Pet Food Industry:
Diverse Ingredients Fueling Growth
“Pet parenthood” is booming in the U.S. and many other countries, thanks in part to the global coronavirus pandemic and Covid-control lockdowns during the past 18 months.
The world’s pet parents now own more dogs and cats and are spending more on food for their canine and feline family members. There’s no sign yet that easing public health restrictions is slowing pet food industry growth and the Delta variant may help stoke the market for the rest of this year and into 2022.
Watching the trends, market analysts project stronger industry growth ahead, as reported by leading pet food business media, including Petfood Industry and Pet Food Processing.
Of course, more pets mean more pet food, but today’s trends also mean more dollars per pet. A growing number of consumers are feeding their pets products that match high-end human food trends.
Functional ingredients & “premiumization”
For example, Jordan Tyler of Pet Food Processing recently highlighted the large number of pet food companies among America’s 5,000 fastest growing private firms, reported by Inc. Magazine. What jumps out are the buzz words related to the ingredients in their products — “natural,” “sustainable,” “health-focused,” “functional.”
In another recent story, she zeroed in on the function ingredient market in terms of pet food formulation trends.
“As for functional pet food formulas,” Tyler reported, “those claiming digestive health support are currently coming out on top.”
Also poised for growth: Products with simple or “clean” labels, describing natural, sustainable, emotionally comforting ingredients.
And these pet food ingredient trends — “premiumization” — echo market dynamics in richer countries worldwide.
Logistical expertise & flexibility
This burgeoning array of pet foods and treats is now available online, in pet stores, and covering whole supermarket aisles. How are pet food manufacturers meeting the often extreme challenges involved in sourcing ingredients and managing supply chains for these products?
These products contain an increasingly diverse variety of nontraditional ingredients with rigorous technical specifications and quality requirements.
So pet food manufacturers now require superior logistical flexibility and technical expertise to help source, convert, and deliver these traceable ingredients, including “ancient grains” and grain-free proteins, as well as organic, non-GMO, and many more types of products that echo human food market trends.
Supply chain rethink
Making successful products for dynamic feed and pet food markets today means manufacturers must constantly adjust or even rethink their ingredient sources and supply chains.
D&D helps manufacturers optimize opportunities in key ingredient components and products by:
• Bridging the gap between ingredient source and manufacturer
• Offering cost-efficient multi-modal logistics
• Providing safe bulk conversion, handling, and storage
• Delivering product on-time