Agenda

• Flexible feeding: Alternative pet foods, feeding opportunities and value propositions

Shannon Landry, research director for pet, Packaged Facts, provides consumer insights on the usage of alternative format pet foods such as fresh and freeze dried as “add-ons” or supplements to kibble or wet pet food. She features Packaged Facts data examining how pet owners use pricier formats to add interest and variety to traditional pet food diets, plus the meaning of value to pet food shoppers. Insights touch on pet food spending, pet owner attitudes about traditional pet food formats and novel proteins, and the pet/owner dynamic, demonstrating how and why owners explore ways to introduce variety into their pets’ standard diets and what factors impact pet food choice.

• Hidden inputs, real savings: Turning overlooked ingredients into margin-positive freeze-dried products 

Sean Jones, director of sales, Glacial Freeze Dry, introduces a comprehensive framework for the systematic reallocation of underutilized raw materials and nonstandard inputs embedded within existing supply chain infrastructures into premium freeze-dried pet food products. Extending beyond conventional examples such as organ meats and bone broths to emphasize broader, often untapped potential, the approach enhances product differentiation and nutritional value while contributing to improved margin performance and operational efficiency. It also addresses material identification and suitability, cost modeling for freeze-dried applications and a pilot-scale validation framework.

• Bridging batch and continuous operations in freeze dried pet food manufacturing

Matt Graunke, freeze dry sales executive, Parker Freeze Dry, presents an in-depth approach to optimizing freeze-dried pet food manufacturing through automation, intelligent scheduling and advanced refrigeration design, as manufacturers face the challenge of integrating batch-based freeze-drying into production environments dominated by continuous operations. He offers actionable insights into designing and operating freeze-dried pet food facilities that balance batch processing precision with continuous production efficiency.

• The changing U.S. regulatory landscape for pet food 

Dana Brooks, CEO and president, Pet Food Institute, examines the U.S. federal administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative and its expected significant ripple effects for pet food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. Increased scrutiny of the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) review process raises questions about whether ingredient suppliers will be able to continue relying on self-GRAS determinations or GRAS notifications as pathways for product approval. The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine’s review of both the GRAS and food additive petition processes may be influenced by this initiative, potentially altering approval mechanisms and timelines that could ultimately impact the speed at which new pet food products and ingredients reach the marketplace.

• Natural antimicrobial strategies for fungal control and shelf-life extension in semi-moist kibble

Charlie Connolly, business development manager, Videka, offers a novel approach to microbial control in pet food, evaluating the efficacy of a natural antimicrobial strategy applied to semi-moist kibbles in response to growing consumer demand for clean label and sustainable products. He explains microbial spoilage challenges in pet food and their impact on shelf-life and consumer trust, and assesses the impact of natural antimicrobials on pet food palatability through panel testing. The findings suggest such natural blends provide effective microbial control while maintaining product quality and consumer acceptance.

• Freeze-dried pet foods: Unique oxidation risks and mitigation approaches in growing category

Melissa Weber, Ph.D., director of technical services, Rangen, presents the unique oxidative stability challenges associated with freeze-dried pet food and treats, a rapidly growing category valued for high nutrient retention and clean-label positioning. Unlike traditional pet food processing methods, freeze drying is a low-temperature dehydration process that preserves sensitive nutrients but also retains oxidizable substrates, leaving products susceptible to lipid oxidation if not adequately protected. Effective oxidation prevention relies on proactive stabilization of raw materials through incorporating antioxidants at the raw material stage, strategic selection of antioxidants suited for low-fat, low-moisture environments and implementation of oxygen-limiting packaging technologies.

• Calming canines naturally: A gut-brain axis approach using a Lactobacillus postbiotic

Jeffrey Alix, global director of business development for pet food, and Erik Eckhardt, Ph.D., principal scientist, dsm-firmenich, share research on a dual Lactobacillus postbiotic designed to reduce anxiety-related behaviors in dogs through gut-brain axis modulation. The ingredient, composed of heat-inactivated bacterial cells and fermentation metabolites from two proprietary microorganisms, contains GABA, a neurotransmitter associated with calming effects. Citing controlled studies, Alix and Eckhardt cover the science behind its benefits, formulation potential and market relevance as a natural calming solution.

• Real-world efficacy of a botanical blend for canine behavioral support in home settings 

Jessica Jarett, Ph.D., principal scientist for pet, Cargill, covers results of a study on the impact of a novel botanical blend administered as a daily soft chew on behavior in pet dogs living in home environments. In a controlled trial involving 75 healthy dogs, significant improvements were observed in dog-directed fear with additional trends toward improvement in stranger-directed aggression, aggression when food is taken away, inappropriate urination and excitability compared to placebo. The research provides new evidence for the application of botanical blends in pet supplement formulations for daily behavioral support and demonstrates the value of combining quantitative behavioral data with qualitative insights from pet owners.

