Caitlyn Dudas, principal at Good Company, brings a practitioner's perspective to ingredient sourcing at Petfood Forum 2026. In her April 28 session, "Case study: Unlocking sustainable pet food ingredient access through whole-animal utilization," Dudas presents findings from a collaborative project connecting a regenerative beef processor in Colorado with regional pet food manufacturers, a model she says the industry is well-positioned to replicate.
Whole-animal utilization is one of the most practical and underleveraged strategies the pet food industry has to simultaneously strengthen ingredient security, improve sustainability outcomes and increase profitability across the supply chain, Dudas said.
"This matters now because the industry is facing rising protein costs, increased scrutiny on environmental claims and growing demand for transparency," she said.
The approach centers on capturing nutrient-dense animal co-products — hearts, livers, bones and fat — that would otherwise be underutilized or discarded, and aggregating them into viable supply streams for pet food and treat manufacturers. Dudas said whole-animal utilization offers a rare win-win-win for the industry: improved supply resilience, lower environmental impact per pound of protein, and support for credible sustainability and animal welfare claims.
"By creating viable markets for organs, bones and other co-products, brands can access high-quality ingredients while reducing dependence on constrained or volatile protein sources," Dudas said. "This approach also supports regional sourcing, traceability, and innovation in functional and nutrient-dense formulations."
Removing structural barriers
The work reflects her broader mission at Good Company, which focuses on removing the structural barriers that prevent sustainable agriculture from accessing viable markets.
"Whole-animal utilization is one of the clearest examples of how better system design — aggregation, infrastructure and partnership alignment — can materially improve farmer economics while delivering value to pet food manufacturers," Dudas said. "It represents a shift from extractive sourcing toward regenerative, systems-based solutions that I believe are essential for the future of the industry."
During her presentation, Dudas will share a replicable framework from the Colorado case study covering infrastructure requirements, partnership structures and aggregation models that make regional supply chains economically viable.
A five-year outlook
Looking ahead, Dudas anticipates significant investment in the systems that support this approach.
"Over the next five years, I expect to see increased investment in aggregation infrastructure, regional processing hubs and standardized specifications for animal co-products used in pet food," Dudas said. "We will likely see closer collaboration between ranchers, processors, manufacturers and brands, supported by clearer data on yields, economics and environmental outcomes."
As those systems mature, she expects whole-animal utilization to move from pilot projects to a normalized sourcing strategy — one that shapes product innovation, strengthens sustainability claims and improves the economic viability of regenerative and regional supply chains across the pet food industry.
Dudas will present "Case study: Unlocking sustainable pet food ingredient access through whole-animal utilization" on Tuesday, April 28, at Petfood Forum 2026 in Kansas City.
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.
