News Hound: Page 4

One Food: Eat your own cat food ingredients

While eating one’s own dog food remains a negative thing, eating one’s own cat food ingredients may be a good thing for the pet food industry, as it emphasizes the humanization of pet foods.

Ulianna | BigStockPhoto

Insect-based pet foods not risk for zoonotic pandemic

Approximately 60% of infections afflicting humans arose in animals, from rabies and the plague to other coronaviruses. Post-pandemic, pet food companies may look for ingredients with reduced zoonotic potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already resulted in business changes, with more to come. | (monsitj | iStockPhoto.com)

Ancient dog diet Ω fatty acids: the eyes have it, guts too

Eating what unfussy hunters and gathers eschewed, such as rodent eyes, may have provided sources of vital nutrients to dogs during domestication, including omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), along with omega-6 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid (ALA).

(yarndoll | BigStock.com)

Pet Food Market

High-protein cat food may reduce bird, wildlife predation

For those cat owners who let their felines roam the neighborhood, high-protein cat food may be one means to reduce predatory pressure on birds and other small wildlife.

(Tigra the cat, Tim Wall)

Pet Food Market

Coastal wolves, ancient clambakes and paleo dog food

For dogs, the paleo diet can mean meat and other items encountered around human camps during domestication. Although “discarded loincloth” will never become a dog food variety, other ancient flavors may remain to be revived as dog foods.

A dog eating a fish (ESOlex | BigStock.com)

Confusion over GMO corn in US pet food exports to Mexico

A decree ends genetically modified corn imports to Mexico by 2024. However, exactly what this means for the pet food industry is uncertain. Meanwhile, landraces are losing ground to varieties developed outside corn’s crib in Mexico.

A tourist's dog sits outside a church in Bernal, Queretaro, Mexico. | (Quasarphoto | BigStock.com)

Pet owners describe selves and pets with same emotions

Scientists identified ranges of animal emotions and associated behaviors, as described by pet owners. Those same pet owners also noted their own emotions while interacting with their pets.

(Photo by Andrea Gantz)

Pet food exec sustainability idea differs from consumers

The multiplicity of sustainability problems makes containing them in single term difficult. For many pet owners the concept of sustainability may remain hazy, or they may think of the word in different terms pet food executives and marketers.

(Sheila F | Bigstock.com)

Pandemic, climate ‘baby bust’ may affect pet food industry

With declining numbers of real babies and fewer fur babies, the pet food industry faces potentially conflicting demographic trends.

Pet Food Packaging

Pet food pods could reduce single-serve packaging waste

Brightly printed, sturdy pet food packages may ensure freshness on par with human foods, but multiple layers of material often mean superpremium packaging must make a trade-off with sustainability.

Pet Food Market

Circadian rhythm pet foods: untapped human trend?

Pet owners now feed their pets the same foods morning and night, often day after day. Could specific formulations address pets’ daily metabolic changes while forging new ranges of time-specific dog, cat and other pet foods?

(cscredon | iStock.com)

Market Trends and Reports

VR tours of pet food facility may provide transparency

The pet food industry chose the red pill this year. While giants like Purina can create full-on VR experiences, even small pet food start-ups can use free panoramic camera apps to make immersive pet food facility tours.

(Dashabelozerova | BigStock.com)

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