“How natural can F&B innovation remain as science and technology increasingly shape ingredient development?” That’s a question posed by Innova Market Insights during a recent webinar on ingredient trends in foods and beverages (F&B) for humans.
It brings to mind similar quandaries in pet food. For a while, about 10 years ago, pet owners seemed to focus on natural and shun label claims that promoted science; but the pendulum has started swinging back toward science-backed features and benefits. That doesn’t mean owners are exactly clear on what they want now.
For example, Packaged Facts survey data from 2024 showed two-thirds of U.S. dog and cat owners strongly or somewhat agreed that they prefer to buy less processed pet food; yet MRI-Simmons data revealed 92% of owners bought kibble, and 97% bought kibble and/or wet pet food, wrote David Sprinkle, director of pet market research for Packaged Facts, in a 2024 Market Report column.
That’s likely not due to a “natural vs. science” dichotomy as much as to a need to buy more affordable products in the current economy, along with the human tendency to cling to the familiar. In the two years since those data were shared, fresh and other less processed formats have continued to grow in popularity and sales, yet highly processed formats still predominate. It’s yet another example of the “say-do” gap between want consumers say they want and what they actually buy, and the confusion that can arise when people feel overwhelmed by so many product choices.
Natural remains popular — and so does science
LuAnn Williams, president and co-founder of Innova, referred to the say-do gap in the webinar. Regardless, seeking natural foods and beverages for themselves has become one of the more solidified trends for consumers globally as they increasingly tie it to their health and wellbeing. “It’s no longer a differentiator,” Williams said. “It’s table stakes now.”
Thus, a third of global consumers say they think a “made with natural ingredients” claim makes even an indulgent treat seem healthier, according to Innova data, while 69% say, “The more natural a product feels, the more I think it’s good for my health” over time.
For pet food, natural ingredient claims still rank high among purchase drivers for 29.5% of U.S. pet owners surveyed by Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University. That’s second only to high protein (at 43.8%). Yet, in terms of the most important pet food attributes for the owners surveyed (they could choose only one), natural or organic labeling falls down the list, clocking in at only 7% of dog owners and 6.6% for cat owners. Health-related claims now are doubly important for these owners.
Often, those health claims fall along functional lines, as pet owners seek pet foods that offer specific benefits for their pets (think skin and coat, digestive health, joint health and the like). And the more recent trend of focusing on functional (for both human and pet food) is where the return to science interest comes in, I think.
According to Packaged Facts 2024 data, 34% of U.S. dog and cat owners surveyed strongly agreed and 37% somewhat agreed, that they liked the idea of pet food backed by scientific research. That’s an overwhelming endorsement of science.
Full circle to more complete product offerings
So, back to Innova’s question: I don’t necessarily see a dichotomy between natural and science, or that consumers need to make that choice today. To me, the focus on functional ingredients and benefits brings the market (again, for human food and pet food) almost full circle to a more complete array of products that — thanks to advances in research and technology — allow manufacturers to offer both natural aspects as well as functional, science-backed ones.
I find similarities in looking at the ongoing emergence of fresh and raw pet food, despite their higher price points that some pet owners just aren’t able or willing to pay: Owners can still provide some of the attractive features of less processed products to their pets by adding toppers or mixers to the regular, traditional offering of kibble or wet pet food or buying products with a mix of formats.
It’s a “yes and” approach rather than “either or.” And, as the newer formats continue to progress, it may be a necessary strategy for continued success of traditional ones. “The success of fresh pet food … has created the necessity/invention opportunity for kibble to up its game, whether in the form of next-generation science-based and/or functional diets, pet foods featuring alternative proteins and ‘kibble plus’ options incorporating freeze-dried and other premium components,” wrote Sprinkle in 2025.
