Pet parents are turning away from commercial pet food

More people are making homemade dog food, apparently. Data from market research company Mintel suggests pet parents may finally have seen the light. It’s taken a worldwide economic slowdown and multiple devastating pet food recalls to do it, but it seems pet parents are gradually turning towards homemade pet food instead of commercial food.

According to the company’s UK Pet Food Market Report 2022, “Having continuously gained growth momentum between 2017 and 2021, the pet food market’s volume sales are expected to decline in 2022. This decline stems from switching from wet to dry cat and dog food amidst the cost-of-living crisis, the latter weighing less per portion, and the fallback in sales of pet treats and snacks”.

The company’s pet food market research indicates that, “while very few owners feed their pets exclusively homemade food, homemade pet food has become more popular over the last couple of years, presenting a growing threat to the pet food market. One of the primary motivators behind this looks to be the trust and transparency that comes from having control over ingredients”.

I wonder what that could mean? Oh, I know, it’s the alarmingly regular pet food recalls because Commercial Pet Food Plc keeps getting it wrong. Keeps trying to foist off the UK buying public with sub-standard pet food that in a rightly thinking world, would not even be called food.

Back to the report though. It states that, “27% of UK pet owners make their own pet food from scratch/leftovers”, and that “67% of UK pet owners who buy pet food would stock up on pet food during promotional periods if they needed to save money.”

Future trends

Regarding future trends, the company’s report continues, “Mintel’s pet food market research identifies that there are opportunities for brands to boost their sustainability credentials by embracing the eco-friendly nose-to-tail concept in their marketing communications. There is room for innovation in UK pet food market, such as using offcuts of meat in pet food to align with the sentiment that the ideal diet for pets is as close as possible to what their ancestors would have eaten.”

I have absolutely no idea what that means. UK pet food companies are already permitted to use beaks and feathers, hooves and hair. What are they implying? That it would be a good idea for pet food companies to start using animals’ tails now?

In the company’s annual pet food report, a survey of more than 1,000 pet parents found the number of people making their own pet food, either from scratch or using leftovers, had risen by 6%. From 18% in 2020 to 24% by 2022.

Looking to make homemade dog food?

Are you one of those people looking to make homemade dog food for your pet? Have you seen the light? Are you tired of being lied to by Commercial Pet Food Plc?

Making homemade food for your dog is easier than you might think. Yes, there are guidelines you will need to follow. But as I’ve often said before, feeding your dog is little different from feeding yourself and the rest of your family. Don’t be bullied by your vet or Commercial Pet Food Plc. They sing from the same hymn sheet because your vet has been trained to sell you dog food rather than to cure your dog’s health problems. Trained by the commercial pet food industry no less.

If you want to do the best for your dog, at least start to add fresh food to your dog’s diet more frequently. Better still, download my easy guide to making homemade dog food and start improving your dog’s health and diet. Today!