Brittany Jones
Pet Food Brittany Jones

The Humanization of Pets

assorted colorful pet food

Driven by pet parents demanding the same food quality they enjoy, the pet industry has slashed the transition time of bringing human-quality ingredients from the plate to the pet bowl from five years to under two.

Human Food Natural Color Conversion Will Impact Pet Food

Driven largely by consumers, new retail standards/guidelines and state regulations, FD&C food colors are rapidly being phased out in the U.S.

As consumers become accustomed to “made with color from natural sources” and “free from artificial color” claims on their own groceries, they will increasingly demand the same for their pets.

assorted pet snacks

1. Mainstream Makeovers

Brands will reformulate their products with artificial colors, ensuring economy and value tiers align with the new natural color standards of human food.

2. From Brown to Brilliant

Expect the future kibble market to banish the ‘sea of sameness’ by ditching traditional, uniform brown kibble in favor of naturally colorful blends. To build trust in their functional health claims and rival human-grade diets, brands will harness natural color solutions from fruit and vegetable juices to create highly specific visual cues that visually communicate a well-balanced, nutritional bowl.

3. The Color of Fresh Breath

Dental and oral health products like treats, supplements, and powders will utilize tooth-paste inspired natural color solutions like blues and greens to elevate sensory appeal and “fresh breath” attribute positioning.

4. Celebrate with Color

Brands will more aggressively capitalize on pet parents spoiling and celebrating their pets. There will be an uptick in limited-time, human-mimicked offerings with vibrant, natural colors for seasonal, holiday, and birthday events to drive incremental sales and elevate brand sentiment.

Assorted pet food and snacks

Explore Sensient’s industry-leading pet food portfolio of AAFCO-compliant and heat-stable natural color solutions…

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