The trends in marketing claims regarding the quantity of meat, type of meat, “need” for meat and the value of selecting specific meats in dog and cat diets may face significant challenges in the near future. This expanding demand for meats and novel proteins puts ingredient supply at the pinch-point for future growth and new product introductions. To overcome these challenges we will need to expand our perception of where these proteins come from, develop technologies to convert them into desirable pet foods, understand what the nutritional values are and communicate them to the market ethically, and do so in a safe and effective manner.
The meat industry continues to create new technology and products that use more of the trim and incorporate it into high value products (e.g., chicken nuggets and restructured meats). This is a good thing for the food chain; it means better efficiency for the meat industry through less waste. But it also means less “soft” material that might otherwise be incorporated into pet foods. We no longer compete with human food supplies periodically—it occurs constantly.
