Petfood Forum 2026 education tracks offer targeted learning

At this year's event in April, four distinct education tracks will provide insights into alternative proteins, regulatory compliance, nutrition science and market dynamics.

Lisa Cleaver

January 19, 2026

Petfood Forum 2026 features four specialized education tracks covering alternative proteins, regulatory updates, nutrition research and market trends across three days in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.

Petfood Forum 2026, scheduled for April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., features four specialized education tracks designed to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing pet food manufacturers and processors today.

From exploring sustainable protein sources to navigating complex regulatory landscapes, these sessions bring together industry experts to deliver actionable insights across critical business areas.

Below is a sampling of education sessions from each track. For the full education agenda, click here.

Alternative and sustainable pet foods

Flexible feeding: Alternative pet foods, feeding opportunities and value propositions — Shannon Landry, research director for pet, Packaged Facts, provides consumer insights on how pet owners use alternative format pet foods such as fresh and freeze dried as supplements to kibble or wet pet food, examining spending patterns, attitudes toward traditional formats and novel proteins, and factors that drive pet food choice.
Hidden inputs, real savings: Turning overlooked ingredients into margin-positive freeze-dried products — Sean Jones, director of sales, Glacial Freeze Dry, introduces a comprehensive framework for reallocating underutilized raw materials and nonstandard inputs within existing supply chains into premium freeze-dried pet food products, addressing material identification, cost modeling and pilot-scale validation.

Pet food regulatory, safety and technology

The changing U.S. regulatory landscape for pet food — Dana Brooks, CEO and president, Pet Food Institute, examines the U.S. federal administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative and its expected ripple effects for pet food manufacturers, including increased scrutiny of the GRAS review process and potential impacts on approval mechanisms and timelines for new products and ingredients.
Leveraging AI to predict pet food palatability: Integrating recipe, analytical and pet data — Ana Rita Monforte, Ph.D., global flavor and data sciences manager, AFB International, evaluates the use of AI to anticipate palatability outcomes of palatant systems prior to in vivo (animal) exposure, enabling earlier failure identification and reduced trial burden.

Pet nutrition and ingredient research

Calming canines naturally: A gut-brain axis approach using a Lactobacillus postbiotic — Jeffrey Alix, global director of business development for pet food, and Erik Eckhardt, Ph.D., principal scientist, dsm-firmenich, share research on a dual Lactobacillus postbiotic designed to reduce anxiety-related behaviors in dogs through gut-brain axis modulation, covering the science behind its benefits and formulation potential.
Nutrition for senior pets: What do we really know? — Emma Bermingham, Ph.D., founder and head consultant, Ember Pet Nutrition, explores research on the nutritional needs of aging cats and dogs, highlighting critical gaps in current knowledge and guidelines despite many age-associated conditions responding to nutritional interventions in experimental settings.

Today's pet food market

From table to bowl: How pet owners' eating habits influence what they feed their pets — Tiffany Fiore, senior product manager, and Susan Gallager, senior regulatory analyst, McCormick/FONA, share insights about how pet owners currently feed their pets and the links between feeding behavior and personal nutrition choices, drawing from primary consumer research and McCormick's consumer segmentation framework.
What's next in cat trends? The future of feline food, treats and supplements — Nicole Hill, vice president of strategy and innovation, MarketPlace, explores emerging and sustaining consumer trends influencing the future of cat food, treat and supplement segments through future-facing consumer data and market insights grounded in new surveys of more than 1,000 cat owners.

To review the education agenda for Petfood Forum 2026, click here.

Petfood Forum and Petfood Essentials show dates are April 27-29, 2026, in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. To register or stay informed on the latest event developments, go to PetfoodForumEvents.com.

Petfood Essentials | Efficiency unleashed: Optimizing your pet food business

Amid economic uncertainty or turmoil, every pet food or treat company is looking to operate as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. On April 27, Petfood Essentials, an interactive seminar, will showcase experts who will provide practical tips and suggest tools and technologies, including AI, to control costs, streamline operations, optimize formulations and supply chains, and manufacture efficiently, whether on your own or through a co-manufacturer.

The 2026 program will cover topics including macroeconomic outlook and market impacts, formulation optimization using software solutions, supply chain maximization including new ingredient sourcing, production facility setup for optimal efficiency, and packaging cost reduction strategies that maintain quality and branding integrity.

An interactive exercise will help participants apply insights and develop actionable ideas for their own businesses, whether manufacturing independently or through co-manufacturing partnerships.

“Companies are looking to operate as efficiently as possible,” said Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry. “Or, they may be facing changes and difficulties that are forcing them to revise their business plans, even cut back — but they want to do so in a way that doesn’t harm their businesses or brands long term."

Learn more here.

View the agenda here.