• Vitamins and amino acids: Strategic insights into the pet food supply chain and potential disruption

Lara Moody, executive director, Institute for Feed Education and Research, offers findings from a strategic assessment of vitamin and amino acid supply and demand, import and export, and impact on livestock and poultry production with implications for the pet food supply chain. An estimated 78% of total vitamin imports to the U.S. come directly from China, with some individual vitamins as high as 100%, and U.S. and European vitamin manufacturers often depend on key raw materials sourced from China. The same holds true for amino acids, creating overwhelming dependency on a single country for nutrients vital to the food supply and U.S. economy.

• From table to bowl: How pet owners’ eating habits influence what they feed their pets

Tiffany Fiore, senior product manager, and Susan Gallager, senior regulatory analyst, McCormick/FONA, share insights about how pet owners currently feed their pets and the links between feeding behavior and personal nutrition choices. Drawing from primary consumer research and McCormick’s consumer segmentation framework, the presentation covers factors influencing pet food and treat purchases; attitudes toward formats like fresh food, raw food, toppers and supplements; and pet owners’ understanding of nutrition labels and claims (balanced against existing regulations).

• The AI marketing advantage: Measure first, scale fast in pet food

Jolanta Smulski, founder, Pet Pro Media, addresses the significant gap between AI adoption priority and implementation in pet food marketing. She provides a measurement-first framework solving three key barriers: the measurement gap preventing justification of AI expansion beyond experimental use, planning paralysis keeping businesses in evaluation mode and the scaling challenge limiting them to individual or small-team implementation. The framework establishes measurement infrastructure by defining core marketing metrics before adopting AI tools, deploys test-learn-scale cycles through structured deployment identifying high-impact applications and scales to organizational capability by converting measurement data into training curriculum and repeatable processes.

• What’s next in cat trends? The future of feline food, treats and supplements

Nicole Hill, vice president of strategy and innovation, MarketPlace, explores emerging and sustaining consumer trends influencing the future of cat food, treat and supplement segments through future-facing consumer data and market insights from Nextin Research. Grounded in new surveys of more than 1,000 cat owners, the presentation covers owner psychographics, core motivators and compelling need-states, demand-driving attributes and ingredients, product format opportunities and purchase influences, and retail channel behaviors. From protein sources and premiumization trends to product attributes and preferred formats, Hill spotlights where the category has room to grow and evolve, with insights for innovation and marketing strategies.

• Advancing shelf-life and safety in cooked and raw high-moisture pet foods with clean-label innovation 

Jasmine Kataria, Ph.D., senior scientist, Kerry, explains how high-moisture pet foods, particularly raw and cooked formats, represent one of the fastest expanding categories in today’s pet food market, driven by consumer preference for fresh, minimally processed diets made with recognizable and transparent ingredients. However, these products present notable challenges due to their elevated water activity, highlighting the need for innovative preservation strategies that maintain safety and quality without compromising clean-label expectations. Kataria reports on a study evaluating ingredient systems combining vinegar-fermentate technology in both raw and cooked formats. 

• Circular nutrition: Unlocking the value of upcycled ingredients in pet food

Ann Marie D. Ocker, Ph.D., technical marketing and innovation director, International Ingredient Corp., examines how upcycled ingredients from food and agricultural sectors are repurposed into functional pet food ingredients that reduce environmental impact while offering nutritional benefits. Feeding trials and compositional analyses demonstrate improvements in palatability, digestibility and overall diet performance from these co-products, which contribute high-quality proteins, essential fatty acids and bioavailable micronutrients. Ocker explores formulation strategies and ingredient functionality, providing practical insights into how upcycled materials support product development, environmental goals and help meet consumer demands for transparency.

• Case study: Unlocking sustainable pet food ingredient access through whole-animal utilization

Caitlyn Dudas, principal, Good Company, presents a pioneering case study demonstrating how whole-animal utilization creates new pet food ingredient supply streams while improving economic and environmental outcomes. The project with a regenerative beef processor in Colorado and regional pet food manufacturers demonstrates strategic aggregation of nutrient-dense animal co-products such as hearts, livers, bones and fat that would otherwise be underutilized or discarded. Dudas provides practical insights into infrastructure, partnerships and aggregation models that make regional supply viable, plus a replicable framework for connecting regenerative agriculture with pet food manufacturing.

