From kibble to customization: The evolution of the pet food industry

Pet food has come a long way from table scraps and the occasional horse meat purchased by well-to-do pet owners in the 1800s. In 1860, England-based businessman James Spratt launched the first commercially prepared pet food: dog biscuits made of wheat meals, vegetables, beetroot and beef blood, sold mostly to English country gentlemen for their sporting dogs. What once was a luxury has since become an empire.

The changes have been many over the last 150+ years, but there has perhaps been no more significant growth than within the last 25 years or so, as pets have grown from being animals sharing our homes to full-fledged members of the family.