Debbie Phillips-Donaldson Debbie Phillips-Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry magazine and Petfood Forum.From the Author - Page 2Adventures in Pet FoodHuman food-pet food convergence: A look at longevityEating to foster a longer, healthier life is an emerging growth category for both humans and pets, one of many that crosses over between human food and pet food.Something to Chew onPet food innovation still needed during uncertain timesConsumers seem to be adapting to economic turmoil and, in fact, expecting manufacturers to still lean into innovation. Pet food brands should take note.Adventures in Pet FoodNature vs. science: Do they still compete in pet food?Natural pet food claims used to seem opposed to scientific ones; yet now, advances in research and technology allow products to include multiple types of benefits.Adventures in Pet FoodDog food and treats are popular topics on social mediaData show dog owners globally like to post, converse and learn about dog nutrition and food products online and on social media. Who’s doing the most talking?Adventures in Pet FoodAdd the good: Food ingredient approach that plays in pet foodSeeking ingredients in human food products that support health is one of three strategies pursued by global consumers. We see the same trend in pet food.Adventures in Pet FoodOnline pet food shopping in 2026: Snapshots and nuancesPet food e-commerce is not slowing down, but now it differs by consumers’ location and age group, and doesn’t necessarily match e-commerce patterns overall.Adventures in Pet FoodAffordability and its effect on pet food premiumizationIn an economic environment that continues to challenge consumers, including pet owners, what do things like value and premiumization look like?Adventures in Pet FoodClean Label Project redux: We’ve seen this playbook beforeThe Clean Label Project’s recent report about supposedly high levels of heavy metals in dry dog food revives memories of a similar pet food report in 2017.Something to Chew onDo pet owners consider all pet food ingredients functional?“Functional” typically means an ingredient with a specific health-related benefit — but in a complete and balanced pet food, don’t all ingredients have a function?Adventures in Pet FoodPet food safety update: Some companies have work to doWhile a sizable portion of pet food companies are focusing on supplier verification and ingredient tracing, other important safety areas may need more attention.Adventures in Pet FoodPet food acquisitions starting to heat up in 2026?February has suddenly become an interesting month in terms of pet food mergers and acquisitions, especially for companies in Europe and Canada.Adventures in Pet FoodCultivated meat in pet food: Closer to consumer acceptance?Cultivated meat faces obstacles like scalability and high costs, but pet food may provide a path to success, particularly in terms of consumer acceptance.Previous PagePage 2 of 85Next Page
