We’re living in an era of preventive health management, as pet owners embrace nutrition as the foundation of their pets’ health and wellbeing. In turn, “health is now a cornerstone to premiumization,” said Sahiba Puri, global insight manager, pet care, for Euromonitor International, during Petfood Forum Asia 2025.
And yet, so essential is health and wellness to pet owners and how they care for their furry family members that functional claims and features are now spanning across all pet consumables price tiers and categories. This is true globally as well as in developing pet food regions like Asia-Pacific, the focus of Puri’s presentation.
‘Healthy’ among top 5 pet food claims globally
As proof of health’s importance, the top five pet food claims globally, according to Euromonitor data on online SKUs, all carry a “health halo,” at least, even if they’re not specifically functional. “Natural” and “healthy” lead the way at 1,282 and 1,058, respectively, followed by more specific claims such as “grain free” and “high protein,” each at 748, and “good source of vitamins” (618).
These have tended to remain relatively stable for several years, probably because pet owners have become familiar with them and the products featuring them, and like how the foods seem to satisfy their pets’ needs, including as those needs change. For example, Puri pointed out that many pets adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic as puppies or kittens are now 5 to 6 years old; they’ll be moving into a geriatric life stage soon. Hence the need — and an opportunity in the developing Asia-Pacific market — for more life stage options, including senior diets.
This is because pet owners want to extend their pets’ lives; yet more and more, they’re seeking some sort of evidence that pet foods will do what the labels claim they will. That means certifications, scientific studies and proof of progress are important. Establishing and maintaining trust is vital, Puri emphasized, and efficacy is key for brand trust. “Use it not as just a unique selling position but also as a moat,” she said.
Setting the context: Consumers’ own health and nutrition needs
The health and nutritional properties of their own food provide a key context for why and how pet owners care about their pets’ health and nutrition. When Euromonitor asked 4,000+ consumers globally in a January 2025 survey about influential product features in human food, more pet owners than non-owners said they look for health and nutritional properties when buying food. That was true in every region and especially in Asia-Pacific, where pet owners outpaced non-owners by nearly 10 percentage points.
The consumer focus in general on health shows up several times in Innova Market Insights’ “Top 10 food and beverage trends 2026” list, released during a webinar on November 6. The first two trends, “powerhouse protein” and “gut health hub,” specifically address physical health, while the number eight trend, “mind balance,” speaks to mental and emotional health.
The overall theme of the list is “designing for how people feel,” said Lu Ann Williams, director of insights for Innova. Referring to all the economic uncertainty, stress and anxiety consumers worldwide are experiencing now, she commented, “It almost feels like we’re back in 2008.”
5 human food trends for 2026 with ties to pet food
As in past years, many of the top food and beverage trends link closely to what’s happening in pet food, or you can easily imagine they soon will. Let’s delve into a few:
- Powerhouse protein — This remains a “wellness powerhouse” for both people and pets. With the former, 60% of consumers in 11 countries surveyed by Innova said they actively seek more protein in their diets. With the latter, the Euromonitor data on leading pet food claims showed “high protein” tied for third. Yet, “you can’t just slap the word on the label,” Williams cautioned; protein needs to have a specific function. Thus, many food and beverage product launches with a protein claim this year also had at least one other benefit — and often, that had to do with something like adding muscle mass due to the ongoing popularity of GP-1 weight-loss drugs.
- Gut health hub — I have a hunch that if the Euromonitor list of leading pet food claims were extended to the top 10 or 15, gut or digestive health would show up. On the human side, consumers recognize the gut as the “gateway to holistic wellness,” Innova said: 59% of those surveyed believe gut health is important for their entire body, and 44% said that when they improve their gut health, they also notice improvements in their skin, energy and immunity.
- Authentic plant-based — As Innova pointed out, “plant-based positioning” has been appearing on its top 10 trends lists for nearly a decade, but the new twist for 2026 is the “recognition that plant-based is transitioning from imitating animal proteins to providing its own nutrition benefits, especially the benefits from natural plant-based proteins.” Close to two-thirds of those surveyed said plant-based products should be able to stand alone rather than substitute for other foods.
- Worth every bite — “Products need to offer value and affordability during these times when economic pressures are palpable,” Innova said. Accessibility is key, too. “A lot of consumers are looking for ways to fill their stomachs,” Williams commented. This is one reason driving the growth of private-label products, including in pet food.
- Justified choices — Despite the focus on affordability, sustainability is still important. “It’s a tiebreaker” between two products that may otherwise seem equal, Williams said. “It wins when it feels tangible, transparent and truthful.” Consumers may even be willing to pay more for eco-friendly products when they demonstrate specific benefits like supporting local farmers or communities, protecting the environment, having sustainable packaging or improving product quality or taste.
