So, I decided to go to this Petfood Forum 2024 thing. It sounded interesting, you know, with all the buzz about new pet food trends and stuff. I got there on April 29th, and let me tell you, the place was packed! It was like a zoo, but with people instead of animals, all excited about pet food.
The first thing I did was hit the exhibit hall. Man, it was huge! So many booths with companies showing off their latest products. I walked around, checked out different ingredients, and even saw some new types of packaging. I did not know that there are so many pet food brands in the world! But it was fun to see all of the options!
Then, I sat in on a few of the talks. They had these experts talking about all sorts of things, like what people are looking for when they buy pet food and the newest research on pet nutrition. You know what caught my attention? They have something called the “25% Rule.” It says the named ingredient must be at least 25% of the product by weight, not including added water, and at least 10% if you include the added water. I even learned that before the invention of commercial dog food in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, dogs were typically fed table scraps, leftovers, or a diet of raw meat, grains, and vegetables. Many owners provided their dogs with the same food they ate, which often included meat and bones. That’s really crazy to think about, right?
But there are also some interesting data. In 2023, the pet food and treat sector totaled $64.4 billion, about 43% of total pet industry sales. It increased by 10.8% from 2022. That was a lot of money!
Of course, I also did some networking. I met a bunch of people from all over the world who are involved in the pet food industry. We talked about our challenges, shared some ideas, and just had a good time chatting about our furry friends. A lot of them were really friendly, I have to say. I exchanged contacts with a few, maybe we can collaborate on something in the future.
What I Learned
- The pet food industry is constantly evolving.
- People really care about what they feed their pets.
- There are tons of innovations happening in pet food.
- I learned about pet food trends, nutrition, ingredients, safety, and processing.
Overall, it was a pretty cool experience. I learned a lot, met some interesting people, and got a better understanding of what’s going on in the pet food world. I mean who would have thought there was so much to learn about pet food, right?
