While the COVID-19 pandemic put the spotlight squarely on human health and wellness, it was also the start of a sea-change in how consumers perceive the food and snacks they are feeding to their pets.
It is estimated that up to 71% of pet owners consider their pets as family members and these ‘parents’ are choosing products and services that they would historically choose for themselves – including items with increased functionality.¹
This re-evaluation in petfood is echoed in Euromonitor’s latest pet health report. It shows that an extensive part of new trends in product development for 2023 will focus on the use of sustainable, natural, premium quality proteins and functional ingredients for better gut health, keeping obesity rates in check, and contributing to good fur condition and overall wellbeing!²
The humanisation and premiumisation trend in the pet food market is set to revitalise and boost the sector, offering a fantastic opportunity for brand owners and manufacturers to expand their premium offering to achieve higher margins.
Until recently, ingredient functionality was a key attribute of premium brands, but this is now a focus for private label pet food brands too.
These labels were historically focused on providing solutions for consumers in the economy and mid-price bracket. As premium ingredients become more readily available and at a good price point, brands can now explore additional avenues for growth – especially in the tough economic environments experienced globally.
Nutrition, palatability & gut health
At biomega®, our patented process uses continuous enzymatic hydrolysis to upcycle food grade salmon raw materials that are non-GMO and sourced from sustainably certified salmon farms in the Nordic region.
This makes our Salmigo® range of salmon-derived pet food peptides the ideal ingredient that can put a premium spin on your product line-up while ensuring the optimal conditioning of both cats and dogs.
In fact, our latest study, carried out by Passion4Food proves that Salmigo® Protect L60 is favoured by cats and dogs in blind palatability tests. Due to its distinct salmon taste and smell, cats favoured Salmigo in kibble format by up to 70% compared to a glycerine-based kibble, while dogs’ speed of consumption was greater with Salmigo snacks. ³ Salmigo® Protect L60 has also been proven that it can be a substitute for glycerine in semi-moist pet food and snacks. ³
Quality protein
As functional and natural ingredients make the move from consumer foodstuffs to pet nutrition, it has put the spotlight on ingredients that can help address common health issues including digestive, joint, heart, dental and skin health, not forgetting mental wellbeing and cognitive function in pets.
Quality protein is a positive driver of pet health and a key attribute of our comprehensive range of ingredients including Salmigo® Protect L60, Salmigo® Active and Salmigo® Salmon Oil.
All these products are high in micronutrients, offering high digestibility and excellent bioavailability. Critically, the range was developed with excellent palatability in mind when compared to other salmon-derived products.
- Salmigo® Protect L60 is a sustainable and unique highly digestible protein source, consisting of a mixture of peptides and free amino acids, as well as other valuable nutrients. It is a nutritional source to iodine, phosphorous, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin. In addition, it also contains vitamin B12, which contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and is also said to contribute to a normal immune system, nervous system and phycological function. ⁴
- Salmigo® Active is a high protein concentrate and contains approximately 70% salmon proteins and peptides that are highly digestible and easily absorbed. It also contains valuable nutrients such as marine n-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
- Salmigo® Salmon Oil is a sustainable and natural salmon oil. The oil is gently separated from salmon raw materials in our modern biorefinery. It is suitable for premium pet food products. In addition to fatty acids, the Salmigo® Salmon Oil contains fat soluble vitamins.
As the lines between human and pet nutrition become blurred, the market for functional and premium pet food ingredients is set to grow. Positioning your products as a nutritional powerhouse will allow you to gain a critical advantage that can result in improved brand loyalty and ultimately, higher margins and sales for your products.
With the Salmigo® range, pet food brands and retailers can benefit from sustainable solutions, which are highly digestible, rich in micronutrients, bioavailable and palatable. So, why not make our Salmigo® range a part of your new product formulations today?
Contact the biomega® team now for more information, or if you require any formulation or new product development advice.
References:
1Top Five Trends in Pet Care – Euromonitor.com
2 biomega®, Salmigo® Protect L60 whitepaper, May 2022
3 World Market for Pet Care | Market Research Report | Euromonitor
4.EFSA, 2010;8( 10):4114