Dr. Pezzali gives an overview of the pet food program at K-State. Students can focus on any of the different disciplines essential to pet food, such as nutrition, safety, or processing. The program has a strong connection to industry through research, teaching, and outreach and prepares students for careers in the industry through their Feed and Pet Food Science major. Dr. Pezzali also introduces her two graduate students, Nayara and Amelia. (4:33)

The panel talks about the K-State conference, formerly known as KibbleCon, which has been rebranded as Pet Food Collab. The new name highlights the commitment to engage and collaborate with all segments of the pet food industry. Nayara and Amelia talk about their experiences at the previous year’s conference, and Dr. Pezzali gives a preview of the format and event lineup. (7:58)

Nayara shares about her background and describes the research she is doing for her PhD on red sorghum in dog diets. She hypothesizes that red sorghum will improve gut metabolism, gut health, and dietary polyphenol content. (14:03)

Amelia introduces herself and shares about her MS research at K-State. She is focusing on betaine supplementation in cat diets and the impact on oral and gut microbiome and fecal metabolites. The second half of her project will evaluate energy expenditure via indirect calorimetry in a weight loss study in cats supplemented with betaine.  (16:49)

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Panelists introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:45)

Dr. Starkey describes the Auburn University pet food research and teaching program. Their goal is to teach students food science research techniques while upcycling low economic value meat processing co-products into high value, marketable pet products. (4:46) 

Leila shares about why she chose Auburn for her undergraduate career, how she got involved in the pet food program, and her experience at the Imaginarium event at Auburn. This event brought the pet food and poultry processing industries together for knowledge exchange and hands-on learning about the two industries. Leila looks forward to working in the pet food industry after graduation. (8:16)

Ileana talks about her graduate research using insect protein meal to create pet treats. She combined various ratios of cricket meal and chicken liver with structure-forming technology from sodium alginate and encapsulated sodium lactate from Balchem to create jerky-style pet treats. She will conduct sensory panels with pet owners to evaluate their perceptions of the treats for their animals. She goes on to talk about some of the challenges she experienced with using insect proteins. Dr. Starkey notes that while the cricket meal is high in protein, it remains to be seen how digestible it is given the high chitin content of the exoskeleton. (10:55)

Dr. Starkey gives some of the rationale behind including the chicken liver as an ingredient in the treats in Ileana’s research. She notes that the extra moisture from the liver binds really well with the structure-forming technology to yield a really nice, gelled product even with the high chitin content. (19:43)

Scott asks Dr. Starkey to talk a bit more about the Imaginarium event. It included speakers on the economic values of co-products and market survey data, among other topics, and hands-on stations for participants to make products that Auburn had previously worked with in their research. They also had a pet food vs human food challenge where participants had to choose whether a product was for pets or humans based on visual appearance alone. (23:54)

Dr. Starkey shares about the next steps in the Auburn pet food research program, and Ileana describes a graduate internship she did at Big Creek Foods. (32:17)

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This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:51)

Dr. Hobbs gives an overview of his presentation about pet owners’ perceptions, knowledge and willingness to pay for insect proteins. Insect proteins are currently a specialty product with some scalability and supply chain issues, resulting in higher prices than other proteins in the market. The panel discusses protein and lipid properties of insects, sustainability, and regulatory concerns. (8:17)

The panel talks about pet owner perceptions of insects as an ingredient in pet food. Dr. Hobbs notes that many consumers associate insects with the word “icky” and are uninformed of the form that insects would appear in pet foods. Consumers are aware that insects are a high-protein ingredient and have lower greenhouse gas emissions than some other protein sources. However, they were unaware of the health and wellness benefits of insect proteins, such as being hypoallergenic and having immune support characteristics. (17:43)

Dr. Gross details some of the fatty acid characteristics of insects and notes that there is a lot of research yet to be done to understand all the nutritional properties. Dr. Hobbs remarks that this is a key challenge for marketers right now - how should insect proteins be positioned and what terms are customers familiar with? He suggests educating consumers about the benefits of insects as an ingredient, but educating them in a way that’s attractive to them. (22:49)

