2022 Pet Food Trends

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1. Premiumization

Premium pet food is in demand by a growing number of pet owners. One indicator is the rapid increase in new product launches of all-natural pet foods, which rose 41% between 2016 and 2020.

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1. Premiumization

While all-natural pet food accounts for only 9% of the global market, its popularity is high in North America, just ahead of Europe. In the US, more than one in three pet owners look for all-natural pet foods.

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1. Premiumization

High quality is another aspect of premiumization. This might include pet food with meat as the main ingredient, the absence of animal byproducts, or only human-grade ingredients.

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1. Premiumization

75% of US purchasers of pet food or treats agree that it’s worth paying more for higher quality pet food. The use of short ingredient lists is another way brands are emphasizing a product as a premium one.

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2. Functional Benefits

Another important trend to watch is pet foods with functional benefits. Exciting innovations in this area are coming out of Asia Pacific, in particular, China and South Korea—countries known for embracing functional ingredients in food and beverage.

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2. Functional Benefits

New cat and dog food launches have included ingredients ranging from probiotics to collagen to flaxseed with claims for immunity, digestion, joints, and skin/coat support.

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2. Functional Benefits

The US is another market with growing opportunities for functional pet foods (as well as treats, toppers, and drinks). Among US purchasers of pet food or treats, health benefits they would most like to see are healthy digestion (55%); 

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2. Functional Benefits

muscle, joint, and bone support (51%); skin/coat health (46%), and immune system support (45%). Heart health, weight management, and anxiety relief are of interest to about one in three.

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2. Functional Benefits

Functional ingredients in US launches have included nutritional yeast, beta-glucans, coconut oil, MSM, hemp, turmeric, and cinnamon.

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3. Sustainable

Pet foods that can claim sustainability benefits are also trending. Globally, 21% of new pet food launches in 2020 featured environmental or ethical claims, up from 19% in 2019 and 16% in 2018.

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3. Sustainable

Younger pet owners are expected to continue to drive this trend. Sustainability claims among recent US pet food and treat launches have included plant-based, vegan, non-GMO, pasture-raised, free-range, and wild-caught.

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3. Sustainable

Some brands are also incorporating sustainable alternative proteins like spirulina and crickets. More sustainable packaging—for example, recyclable or made with partially renewable materials—is another approach being used to appeal to pet owners.

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