Salmon is by far the top marine ingredient used in pet food products. In the U.S. alone, 203,307 tons of salmon find their way into pet food annually — more than half the total tonnage of marine ingredients used, according to Decision Innovation Solutions, which prepared a March 2025 report called “Pet Food Production and Ingredient Analysis.” The next closest category is “Other fish & sea products,” a combination of ingredients that comes in at 105,781 tons. Other ingredients like cod, tuna, fish oil and shrimp don’t even break the 50,000-ton mark, according to the report.
“Salmon is nutritious with highly digestible quality proteins, and is rich in micronutrients, both vitamins and minerals,” said Åse-Lill Helgesen, product manager at Norway-based biotechnology company Biomega Group. “These factors, combined with its high palatability for both cats and dogs, make it particularly useful as brands for the pet food products can tick off many of the trending health and wellbeing claims in addition to salmon. This fits well with the premiumization and humanization trends as pet owners prioritize health and wellness products for their pets, who are treated as family members.”