Dr. Hobbs’ survey found that 80% of pet owners were open to purchase, currently purchasing, or willing to purchase insect-based proteins. While respondents as a whole were more willing to pay for animal- or plant-based proteins than insect-based, millennials and GenX respondents were willing to pay more for insect-based proteins than plant-based. (31:11)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (40:15)

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This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:56)

Dr. Gross gives an overview of her presentation, including the rise of pet obesity and the lack of industry response in providing products for today’s less active pets. Upwards of 60% of dogs and cats in the US are considered overweight or obese. Her talk focused on what the industry can do to help pet parents battle obesity issues in their pets. Options include creating new pet foods, using different ingredients in pet foods, and educating about underlying health issues to help pet parents find better solutions. (6:51)

Dr. Gross and Dr. Hobbs talk about body condition scoring pets and how pet parents perceive whether their pet is overweight or not. Dr. Gross notes there are artificial intelligence models being trained to evaluate pet body condition from photographs. (10:31)

Nicole notes that her company’s research has shown about 15% of dog parents in the prior 12 months have purchased either a food, treat, or supplement for weight management, and about 13% of cat parents have done so. The panel discusses pet owners may not always take into account all the calories they’re feeding their pet. Dr. Hobbs mentions while there are some opportunities for pet food companies to take advantage of, a lot of what is needed is consumer education on how to manage your pet properly for their age, stage of life, and activity level. The panel goes on to talk more about how veterinarians play a critical role in this educational effort. (13:40)

Dr. Gross would love to see more choices for pet parents so they don’t have to be an expert in nutrition. She sees a need for pet food manufacturers to design products for pets to help them avoid gaining excess weight. She notes AAFCO only has recommendations for growing animals and adults; there are no nutritional guidelines for pet food companies to follow to create foods with controlled calories, low fat, added fiber, etc. Dr. Hobbs suggests that pre-portioned foods may be another opportunity for pet food manufacturers, as well as foods specialized for spayed and neutered pets. (25:47)

The panel discusses the impact of obesity on the lifespan of pets, if obesity increases with age in pets, how hormone profiles impact weight gain in pets, and if breed type plays a role in the development of obesity in pets. The guests go on to talk about how artificial intelligence and technology could be used to help pet parents manage their pets’ weight and make more informed decisions. (29:48)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (49:04)

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This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

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 1200+ dog parents and 1200+ cat parents about species-specific decisions they make for pet nutrition and care, focused on novel proteins. They asked which novel proteins of a comprehensive list would pet parents be willing to offer their pet a sample of as an ingredient in a pet food. Options ranged from bison and elk to alligator, ostrich, insects, and cultivated meat. From there, the surveys asked what other drivers and purchase considerations were important and if pet parents would be willing to pay more for foods containing those novel proteins. (8:06)

Nicole goes on to define novel proteins and discusses consumer familiarity with that term. She also explains why novel proteins might be in demand as a pet food ingredient. Allison notes that there is interest in the carbon footprint of novel proteins as well. (11:14)

Survey results indicated that dog parents were most interested in bison, rabbit, and elk, while cat parents were most interested in rabbit, bison, and quail. 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 discuss if certain novel proteins are better suited to a particular form of food (kibble, wet, minimally processed, etc.). (15:06)

Nicole and Allison talk about how companies might evaluate the social and environmental impacts of a novel protein ingredient. Allison mentions her company uses an ingredient database called HowGood that measures ingredients against eight different impact categories. (24:04)

The panel talks about the humanization of pets and how pet parents align their values with purchases for their pet. Bob talks about some of the nutraceutical trends he’s observed. Allison notes that Gen Z and millennial consumers are very aware and concerned about their pets’ health and wellness. (27:37)

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. (35:31)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (45:39)

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This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Alexandra and Jim begin by introducing themselves and their backgrounds, as well as sharing what they do in their current roles. (00:58)

Dr. Ranovic gives an overview of her presentation at the conference, including a review of how dogs and cats metabolize fatty acids, current recommendations for EPA and DHA requirements, and alternative fatty acid sources like algae oil. She notes some of the differences in fatty acid metabolism between dogs and cats and whether or not adult animals really have a recommended requirement for omega-3 fatty acids. Some of her research has found that algae oil is less shelf-stable than fish oils, and perhaps feeding excess omega fatty acids does not benefit pets. (12:13) 

