Petfood & Animal Nutrition 2.0 Magazine: The Science of Trends

Although animal nutrition trends may seem to be dictated by the whims of consumers, many factors contribute to the making and breaking of popular patterns. Years ago, price, convenience and brand popularitythe latter of which was largely based on marketing dollarswere strong determinants of what sold. However, todays trends leave much more room for interpretation, with stats such as super premium/premium pet foods accounting for approximately 40 percent of pet food sales in 2014, and around 71 percent of stores with pet food offering freeze-dried products in March 2015. Takeaways include: *Pet trends used to lag five to eight years behind human nutrition, but the pace has quickened. *Joint care, dental, and skin and coat formulations are currently trending strong in pet supplements. *Cat owners surpass dog owners in feeding themselves and their pets natural and organic products.