March 30, 2023
Pet owners all want the best for their furry companions. They want to feed them the healthiest and most nutritious food, but also want to make sure they’re being responsible when it comes to sustainability and the environment. That’s why it’s important to start harnessing the power of upcycled ingredients for pet food products.
For decades, Scoular has been responsibly providing upcycled nutrition through our broad portfolio, taking high quality ingredients that would traditionally be discarded in the human food or agriculture industries and transforming them into something new and valuable.
Sustainability claims are growing increasingly more important in pet food, according to Nielsen IQ1. One of the primary benefits of upcycling ingredients in pet food is that it helps reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability. By using high quality ingredients that would otherwise be discarded, pet food manufacturers are able to tell a strong story of reducing environmental impact and minimize the amount of food waste.
Our marine ingredients are a great example. These include: salmon, whitefish and tuna offered in various formats such as frozen meat, spray-dried proteins and Encompass fishmeals. They are MSC certified sustainable seafood products, and are direct excess of high-quality material, ensuring the entire fish is used after being processed for human consumption and not dumped back into the water.
Offering transparency and addressing pet food consumers’ misperceptions will aid your product story. Upcycled ingredients are just as natural, healthy, tasty and safe as other ingredients. In fact, many upcycled ingredients are rich in protein, essential nutrients, vitamins and more, making them a great choice for pets of all ages and breeds.
For example, we offer reliable and nutritional sources of fiber through ingredients such as tomato pomace, citrus fiber and beet fiber which utilize the entire fruit after juicing or excess from canning.
Using upcycled ingredients also aids product formulation innovation and offers a wider variety of clean label ingredients and flavors in pet products. This can help keep pets interested in their food and ensure that they are getting a balanced and varied diet.
For instance, frozen rabbit is made with the remaining leftovers from human consumption processing. It is a specialty meat used in pet food for its high protein and B12 content, which will keep your dog energized. Plus, the amino acids present in rabbit meat will help repair muscles.
Finally, using upcycled ingredients in pet food can have a positive impact on communities and the economy. By messaging the benefits of these ingredients, we can help create new markets for farmers and food producers and promote more sustainable and responsible practices across industries.
More transparency, less food waste and high nutrition are all areas of interest for the pet food consumer. The total wellness and nutrition of pets paired with environmental health bring great opportunity in the pet food marketplace. Partner with Scoular to deliver impactful stories and support the claims consumer’s demand through our broad portfolio of upcycled nutritious ingredients that are clean label, high-quality and safe.
We can help you tell your sustainability story. Learn more about our pet food ingredient portfolio.
Source: 1NielsenIQ, Emerging Pet Wellness Trends, August 2022
VP General Manager, Feed & Food
