Functional pet food trends require science, consumer education

Functional ingredients in the pet space have taken on a life of their own in an age of pet health and wellness hyperfocus. “Functional pet food” is now its own growing category, and visits to any major trade show this year showed just how prevalent it is — nearly every new product had some form of functional claim, from the well-established (joint health) to the currently researched (gut health) to the straight-from-human-health (daily multivitamins).