The Purr-fect Diet: Alternative Proteins for Pets
"You can judge a (hu)man's true character by the way he treats his fellow animals."
– Paul McCartney
So, how did dogs become ‘man’s best friend’? Over the course of history, animals moved from being seen as a source of food to becoming a source of companionship. The concept of pet ownership is still relatively new, emerging over the past 250 years. As people became more distanced from animal rearing and agriculture, animals gradually ceased to be seen solely as a food source, likely because fewer people directly witnessed their meat being grown on a farm. Over time, the domestication of animals transitioned from merely being functional to having pets, as we know it today.
Pet ownership has jumped significantly over the past three decades. Today, approximately 33% of households worldwide own pets. This is led by the United States where about 66% of households have at least one pet, followed by Europe at around 46% pet ownership.1 From companionship to emotional support, pets are a vital part of their owners’ lives, so it is not surprising that 97% of pet owners in the U.S. consider their pets to be a part of their family.2 This makes pet care (including pet food) an increasingly important industry. For a long time, pet food primarily consisted of discarded human food. However, with the growing numbers of pets and the increasing bond people share with them, this is now beginning to change.
Bark to Basics
While pet ownership was already on the rise, the pandemic further accelerated this trend. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), one out of five households adopted a pet during the pandemic. Dogs continue to be the most popular pet, with 477 million pet dogs worldwide followed by 373 million pet cats.3 Millennials make up the largest age group (33%), followed by Gen X (25%) and then baby boomers (24%).4 Globally, these trends vary. The U.S. has the highest pet fish population followed by France, while India has the fastest-growing pet dog population globally.5 The amount of money spent on pet food and care has been rising steadily, too. In 2022, Americans spent US$136.8 billion on their pets, up nearly 11% from 2021.6 As spending has ramped, so has the demand for healthier, clean-label, and better-sourced pet food.
Conventionally, pet food has been available in two formats:
Processed: Dry food most commonly consists of kibble – made of dried meat, grains, and vegetables that are shaped into small pellet-sized pieces. This is mostly produced through extrusion, a process widely applied to plant-based human food production. Wet food is available either as canned or semi-moist food and consists of cooked chunks of food preserved in 60-75% water.
Unprocessed: Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) have been an alternative source of pet food for those who believe that dry and wet food is nutritionally deficient. However, RMBDs are shrouded in controversy as they increase the possibility of disease spread due to salmonella or E. coli not only to the pet but also to humans through saliva or feces. Home-cooked fresh pet food is an increasingly popular category that allows pet owners to curate the ‘perfect’ diet by choosing every ingredient. The key downside is the lack of convenience and higher cost involved in the preparation of the food.
Conventional dry and wet pet food has been the most popular among commercially available options, consisting of several key ingredients that contribute to a balanced diet:7
Grains like rice, barley, and oats provide energy and serve as a bulking agent. They aid digestion and add fiber. Corn is the most used ingredient in pet food by a wide margin due to its low cost, high energy (carbohydrate) content, binding ability, and high palatability.
Animal By-Products can include organs and bones to meet the protein and nutritional requirements. Chicken, the most commonly used animal by-product, includes discarded parts of the bird such as skin, bones, and internal organs.
Vegetables and Fruits such as peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and blueberries, which are unfit for human consumption, provide nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber.
Fats and Oils like chicken fat, fish oil, and vegetable oils are crucial for energy and for maintaining healthy skin and coat. They also support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Vitamins and Minerals are added to ensure a complete diet. These include calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and various vitamins (like A, D, and E) that support overall health.
Preservatives and Flavorings, natural or synthetic, help extend shelf life and make the food more appealing to pets.
However, over time, two co-dependent issues have emerged in the conventional pet food sphere – low-quality ingredients and a lack of regulation and enforcement.
Paws and Reflect
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. is responsible for both pet and human food regulation. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) of 1938 was the first federal legislation that addressed the labeling of human and animal food. However, pet owners have lamented for years about the ambiguous labeling conventions that allow large corporations to get away with providing minimal details about the ingredients used in pet food products. Things took a turn for the worse in 2007 when a melamine and cyanuric acid contamination in pet food led to a large-scale recall of almost every big brand’s product – Nestle Purina, Del Monte, Royal Canin, Kirkland, among others – and caused the deaths of over 500 pet dogs due to kidney failure. A follow-up investigation revealed that contaminated rice and vegetable powders from China were a contributing factor. As a result, calls for increased pet food regulations surged, culminating with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduced in 2011 which expanded the FDA’s realm to pet food-focused regulations.8
Despite the progress, legislation is hampered by insufficient guidance and ambiguous labeling requirements. Even the Pet Food Institute comprising almost all pet food companies in the U.S. stated that there is too much latitude on this matter from the FDA. Non-profit organizations such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) tried introducing balanced guidelines that were initially accepted as the norm by certain state governments and eventually, the FDA as well. AAFCO’s rules address the labeling issue as follows:
The 95% Rule stipulates that pet food products that list a product by name must contain at least 95% of the ingredient by weight excluding water. For example, in Chicken and Mackerel Dog Food, 95% of the ingredients must be chicken and mackerel. Additionally, the quantity of the first ingredient (in this case, chicken) must be higher than the second ingredient.
The 25% Rule requires that specific descriptor terms such as ‘entrée’, ‘dinner’, or ‘platter’ be used on the label if the product contains at least 25% of a particular ingredient by weight. ‘Lamb dinner for dogs’ is an example of this rule.
The “With” Rule specifies that the term ‘with’ can be used on the label if an ingredient makes up at least 3% of the food. As an example, ‘Cat Food with Salmon’ requires at least 3% of salmon.
