ISSUE FOCUS 32 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2022 “Humanization of pets” has a long history as pet owners have been considering their cats and dogs as “family members” for so long. However, “humanization of pet food” is a relatively younger phenomenon. Following this trend, use of human-grade ingredients in pet food formulations is picking up steam, and human health trends are finding their ways to pet food and supplements. PET FOOD MARKET EVOLUTION According to the latest European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) report, today, around half of the households (~90 million) in EU own a pet. It is estimated that around 93 million dogs and 114 million cats have been owned by Europeans in 2021 (1). Pet ownership, especially of dogs and cats, became even more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, and will keep raising. In animal nutrition industry, pet food has gained a more complex nature and is evolving much faster than other sectors like livestock feed. Responsible pet owners are paying a closer attention to the link between pet health, nutrition, and sustainability and environmental issues. While positive aspects of interactions with companion animals are being underlined extensively, the impact that pets’ nutritional needs and feeding practices have on the planet’s health should not be overlooked. Let’s have a closer look to the pet food market evolution: A wide range of ingredients are being used in cat and dog foods. The most common ones are whole grains, followed by chicken, red meat and bone meal (2). Today, more and more pet owners are becoming aware of the impact of the animal-based pet food products on environment and their negative contribution to climate change. So, market demand for plant-based and environmental-friendly formulas is growing tremendously. Another shift in trend in pet food formulations is about stability enhancement. To increase the shelf-life of pet food products, the use of antioxidants in pet food formulations has become popular. The replacement of traditional synthetic antioxidants with natural alternatives became pressing, mainly due to the health concerns related to the use of synthetic ingredients. Market demands for natural antioxidants have been growing continually, driven by not only the need to prolong the shelf-life of the products, but also because the additional health-promoting benefits of these compounds for pets being further revealed. NOVEL AND GREEN HUMAN-GRADE PET FOOD FORMULATION LANDSCAPE Behnaz Shakersain, PhD Scientific Affairs Manager AstaReal Sweden
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