• Auditing the future: Digitalization and data analytics in pet food quality assurance

Jennifer Lott, technical development director, SGS North America, explores how digitalization is transforming food safety auditing in pet food manufacturing and supply chains from reactive to proactive through digital platforms that enable real-time document exchange, remote verification and data analytics supporting continuous assurance and early risk detection. Drawing on field data from more than 300 remote and hybrid audits conducted between 2021 and 2024, her study evaluates measurable impact of digital tools on audit efficiency, accuracy and risk visibility, showing an average 25% reduction in total audit cycle time, improved traceability of corrective actions and enhanced consistency of findings.

• AI-powered analytics for pet food: Price elasticity, forecasting and decision-making in Latin America

Iván Franco, founder and independent advisor, Triplethree International, introduces an applied framework using advanced analytics and AI to optimize pricing and forecast demand in the pet food market. Leveraging models of price elasticity, distributed lag effects and demand forecasting, he demonstrates how data transforms into actionable strategies for portfolio management and channel execution. Case studies from Latin America illustrate how predictive analytics uncovers hidden inefficiencies and improves profitability while reshaping competitive dynamics in pet food and offering a scalable blueprint for data-powered growth.

• Leveraging AI to predict pet food palatability: Integrating recipe, analytical and pet data

Ana Rita Monforte, Ph.D., global flavor and data sciences manager, AFB International, evaluates the use of AI to anticipate palatability outcomes of palatant systems prior to in vivo (animal) exposure, enabling earlier failure identification and reduced trial burden. Palatability remains one of the strongest commercial differentiators in pet food, yet its prediction still relies predominantly on empirical, animal-based testing. Beyond trial reduction, this AI framework informs ingredient selection during formulation, constrains design of experiments search space and supports design of next-generation palatants tuned for specific recipe architectures and processing conditions. By converting historically siloed data into decision-quality signals, AI enables a shift from intuition-led iteration to evidence-assisted design.

• Nutrition for senior pets: What do we really know?

Emma Bermingham, Ph.D., founder and head consultant, Ember Pet Nutrition, explores research on the nutritional needs of aging cats and dogs, highlighting critical gaps in current knowledge and guidelines. Cats show physiological changes beginning at 8 years, while dogs’ aging varies by size; yet no explicit nutritional guidelines exist for senior animals despite some pets living into their 30s. Many age-associated conditions such as cognitive decline and immune function decline respond to nutritional interventions in experimental settings, suggesting aging pets have specific nutrient requirements. Bermingham identifies urgent knowledge gaps and proposes key nutrients for developing improved nutritional guidelines for senior pet diets.

• How the microbiome-immune axis benefits multiple pet health areas that matter most to pet owners 

Ravi Sheth, Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer, Kingdom, explains how supporting the microbiome-immune axis simultaneously impacts multiple pet health areas including skin health, digestive wellness, weight management and behavioral health — all ranked by pet owners as top concerns. He examines emerging science behind the microbiome-immune axis in pets and how it links to various biological processes throughout the body, then highlights real-world case studies on various industry ingredients, products and clinical literature, demonstrating how impacting the microbiome-immune axis translates into quantifiable pet health benefits.

• The power of postbiotics: Strain selection, efficacy and applications for pet health

Lindsay Sumners, Ph.D., director of creation, design and development for pet and animal well-being, ADM, covers postbiotics as novel pet food ingredients offering microbiome benefits without the stability challenges associated with probiotics. She dives into the science behind microbial strain selection, clinical efficacy testing and stability validation in finished pet food formats, highlighting three case examples regarding development of postbiotics to support metabolic health, oral care and gut health in pets. Species-specific clinical research and application science studies demonstrate how certain postbiotic strains retain functionality through manufacturing processes such as baking, thermal extrusion and retort processing, making them suitable for multiple pet food and treat formats.

• Panel discussion: The future of pet food retailing — pet retail executives and experts (more information to come soon)

Ryan Estis, bestselling author, former Fortune 500 chief revenue officer and globally recognized sales and leadership expert, explains how the customer experience has been radically altered — and faces further transformation — as touchpoints, on-demand services, personalization and AI-enabled automation become more sophisticated. Today’s customers expect an effortless, personalized experience and seek brands that can continuously adapt and consistently deliver exceptional experiences. Customer experience can be a strategic differentiator and a source of competitive advantage, and Estis helps you understand how by leveraging the principles of human-centered growth. He explores how category-leading companies have cracked the code to meet evolving customer expectations through people, aligning employees around a common purpose and empowering them to deliver the extraordinary. By inspiring new ideas about the dynamics of customer and employee relationships, Estis provides a fresh understanding of how putting your customer at the center of your growth strategy can profoundly impact your business.