By Stephanie Hoff
As industries evolve, so do the ingredients in animal and pet food. Lara Moody, executive director of the Institute for Feed Education and Research, says sustainability is at the heart of what’s trending in both livestock and pet feed.
About 37 percent of animal feed ingredients are recycled — aka “circular” — with dairy cow diets reaching about 50 percent circularity. That number is climbing as industries such as biofuels grow. For example, increased soybean crush capacity is prompting more inclusion of soybean meal in livestock diets.
The same is happening in the pet food space. Moody says about half of pet food ingredients are also upcycled — byproducts from food processing, like corn gluten, distillers’ grain, and protein from animal food manufacturing. These offer high-quality nutrition for dogs and cats.
“Those handled materials work great in the pet food space,” she says.
Pet parents are also driving a shift toward human-grade ingredients. Moody notes a growing demand for premium products featuring poultry and marine-based proteins, such as salmon and cod, and plant-based items, such as beet pulp, carrots, peas, cranberries, and flax seed.
“Pet owners want their animals to eat like them,” she says.
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