Where do pet owners stand on plant-based pet foods?

Plant-based, vegan, vegetarian and other pet diets with alternatives to animal-based proteins get a lot of buzz, but are pet owners really willing to buy them?

Debbie Phillips-Donaldson

September 25, 2024

Yeast is among the plant-based proteins being used in pet diets.

Yeast is among the plant-based proteins being used in pet diets.

RHJ l iStock.com

In July 2024, the British Veterinary Association announced it had ended its opposition to “nutritionally sound” vegan pet diets. How does that track with pet owner acceptance and usage of such pet foods, along with vegetarian and other plant-based ones?

The numbers are still small but interest is growing, according to data. For example, NielsenIQ found a 70.2% jump in online searches for plant-based claims in pet food from 2022 to 2023. For vegetarian or vegan diets, the increase was 23.4%.

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