The pet food industry is experiencing an acceleration in superfood ingredient adoption, driven by pet owners who are increasingly knowledgeable about functional nutrition and eager to share health benefits with their companion animals.
In a recent episode of the Trending: Pet Food podcast, host Lindsay Beaton, editor of Petfood Industry magazine, explored "What's the current role of superfoods in pet food?" with Kyle Feigenbaum, CFA charter holder and co-founder/CEO of award-winning pet wellness brand Healthybud. Feigenbaum shared insights on how the gap between human and pet nutrition trends has dramatically shortened and what this means for manufacturers.
Top 10 Takeaways
1. The humanization timeline has collapsed dramatically
The traditional years-long lag between human and pet food trends has shrunk to just six months. "We started this business five years ago ... that lagging gap has been accelerated incredibly fast," Feigenbaum said. Pet owners now expect to see ingredients they use personally available for their pets almost immediately.
2. Consumer ingredient literacy drives purchasing decisions
Pet owners are reading ingredient panels with the same scrutiny they apply to their own food. When consumers see familiar beneficial ingredients like collagen, "immediately the light bulb goes off and they say, 'Oh, I love this ingredient. I know that this is beneficial, this is great that I can now give it to my dog,'" Feigenbaum explained.
3. Functional treats occupy a growing middle ground
Positioned between traditional treats and supplements, functional treats offer long-term wellness benefits without requiring specific therapeutic dosing. Healthybud specifically avoids quick-fix supplement positioning, instead focusing on "amazing ingredients that the pet is going to benefit from over the long term," according to Feigenbaum.
4. Gut health dominates current superfood applications
Pre- and postbiotics represent the hottest superfood category, with Healthybud preparing to launch the first freeze-dried raw brand incorporating these ingredients. "Solutions to gut health has been huge for us right now," Feigenbaum noted, citing consumer feedback that their Gut Booster works within 24-48 hours.
5. Medicinal mushrooms target cognitive function
Brain health applications for mushrooms like reishi and lion's mane are gaining traction, particularly in training treats where focus enhancement aligns with product usage. Healthybud's functional training treats represent "the first training treat to incorporate medicinal mushrooms for brain health," Feigenbaum said.
6. Convenience versus customization creates dual demand
Pet owners simultaneously want the ability to customize their pets' nutrition and the convenience of complete solutions. This drives demand for both functional treats and meals with integrated superfoods, eliminating the need for separate supplementation.
7. Natural ingredient sourcing requires careful formulation
Even natural superfood ingredients can be potent enough to cause digestive upset if not properly dosed. "We actually had to reduce the amounts that we were using in our food, because we noticed that sometimes when you're starting to include pre- and postbiotics .. .there's a lot of changes going on," Feigenbaum explained.
8. Consumer surveying drives product development
Successful superfood product launches require extensive consumer research through email surveys, social media polls and direct feedback. "The only way that we will launch a product is if we feel very strongly that the consumer is asking for it," Feigenbaum emphasized.
9. Personal health experiences influence pet product innovation
Founders with firsthand experience using functional ingredients for their own health conditions bring authentic passion and knowledge to pet product development. Feigenbaum's experience managing Crohn's disease through gut health ingredients directly influenced Healthybud's focus on digestive wellness.
10. Clean labels and functionality will define the future
Consumer demand for transparency and efficacy will push even large manufacturers toward shorter, cleaner ingredient decks with proven functional benefits. "We're going to start to see in this industry a lot shorter, cleaner and more functional ingredient decks than we've ever seen before," Feigenbaum predicted.
The superfood trend in pet food represents more than ingredient innovation — it reflects a fundamental shift toward informed pet ownership where human health knowledge directly influences companion animal nutrition choices.
