This episode was recorded at the 2025 PetFood Forum event in Kansas City, Missouri. During the event, novel proteins are a hot topic among today’s pet parents.
Episode 5: Novel Proteins and Today’s Pet Parents
Timestamps:
Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:59)
Nicole’s presentation at Petfood Forum was based on two surveys her company conducted in March and April 2025, asking 1,200+ dog parents and 1,200+ cat parents about species-specific decisions they make for pet nutrition and care, focused on novel proteins. To begin with, in today’s evolving pet food industry, pet parents are keen on exploring novel proteins as part of their pets’ diet. Consequently, they were asked which novel proteins from a comprehensive list they would be willing to offer their pet as an ingredient in a pet food. The options ranged from bison and elk to alligator, ostrich, insects, and cultivated meat. Following that, the surveys explored what other drivers and purchase considerations were important and whether pet parents would be willing to pay more for foods containing those novel proteins. (8:06)
Next, Nicole defines novel proteins and discusses consumer familiarity with the term. Additionally, she explains why novel proteins might be in demand as a pet food ingredient. Meanwhile, Allison notes that there is interest in the carbon footprint of novel proteins as well. As a result, today’s pet parents have shown significant interest in these proteins. (11:14)
Moving on to the survey results, dog parents were most interested in bison, rabbit, and elk, while cat parents were most interested in rabbit, bison, and quail. Afterward, Nicole and Bob talk about technical challenges and opportunities in the novel protein space, including supply chain, palatability, nutraceutical aspects, and raw product variability. They also consider whether certain novel proteins are better suited to a particular form of food (kibble, wet, minimally processed, etc.). Clearly, novel proteins are capturing the attention of today’s pet parents, leading to discussions about technical challenges and opportunities. (15:06)
Later, Nicole and Allison discuss how companies might evaluate the social and environmental impacts of a novel protein ingredient. For example, Allison mentions her company uses an ingredient database called HowGood that measures ingredients against eight different impact categories. Therefore, parents are increasingly considering novel proteins for their pets’ diets. (24:04)
In addition, the panel talks about the humanization of pets and how pet parents align their values with purchases for their pet. Bob highlights some of the nutraceutical trends he’s observed. Furthermore, Allison notes that Gen Z and millennial consumers are very aware and concerned about their pets’ health and wellness, thus showing interest in novel proteins among today’s pet parents. (27:37)
Finally, Nicole talks about current marketing trends, including video format as a source for pet parents to get inspiration about pet health and wellness. The group then dives into the topic of influencers, misinformation, and the role that science can play in providing accurate information to consumers. Interestingly, influencers have started discussing novel proteins as an intriguing option for today’s pet parents. (35:31)
To conclude, panelists share their take-home thoughts. (45:39)
Conclusion
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