Pet food is a dynamic industry, always offering new ideas, products and, on the flip side, also issues and challenges, especially during uncertain economic times. A quick scan of recent headlines on this website as well as others within and outside the industry reflects the many things that pet food brands and professionals need to keep track of for continued success.
Five recent issues have caught my eye (in no particular order) that you may want to give thought and attention to:
1. How pet companies are responding to tariffs
An ad for pet apparel in the daily newsletter from Pets+, a trade magazine directed at pet retailers, features a promotion conspicuously tied to the current global trade scene: “Hurry, don’t get left out in the cold!” the headline reads. “50% off, pre-tariff pricing on all pet apparel.” The ad also includes text emphasizing that quantities are limited, including “first come first served.”
Though this isn’t a pet food example, it stood out to me, aside from the urgency, because of the “pre-tariff pricing” phrasing. Out of curiosity, I googled that term specific to pet food (“pre-tariff pricing on pet food”); the AI-enabled and traditional search results both included links about pet food and tariffs from this site and others, but that’s all. So it’s not clear if this type of promotion is becoming more common.
Is this just a unique situation tied to a type of products that will be (or are being) significantly impacted by U.S. tariffs on exports from other countries? Industry polls have indicated that many people believe pet food also falls into that category due to tariffs on raw materials such as specific ingredients and aluminum for cans.
Has your brand considered similar promotions?
2. Consumers globally may be turning away from U.S. brands
This is not specific to pet food or pet products overall, but worth knowing: The “Brand America 2025” report from Ipsos indicates reduced trust and purchasing likelihood for U.S. brands among consumers in 10 countries (the U.S., actually, is one of the countries, along with Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan and Mexico.) That’s compared to brands perceived as international or local to the consumers’ own countries.
The report summary doesn’t offer any suggestions for this perception, though there’s a link to a 45-minute webinar on the Ipsos website that may offer more information. I wonder if it’s tied to the tariff situation, along with geopolitics in general?
The Ipsos team advises U.S. brands not to panic, but they should consider how they position themselves in markets outside of the country. Given that the countries polled are all large or growing pet food markets, that may make sense for pet food brands exporting to those countries.
3. What does FDA’s proposal to end self-GRAS mean for pet food?
On September 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed rule to amend generally recognized as safe (GRAS) regulations for human food and animal feed/pet food to no longer allow companies to self-affirm safety status without federal review.
If the rule goes into effect (slated for Spring 2026), companies will have to notify FDA whenever they want to use a substance they believe is safe. Food substances already listed or affirmed as GRAS by regulation, or those that have received a “no questions” letter on the FDA’s GRAS notice inventory, would be exempt from the new requirement.
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and other industry groups have expressed their concerns over the rule. While the self-GRAS process has always engendered its fair share of criticism and concerns over the years — meaning it hasn’t been widely used in animal feed or pet food anyway, according to Louise Calderwood, director of regulatory affairs for AFIA — she and other experts believe the end of self-GRAS would cause more problems and doesn’t warrant action by FDA.
If you agree, I recommend contacting AFIA or even FDA directly.
4. Pet food companies wary of AI, may be missing opportunities
AI is not going away, folks, no matter how you might feel about it. While it currently has low usage in pet food companies, according to polls and information from experts, those who have taken the plunge into AI are finding benefits.
For example, in a poll on PetfoodIndustry.com of nearly 120 pet food professionals on adoption of AI in marketing (the area currently seeing most AI usage in pet food now), 21% said they’re finding benefits for employing it in customer insights and data analysis, and 11% are using it for creating marketing content. Lower percentages are using AI to personalize emails or for visual content or design.
In the area of pet food processing, opportunities abound to employ AI to improve efficiency and reduce costs, especially because many pet food factories already use internet of things (IOT) concepts such as connecting all machines to operational centers, data automation and collection. AI can help sift through and analyze all the data collected to look for inefficiencies, machinery glitches and the like. Though other polls have shown a lack of internal technical knowledge about all this remains a significant barrier to AI adoption, services and experts are emerging to help with that. Keep your eyes and ears (and mind) open!
5. Macro global consumer trends to keep in mind
I’ll end by pulling back out to a larger view, one inspired by survey data on how global consumers are feeling these days and what they’re prioritizing in their lives. The data comes from Innova Market Insights, which tracks human food and beverage trends.
In a recent webinar, the Innova trends team presented some macro-level concerns and behaviors among consumers in select countries worldwide. Given the background of growing geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and climate change impacts, one in two consumers surveyed said they’re feeling very or somewhat anxious about the world, though one in four are feeling positive. The level of anxiety vs. positivity varies by age group, according to Innova, with boomers and gen X feeling most anxious and millennials feeling most positive.
Among these consumers:
- 85% experienced at least some stress in last 12 months (maybe take that with a grain of salt; after all, stress is a normal part of life)
- 48% say their finances cause them stress
- One in three say health or work/school cause stress
- They’re looking for ways to gain control of areas in their lives and to relieve stress.
In seeing these data points, I couldn’t help but think of pets and how they can aid in so much of this; research has proven the benefits of pet ownership to human mental health and wellbeing. This may provide ideas for pet food and treat brands to reach pet owners (including current customers) with messages targeted toward how much pets give to their owners, and how feeding high-quality pet foods and treats can be one way the owners give back to their furry family members.
