Insights-Driven Development of Humanized Foods for Pets

Abstract

Pet food is becoming increasingly similar to human food as most pet owners consider their pets to be part of the family. The recent rise in pet ownership is attributed to the pandemic as well as an increase in human–pet bonding, and both have driven growth in the pet food industry. Meeting the demand of pet owners for more transparency and higher quality products brings a challenge to the industry to pursue development and marketing opportunities for innovative pet foods. Alternative pet food formats, such as “fresh-cooked” foods, provide novel options to pet owners but may also present technical challenges to food manufacturers. In comparison with traditional extruded kibble or canned foods, “fresh-cooked” pet foods have a shorter shelf life and must be stored in refrigerated or frozen format. However, recent studies and anecdotal evidence point toward high digestibility and palatability of “fresh-cooked” pet foods, but further research is warranted to elucidate differences in conventional and “fresh-cooked” pet foods. Extrusion and retort processing both utilize high temperature and mixing, whereas “fresh-cooked” processes typically use a gentler cooking method that would potentially improve nutrient retention. Although accompanied by higher costs and shorter shelf life than traditional formats, “fresh-cooked” pet foods continue to appeal to consumers. Although the durability of this trend remains to be seen, the “fresh-cooked” format warrants more research to further elucidate differences in palatability, digestibility, and food safety in both dogs and cats. In conclusion, with the movement toward humanized pet foods, industry should focus on science-based education of pet owners to emphasize the importance of balancing ingredients and formulation to best nour-ish the animal while limiting environmental impact. A summary of consumer insights and recent publications related to “fresh-cooked” pet food is presented in this paper.