Can science and marketing both win in the pet food industry? Five industry experts tackled this topic during the panel discussion, “Science vs. marketing: What’s driving pet food product development?” during Petfood Forum 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri, last week.

While the veterinarian pet food channel is losing market share because of the loss of pet medications sales, it has the chance to stay competitive by redefining itself.

While most consumers who purchase pet products or services are buying at least some of them online, the internet has not divided the industry into e-commerce vs. brick and mortar store sales, according to David Sprinkle, publisher and research director at Packaged Facts.

Because pet parents see feeding as a time to enrich the bond with their cats, measuring a cat’s enjoyment of food and treats can enhance that bond, according to Susan Jojola, Ph.D., manager of applied behavior research at AFB International.

Katy Nelson, veterinarian and host and executive producer of “The Pet Show with Dr. Katy,” challenged attendees at Petfood Forum 2019 to three ways they can help strengthen the human-animal bond while improving the health status and lives of pets.

Pet food manufacturers can do several things to improve their working relationships with their color supplier, according to Katie Rountree of DDW - The Colour House, who spoke Tuesday at Petfood Forum’s Tech Talks in Kansas City, Missouri.

What do pet parents want from their pet food? Research looking to answer that question found that quality and finding a food that pets like are important to pet parents.

Because there are more influencers in the pet food industry now than there were in the past, the industry itself must be more transparent in order to educate the public.

Many plant-based proteins have been widely used in human and animal nutrition for years, while others are just now starting to become popular and widely available.