In the last five years, there are three main trends that have influenced petfoods and pet treats;
- Humanisation; borrowing from trends in human food, petfood manufacturers incorporate more functional and natural ingredients in their products, appealing to pet owners who want to feed their cats and dogs in line with what they themselves eat.
- Personalisation; the purchase of ‘one-of-a-kind’ products or personalised petfood options means pet owners can create a thoughtfully prepared meal for their pet, strengthening their bond daily.
- Variety; pet owners are increasingly focused on their pets’ diets and purchase a variety of health and wellness pet supplements to add to their daily feeding regime.
A more recent category, the petfood ‘topper’ category, continues to expand, and captures all of these trends. It offers pet owners the experience of creating a unique meal for their cat or dog based on their individual preferences or nutritional needs – in human terms, it enables a ‘unique culinary experience’ for their pet.
Meal toppers and boosters are available for both cats and dogs. They are typically crafted as a supplementary food, although there is growing demand for complete-and-balanced diets in these formats. Available in powders, gravies, broths, freeze-dried and air-dried chunks, they are mixed in with a pets’ standard food, sprinkled on top, or fed separately as a treat or full meal.
According to Euromonitor’s ‘Voice of the Consumer’ survey completed in February 2023, 71% of pet owners globally, treat their pets as beloved family members. People are using more of their discretionary spending on their animals – millennials are delaying having children or deciding against it, so pet bonds have become stronger for them. Led by this trend, treats and toppers were predicted to be the fastest-growing pet-related category through 2025. Market research shows that minimally processed and human-grade products will continue to lead innovations in this space.
At Taranaki Bio Extracts, Bonefide Gold is our premium brand for pet nutrition, supplying human-grade beef bone broth and extracts to the international pet nutrition market. With meal toppers and boosters an increasing petfood trend globally, our broths and extracts are ideally positioned to provide a base ingredient for petfood manufacturers looking to develop a new product offering or range in this category.
What are the benefits of meal toppers and boosters?
Meal toppers and boosters are generally considered premium. They are an easy way to provide variety to pet meals without completely changing a pet’s diet. This is appealing to pet owners. Different toppers and boosters have various individual benefits depending on their ingredients, form and functions. These include;
- Increased palatability of a pets’ daily petfood – As well as providing a nutritionally balanced diet for pets, it’s important that food flavours are appealing. Palatability can be measured in a number of ways including the animals’ first choice of food, preference between foods, and the amount of food consumed. There are also a number of factors that have been found to influence palatability, including aroma, appearance, shape, taste and nutrient content. Toppers and boosters provide an added boost of flavour. Cats are renowned for being fussy eaters, so foods that have strong palatability are more likely to be popular.
- Supplying a boost of nutrients – While toppers started on the market as something to entice finicky eaters or older and infirm pets, these products are now also provided as a tasty and cost-effective way to create pet meals with functional nutrition and supplementary health benefits. Toppers and mix-ins can provide a range of health and wellness benefits, including adding vitamins and nutrients, boosting protein intake, supporting healthy skin and coats, strengthening bones and joints, increasing energy and vitality, and aiding digestion.
- Liquid toppers like gravies and broths can support hydration – particularly for more senior animals. They are an ideal addition to dry petfood, which has a low level of moisture content around 10%. This approach is particularly popular with older pets who may often struggle to eat, or those recovering from illness – these liquid toppers soften up kibble and provide added enticement to eat.
Human-grade goodness for your next topper formulation
We believe that human-grade goodness should contain nothing but the purest ingredients like those you’d find in your own kitchen – from the best quality beef bones, to New Zealand-fresh vegetables and herbs. Our human-grade beef bone broth is crafted using 100% New Zealand origin, export quality grass-fed beef bones, in a human-grade kitchen. Our healthful formula has no salt, onion, garlic, or other toxic ingredients for pets, and it’s FREE from additives, colourings, flavour enhancers, GMOs and other nasties. To learn more about our offering, and how it can support your next winning topper or booster formulation visit https://taranakibioextracts.com/pet-nutrition-ingredients-range/bonefide-gold-pet-nutrition/ .
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