Pet Product News - Wellness & Nutrition News 2018

Pet diets that boast limited and
transparently sourced ingredients,
along with raw foods, continue to grow
in demand, manufacturers report.

SHUTTE RSTO CK

What are the latest—and strongest—trends in dog and cat
nutrition?

JOHN HART: The strongest and most sustainable trends in dog and cat nutrition are alternative format, minimally processed and transparent ingredient sourcing. Alternative format foods include air dried, freeze dried, dehydrated and frozen. They are all minimally processed in order to help maintain the natural nutrition of the ingredients. We are also seeing a strong desire from pet parents for not just grain-free products, but also products with as few “filler” carbohydrates as possible.

TRACE Y HATCH-RIZZI: Raw food is definitely a category that has been growing in popularity. Even though it’s still a small segment in the overall market, it’s certainly seeing considerable and steady growth. More and more retailers are installing freezers or adding more of them to meet the growing demand for frozen raw.

The average cat owner may not have ever heard of raw for cats. There are also many people that feed their dogs raw but haven’t thought to explore raw options for their cats.

As pet parents are looking for clean labels and minimally processed foods, they’re finding that the ancestral diet model really fits that need. One of the reasons why pet parents are focusing more on raw is because it’s the true model of what an ancestral diet really is. People really want their pets to eat well, and the trend toward simplifying ingredient decks and making products with whole foods is becoming front and center.

As the grocery and mass retail channels continue to try to compete with independent pet specialty by offering more “premium” diets for pets, what can retailers and manufacturers do to ensure that customers continue to see the value in pet specialty food brands? And what are the key differentiators between the offerings in these channels?

HART: Alternative format foods like our Isle of Dogs Nourish are not available at grocery or mass and are unique to pet specialty retailers. Manufacturers and retailers of these products need to educate pet parents on the unique features and benefits of these special foods to help them understand why these products are different from those found at grocery or mass. Key differentiators include high meat content (90 percent in some cases), limited ingredients, grain free, organ meats and transparent sourcing. HATCH-RIZZI: We’re seeing products labeled as premium and “ super premium” being produced by large mass-market producers who are trying to compete with pet specialty and independent retailers. They are labeling their products as “premium” at a much lower price point. What consumers need to evaluate is if the quality is really the same as what the smaller, family-owned companies are producing, like us here at Rad Cat. And these large companies will often command better pricing for their materials than small companies can, which allows them to offer products at a lower price.

When it comes to quality, pet parents really get what they pay for. Ingredient sourcing has a considerable effect on price. Free-range and organic ingredients, especially whole-muscle protein ingredients, will always cost more than simply “cage free and antibiotic free.” While price is a consideration for some pet parents, people are seeing that there is also value and savings by providing optimal nutrition, resulting in fewer veterinary visits. Retailers are very savvy and are responding to current trends by carrying a variety of high-quality foods that span price points.