Opportunities for pet food brands who value qualities like transparency, traceability and naturalness
In a recent Market Trends report, we reviewed Mintel’s “A year of innovation in pet food and products, 2019”. The report focuses on pet food brands needing to convey qualities around transparency, traceability and naturalness, and opportunities for more eco-friendly products. I thought I’d share a little more detail along with some innovative product launches that are meeting these key opportunities.
Opportunity #1: Meet interest in all-natural pet food.
Brands can appeal to pet owners who are seeking natural pet food recipes by formulating without artificial additives and preservatives, and sourcing local and organic ingredients.
Additive- and preservative-free pet food leads natural launch activity
Fruitables Natural Dog Treats Pumpkin & Apple Flavoured Dog Treats are a 100% natural and healthy and crunchy treat and contain no wheat, corn, soy or artificial ingredients, colors or preservatives (Canada).
Opportunity #2: Be proactive about ingredient safety concerns.
Brands can reassure pet owners of the integrity and safety of their products by using human-grade ingredients. Being more transparent about the provenance and manufacturing details of pet food can win over consumers.
Consumer expectations about clean label have evolved from “safe” ingredients to information about sourcing and processing. To win consumer trust, brands are increasingly expected to inform consumers how, where and by whom the products have been created.
This appetite for detailed provenance information has extended to pet food. In the US, 53% of pet owners in the US say that they check the ingredients list when buying new pet food or treats.
Ingredient sourcing: 37% of pet owners in the US strongly agree that they would like to know the origin of the ingredients.
Spot Farms Organics Organic Chicken Tenders are human-grade dog treats made in the USA with organic chicken from Delaware. The chickens are fed organic grain and the treats are free from GMOs, corn, soy, wheat and glycerin (US).
Opportunity #3: Target pets’ emotional wellbeing.
With the growing recognition of the importance of mental health to humans, there are opportunities to innovate with products that can address mental wellbeing issues common to pets, such as anxiety and stress.
VETIQ Multi Vitamin Chicken Flavor Soft Chews for Dog is described as total health support for adult dogs and is formulated with omega-3 from fish oil, superfoods such as kelp and blueberries and prebiotics from chicory root (US).
Globally, the key opportunities were very similar, but with an added focus on addressing global environmental concerns. Consumer concerns about climate change present opportunities for pet brands to convey an environmentally aware appeal. Brands can reconsider their ecological footprint with regards to packaging, transport and manufacturing to reassure consumers of their sustainable credentials.
Eco-friendly pet food – MSC Certified Cod & Haddock Natural Dog Food is a low-carbon, locally sourced and UK-manufactured product in a compostable pack (UK).
Moral Brands – Consumers don’t need to spend time or money being ethical when the moral brand can do it on their behalf. SavourLife+ donates 50% of its profits to save rescue dogs (Australia).
When you choose to partner with Tree Top, you can be assured that you are choosing a company that meets the discriminating standards of today’s consumer and pet parents.
As a grower-owned fruit cooperative, Tree Top has a direct connection to the farmers and the fruit they grow. This ensures our customers get the highest-quality, safest, best tasting, locally-grown fruit ingredients around. Tree Top’s employees carefully monitor each step of our fruits’ journey to ensure food safety and traceability. Everyone from the first set of eyes and hands on the floor, to final packaging, is committed to making safe products. To learn more about our quality standards and transparency practices, visit our video resource library where you’ll meet our growers, learn about our sustainability programs and how we create fruit solutions from farm to fruit formulations.
For additional details, view our product offerings, or click here to order samples of our fruit ingredients.
Source: Mintel, A year of innovation in pet food and products, 2019. Check out our Market Trends library for more information on current trends.
