Insights Driven Development of Humanized Foods for Pets

Commercialized pet food has been evolving since the late 1800’s.  In 2020, the U.S. pet food industry was worth $42 billion, and it continues to grow at rapid rates year after year.  Today, pet parents are increasingly looking for new ways to nourish and delight their pets, and this has led to the development of alternative pet food formats, including fresh-cooked pet foods.  These new formats offer advantages to both the pet and the pet parent, but present unique challenges in formulation and processing that do not exist for conventional pet food processing technologies.  This presentation will explore the consumer insights that have led to the evolution of the pet food industry.  Further, it will highlight the unique opportunities that pet food brands face as they seek to satisfy consumer demand for high quality, humanized foods for pets without compromising the nutritional adequacy, safety, and sustainability of commercial pet food diets.

Brittany White, Director, Product Development, Simmons Pet Food