Keeping Fido fit

Pet owners are increasingly treating their pets as family members, so it is perhaps unsurprising that human food trends such as health focus, snacking and indulgence have begun to spill over to the pet food market, leading to strong innovation and profit potential in the prepared pet foods segment.

Dog food lines account for the majority of pet foods launches globally, with 49% of the total recorded by Innova Market Insights in the 12 months to the end of March 2015. But the growing popularity of cats as more convenient pets for busy modern lifestyles has led to a marked increase in cat food launches, which now represent 45% of new product launches, up from 30% five years ago.

Likewise, the popularity of smaller dogs has also grown, resulting in the appearance of more products tailored to their specific needs in terms of formulation and portion size.

Nearly 73% of global pet foods launches recorded used a health positioning of some kind, rising to over 82% in the US. This covered a wide range of claims, including the use of healthy ingredients such vitamins and minerals, omega 3 fatty acids and glucosamine, as well as nutritionally balanced formulations targeted at particular age groups or health conditions. Natural formulations are also a key area of activity, with nearly 14% of global launches using a natural positioning, rising to nearly twice that level in the US.

The pet treats and snacks market has been one of the fastest-growing sectors of the market in recent years for both dogs and cats. This sector in particular has seen rising levels of interest in offering nutritionally balanced and tasty treats, often with additional health benefits.

Oral care is a particular area of interest in the dog foods market, with over 18% of launches featuring oral health claims and the appearance of specialist snack and treat products. As pets live longer, joint health claims are also increasingly being featured; used by 7.4% of dog foods launches globally.

The cat treats market has also seen activity in functional lines, as well as in new shapes, flavours, formats and combinations.