Real Pet Food Company (RPF) has launched Fresh(labs), Asia-Pacific's first research and development initiative dedicated to fresh pet nutrition. The multi-million-dollar investment aims to advance the science, education and innovation of pet food.
"Pets may be living longer, but research shows their healthspan – years lived in good health - is declining," said Germaine Chua, CEO of RPF. "Conditions such as obesity, allergies, gastrointestinal disease, and chronic illness are on the rise.
"Evidence points to diet as a key driver, with fresh nutrition shown to protect and extend healthspans," Chua added. "Put simply, pets aren't eating enough fresh food. Fresh food for pets is less processed, freeze-dried, air-dried, gently cooked, or raw and has protective benefits for pets' vitality, resilience, and overall healthspan."
Fresh(labs) will function as a thought leadership and innovation hub, publishing original research, educating veterinarians and pet owners, and developing commercial applications for fresh pet nutrition across Asia-Pacific.
The initiative includes five key components:
- An independent advisory board of scientists including Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman, founder of DogRisk at the University of Helsinki; Dr. Nicole Rous, integrative veterinary scientist in Australia; Dr. David Thomas, feline nutrition expert at Massey University; and Dr. Emma Bermingham, small animal nutritional scientist and former Waltham Institute researcher.
- Multi-year support for DogRisk at the University of Helsinki and development of the new CatRisk program on feline health.
- A research program measuring pet healthspans across Asia-Pacific, including benchmarks on fresh share-of-bowl and caloric coverage.
- Investment in kitchen technology to advance minimally processed pet food production at scale.
- The Fresher Futures Scholarship Program, which will fund post-graduate research at universities.
"When RPF approached us to support our research, I immediately knew this was a company with whom we could works," said Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman. "Their mission is critical to pets everywhere. With Fresh(labs) independent board and science-led focus, we will innovate to improve pet healthspans."
Fresh(labs) has initiated a collaborative research project in pet healthspan nutrition with scientists from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. The advisory board will convene in November 2025.
According to Petfood Industry's Top Pet Food Companies, Real Pet Food Company is one of the largest providers of fresh pet nutrition in Australia and New Zealand and exports to China and Southeast Asia.
