The pet industry is growing year-on-year. According to the latest statistics from the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 85 million families in the US own a pet. While in Europe, it’s estimated by the European Pet Food Federation (FEDIAF) that 80 million households owning at least one pet.
At Biomega, we’re keen to understand what trends are influencing the pet market today. So, we’ve put together the top industry trends that will continue to make a difference to pet owners in 2021 and beyond.
Staying Power
The biggest pet industry trends of 2020 are likely to come into their own in 2021 as pet owners continue to remain inside their homes. Pet humanization is set to increase steadily as owners spend more time around their companions, understanding their wants and needs. The growing market of natural and sustainable pet products – from premium pet food and snacks to the best eco-friendly grooming solutions – will also rise consistently over the year, reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. Pet exercise and training, which saw a huge boost in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, will also see an uplift in the first half of the year as more pet parents dedicate time to exercise regimes that can be completed closer to home.
Health comes first
Perhaps one of the most positive and influential outcomes of 2020 was consumers’ rapidly increasing interest in both physical and mental health. With more time to spend on self-improvement, dietary and lifestyle changes were needed to adapt to this ‘new normal’. Consumers changed their approach to food, opting for healthier choices when grocery shopping and cooking homemade meals rather than turning to highly processed convenience foods. These lifestyle changes also affected their pets too. Owners switched their companions’ diet to gluten and grain-free foods, resulting in noticeable improvements to overall digestion and skin health, while the upward trend in plant-based and some raw meat diets delivered countless benefits to their overall health and wellbeing.
Sustainable innovation
The US Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) has stated that up to 59% of dogs and cats are overweight, but with changing consumer attitudes towards physical and mental health, we hope that 2021 is set to improve that figure. Since pets are heavily influenced by their owners’ dietary lifestyles, changing consumer habits will set the scene for a positive and sustainable outlook. For pet parents, this means rethinking portion sizes and speaking to their veterinarian on what diet is best for their pet. For manufacturers and ingredients suppliers, this means looking towards alternative proteins and ingredient streams.
As a company that values vitality and the circular economy, Biomega uses a 24/7 patented enzymatic hydrolysis process to transfer fresh and pure Norwegian salmon parts into premium health ingredients. It’s this unique process that hydrolyses the salmon parts into hydrolysed proteins (peptides) and separates the oil and sediments, making total use of rest streams with zero waste. These ingredients are then positioned for health food and premium pet food applications, which feature a range of nutritional properties to help pets live much longer and fuller lives. Products like our Salmigo® range are perfect for premium pet food brands and suppliers that are looking to expand their natural, sustainable and healthy portfolio.
So, while 2021 is just beginning, there are plenty of opportunities for pet parents to kickstart the year in a healthy way when following these key industry trends, especially when backed by an industry that’s innovating with vitality and sustainability front of mind.
For more information on Biomega products for premium pet food applications, please email contact@biomegagroup.com.