Food Trends for Furry Friends

Pets are, and have always been, an important part of consumers’ lives; they bring friendship, affection, and even exercise to consumers’ daily lives. Pets are in more than half of households in the U.S. According to Statista, in 2020, 70% of households owned pets, and 10% of respondents surveyed adopted a pet during the pandemic. The pandemic has shifted consumer behavior in numerous ways, one being how they treat their animals. Pet owners had been yearning for more affection from and time with their pets, and working from home during the pandemic has given them the opportunity to bond more with their pets throughout the day. And for some, pets have become part of their support system during these uncertain times. Now, their furry friends are always with them and have become an even bigger part of consumers’ families and daily life. Pets have now taken on the role of children for many consumers, so they want pet foods that are just as high-quality as their own food.

What Health & Wellness Benefits in Pet Food are Trending?

Pet owners consider themselves as “parents”; they believe this status is an important part of their identity. In turn, consumers want to purchase foods that have the same values and quality as the food they purchase for themselves. The biggest purchase driver for pet parents is all-natural ingredients; according to Mintel, 36% of pet owners in the US look for all-natural pet foods. A significant number of food brands have capitalized on this preference, as Mintel reports that the percentage of product launches with no additives and/or preservatives jumped from 37% to 42% between 2017 to 2021.

All-natural isn’t the only claim pet owners are looking for while they are in their decision-making process; they are also looking for preventative health claims in pet food. Mintel’s Annual Innovation in Pet Food and Products report surveyed 1,452 pet owners, finding that 88% of respondents say it is important to take precautionary measures to protect their pet’s health. Of the functional pet claims, teeth and tartar prevention claims are associated with 15% of product launches from February 2020 to January 2021.

Additionally, digestive health is important to pet owners during their decision-making process. More than half of pet food buyers want to see products that support healthy digestion, according to Mintel. This trend aligns with human food trends, where digestive benefits in products have been rising in popularity over the past few years. This confirms that more pet owners are treating their pets as a part of their family and not just as an animal. One of the ingredients of pet food that support digestion is prebiotics. The benefits of prebiotics for pets are similar to those for humans; they aid in digestion, support healthy gut microbiota, and even improve mineral absorptions. A few ingredients that contain these digestion benefits are beetroot pulp, yucca, inulin, and kelp. These prebiotics also reinforce all-natural ingredients into pet food, which is the top purchase driver in this category. Consumers are only going to value their pets and pets’ health more over time. Pet food companies can capitalize on this trend by innovating with ingredients that have a health-halo.

New Products with New Flavors

Consumers’ continued adoration for their pets has pushed pet food brands to step out of the box when it comes to flavor. Not only do consumers want health and wellness benefits for their pets’ food, but good flavors too. “Fresh” has become a buzzword in the pet food category – making that top of mind for pet owners. Comfort food, regional cuisine, and nostalgia have also become trends for consumers in the past year or so, and these trends are now translating into pet food flavors. Brands have capitalized on this trend by releasing pet food products with flavors like BBQ Chicken and Green Beans & Orzo. Pet food brands should focus on developing comfort food inspired and fresh flavors to stand-out and catch pet owners’ eyes as this trend is just emerging.

Did you know we provide seasonings for pet foods that are out-of-this world flavorful? Review our capabilities here or contact us for more information!