Jim shares the Pet Sustainability Coalition has software called How Good, which is the world's largest ingredient database for sustainability. He explains how it works and ties in with diet formulation software. (22:53)

Jim gives some insight on how pet owners make decisions about sustainability. (25:51)

Dr. Rankovic details what future fatty acid research still needs to be done in dog and cat nutrition. She notes another longer chain, plant-derived fatty acid, SDA, might be one avenue of investigation, both for its use in conversion to EPA and DHA and for its merit alone. (28:26)

The panelists wrap up the episode talking about balancing formulation and pet owner education to achieve the best outcomes possible for pet health and wellbeing. Lastly, they give some recommendations for where pet parents can go to find more information. (32:50)

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This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Panelists introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:56)

Angelique shares about her company, Montego Pet Nutrition, and what they do. They are located in the Karoo area of South Africa which is famous for large herds of springbok. Springbok meat was a major export to the EU; however a foot and mouth disease outbreak resulted in an export ban in 2011, which had a major impact on the springbok industry. South Africa published a game meat strategy in 2023, but made a major oversight by not including the pet food industry. Byproducts from game meat for human consumption is a major focus of Montego Pet Nutrition. Angelique’s presentation at Petfood Forum detailed how Africa can be a contributor to the evolving pet food protein landscape. (6:48)

Gail asks about processing such a large diversity of game animals. Angelique explains that most harvest is done on-farm, with carcasses transported to plants for further processing. She goes on to describe regulatory oversight of harvest and processing, and goals for making better use of offal that is often left on-farm currently. (11:07)

Dr. Altom gives examples of why novel proteins like game meat are attractive in the pet food market for animals with allergy/inflammation challenges. The panel talks about other game meat species from around the world that have also been considered for the pet food market. (14:40)

The panel discusses sustainability and how these game meat efforts may play an important role in feeding a growing population in Africa. Unfortunately, the export ban is still in place for fresh frozen antelope meat; only ostrich, crocodile, and zebra can be exported at this time. The group goes on to talk about consumer perception of game meat. (25:05)

Angelique notes that they market the antelope product they are using as Karoo Wild, with the tagline of reward, revive and rewild. (32:46)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (35:32)

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This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Diana predicts the global pet industry to reach about $500 billion by the end of the decade, compared to $380 billion currently. The US will remain the largest market, comprising about 40%, and is predicted to reach $200 billion compared to $150 billion currently. Healthcare is expected to be the biggest driver over the next five years, and food will remain the largest expense. (5:37)

The panel discusses some of the drivers behind pet owner decisions, including the humanization of pets. Nicole notes in some of her company’s market research, most pet owners say either their pet is a member of their family or their pet is their best friend. When money gets tight, people are more likely to reduce expenditures on their own healthcare rather than trade down in their pet expenditures. The panel also talks about generational differences in pet owner decisions. Nicole notes pet longevity is a major driver in many decisions. (7:51)

Diana and Nicole discuss how pet trends tend to follow human trends. They cover ingredient quality, snacks/treats, supplements in a treat form and preventative veterinary care. (17:55)

Jeremy notes from a commercial perspective, more pet food/treat companies are requisitioning 100% human-grade ingredients. The panel talks more about customization trends in the pet industry, the movement of luxury brands into the pet sector, and the presence of large food companies at every price point for dog and cat food. (25:56)

The panel discusses how the large increase in pet ownership during the pandemic has impacted and continues to impact the industry (31:50)

Diana mentions e-commerce continues to be a significant driver, with 30% of pet owners in 2025 surveyed purchasing items through e-commerce, compared to 23% in 2023. Amazon and Chewy make up 70% of the pet e-commerce sector. (34:53)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (39:25)

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Welcome to our Real Science Exchange- Companion Animal Podcast, the podcast that opens up the bag and looks at what really goes into better pet nutrition. In this introductory video, you’ll meet the experts and the science behind Balchem’s ingredient solutions, and hear how they’re used by formulators to support digestion, skin & coat, energy metabolism, and overall well being. Subscribe to follow along as we unpack the latest research, practical formulation tips, and stories from across the pet food industry.