The “Flavor” Rule clarifies that if a product contains only a detectable amount of an ingredient, the word ‘flavor’ can be used instead of divulging the exact percentage of the ingredient included.
Since all ingredients are required to be listed in descending order by weight, pet food producers have found a way around disclosing the exact ingredient quantities – fractionation. This refers to the splitting up of ingredients into smaller components and listing them individually. For example, soybean, ground soybean, soybean meal, and soybean gluten meal might be listed on the label separately as a way of making soybean appear further down on the list of ingredients as most pet owners prefer products with meat-first labels. The table below lists the most used ingredients in dog and cat food products in the U.S. Notably, ‘meal’ is a word used to indicate a processed ingredient obtained by rendering animal by-products such that a protein-rich slurry remains at the end.
As pet owners become more aware of these issues, they are moving away from conventional kibble diets toward alternatives such as raw diets, freeze-dried options, and simple home-cooked recipes. These alternatives often prioritize high-quality, whole ingredients and avoid artificial additives, providing pets with cleaner, more nutritious options. However, they lack the convenience and cost-efficiency of conventional pet food. A survey conducted in 2023 asked over 600 pet owners in Belgium, France, the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. about their feeding preferences for their pets between homemade, fresh, frozen, dehydrated pet food, and biologically appropriate raw food (called BARF – a questionable acronym but popular pet food choice). Among these options, fresh pet food was the most popular (fed by 52%) with homemade close behind (tried by 48%) and dry pet food in third position (fed by 45%). About 25% of all respondents fed their pets BARF, that is, raw pet food in the last six months.9 This indicates a clear shift away from processed dry and wet pet food toward healthier and fresher options.
Pet-ential for Change
The humanization of pets has clearly led to greater scrutiny and more innovative approaches toward pet food. Pet owners look for whole, recognizable ingredients and high protein content, often favoring real meat over by-products. Consumers increasingly seek transparency regarding sourcing and manufacturing practices. In the face of these challenges, the pet food industry is embracing innovative options like plant-based, fermented, and cultivated ingredients to meet the growing demand for healthier and more sustainable pet diets. Plant-based pet foods utilize ingredients like lentils, peas, and sweet potatoes, offering a rich source of protein and essential nutrients. Fermented options enhance digestibility and support gut health. Cultivated choices promise to deliver on the ‘animal’ component of the pet diet while eliminating health risks caused by contamination and reducing dependence on animal by-products. A comparison of conventional pet food and alternative protein offerings is provided below.
A survey conducted by The Vegan Society in 2022 in the U.K. revealed that 25% of dog owners and 20% of cat owners were willing to move their pets toward vegan diets. However, the British Veterinary Association stated that there is not enough scientific evidence to promote vegan diets for these canines and felines. This poses a dilemma. A prevailing point of view is that while dogs, as omnivores, can transition toward vegan diets more easily, cats are carnivores who require animal products. The answer may be fermentation-derived or cultivated pet food ingredients that can replace the animal components. Some examples include:
In July this year, the U.K. became the first European country to approve cultivated pet food from Meatly for sale. Meatly also initiated the FDA approval process for their freeze-fried treat product, Noochies. Bene Meat Technologies had earlier registered their cultivated meat as a pet food ingredient in the E.U. last year.
CULT Food Science has several initiatives in progress. Its subsidiary, Further Foods, is working with the FDA on cultivated pet food trials. CULT is collaborating with Umami Bioworks, a Singapore-based cultivated technology company to develop Marina Cat, a cultivated cat food product that includes a blend of ocean snapper. The company is also partnering with South Korean company Everything But to introduce cultivated chicken ingredients in pet food.
Pet food giant Hill’s Pet Nutrition acquired two metric tonnes of precision-fermentation derived protein from BOND Pet Food for R&D purposes.
Friends & Family Pet Food Company recently announced a collaboration with Novel Farms, a cultivated meat startup, to produce cultivated meat for cats and dogs. A collaboration with Umami Bioworks is also underway to develop a cultivated seafood product for pet cats.
Chews Wisely
As new companies race to gain FDA approval, today, the pet food industry is dominated by a few large players such as Mars Petcare (including Royal Canin), Nestle Purina, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, J.M. Smucker, and General Mills. These five companies collectively command a 70% market share in the pet food industry.10 While barriers to entry are relatively low in the pet food industry from a regulatory perspective, gaining market share is an uphill battle for new alternative pet food companies.
Incumbents have been active in industry consolidation. The pet food industry witnessed 28 M&A announcements in the first six months of 2024 with the highest activity in emerging segments such as raw, natural, and organic pet food. This is on par with 2021, when the industry recorded 58 deals. 2022 and 2023 were more muted, with 38 deals and 27 deals, respectively.11
Today, there are more pets in households than ever before, and their roles within families are evolving. Pet owners increasingly refer to themselves as ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’, treating their pets like children. These ‘parents’ are seeking healthier food alternatives to support their kids’ well-being and longevity. As the bond between humans and pets deepens, the industry must adapt to meet their needs. Fortunately, the advent of new technology is creating new possibilities, ushering in an era where pets can finally have food that is both tasty and healthy. In this regard, we may have more in common with the canines and felines roaming our households than we think.
NielsenIQ
Pew Research Center
Statista
Forbes Pet Ownership Statistics 2024
PetSecure
IMARC Group
U.K. Pet Food
The Regulatory Review by The University of Pennsylvania
Yummypets and Pets International Magazine
Yahoo Finance
Pet Food Processing