life Meat and Chicken Double Protein Food from Argentina specifies that the manufacturer reduces water consumption by 15%,” explained Dornblaser. “Dashmark Levi Domestic Complete Food from Finland explains on its packaging that ‘potato farming is ecological and requires less water than, for example, rice farming.’”
Consumers aren’t willing to pay more for maintenance basics, Dornblaser said. They expect companies to do the heavy lifting and reward them for buying the product – at the same price.
“There are many ways to sustainability, but addressing packaging is the most common,” he said. “Let everything you do be good for the good of pets AND the planet.”
New product trends became Lynn’s focus Dornblaser’s career spans nearly 35 years, giving him a unique perspective on the marketplace and new product development. An experienced public speaker, Lynn has been quoted by major US news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and CNN.
