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Discover emerging technologies, see future trends and meet the professionals that are shaping the pet food landscape at Petfood Forum. The Petfood Tech Talk Stage showcases the latest products and capabilities from suppliers and innovators assisting pet food companies worldwide.
Petfood Tech Talks were among the most well-attended sessions in 2025 with many presentations at standing-room only. In 2026, we’ve expanded the program to add even more sessions providing attendees with maximum opportunities to see what’s next in pet food technologies.
The 2026 Petfood Tech Talk Stage is sponsored by Symrise
Tuesday, April 28
9:20 a.m. | Trouw Nutrition | Presenter: Dr. Sofia Wilson, companion animal nutritionist
>> Blending premixes that perform: The four components of a well-designed premix — This presentation explores how ingredient blending impacts premix quality and outlines the four essential components of a well-designed premix. While formulators often focus on active ingredients, additional components are essential to achieving a uniform premix, as even small variations in premix composition can significantly affect performance and nutrient delivery in finished pet food.
9:35 a.m. | Datacor | Presenter: Annette Lundeen, senior manager, product management
>> Beyond least cost: Turning formulation into a decision driver — Managing formulas often gets stuck in a least-cost mindset, but real-world decisions are rarely that simple. Every formula change affects nutrition, claims, palatability, operations and manages business risk and bottom line financials all at the same time. In this session, we’ll look at how modern formulation tools help teams proactively evaluate trade-offs, test scenarios before making changes, and make assumptions clear so they can make smarter, data-decisions.
9:50 a.m. | Zinpro | Presenter: Laura Amundson Ph.D., research & discovery lead, global pet
>> Minerals and movement: Advancing canine mobility with performance minerals — Mobility is essential to a long, thriving life, and nutrition plays a vital role in sustaining healthy movement. Because declines in mobility can begin long before visible signs appear, foundational nutrition is important at every life stage. What if rethinking the form of an essential nutrient could help dogs move better, recover faster and stay active longer? Join this Tech Talk to see new research showing how Zinpro® Performance Minerals® supported improved mobility outcomes in healthy adult dogs after a structured exercise challenge and increased daily activity in senior dogs.
10:05 a.m. | Parker Freeze | Matt Graunke, executive sales representative
>> Commercial freeze drying in the pet food industry — This presentation provides a practical overview of freeze drying, from core fundamentals and key system components to the critical parameters that drive performance and product quality. We’ll explore why recipe development matters, how yield is influenced by process variables, and where freeze drying delivers the greatest advantages across applications. Real-world examples will connect theory to execution, helping you better understand how to optimize results from concept to scale.
10:20 a.m. | APC | Dr. Joy Campbell, senior director of global pet food technical service
>> Natural protein-based colorants: The role of spray dried animal blood cells in pet food — Natural protein–based colorants are gaining momentum. Spray-dried red cells deliver a rich, authentic meaty appearance while contributing protein value. This session will explore how manufacturers are leveraging red cells to meet clean-label expectations and enhance product visual appeal naturally.
10:35 a.m. | Coperion | Presenter: Jonathan O. Thorn, executive director, processing technology
>> Extruder hood designs that promote sanitary processes — Recent developments in extruder hood design are helping pet food manufacturers in their battle against microbial contamination. By reorienting the traditional vacuum takeaway system, a key process risk can be eliminated. In addition to improved product safety, plants can also gain improved process control through use of a sanitary extruder hood.
10:50 a.m. | Ecolab | Presenter: John H. Hanlin, PhD., vice president of food safety
>> Why dry matters: Strategies to prevent Salmonella proliferation in low-moisture pet food and treats — Salmonella is both a canine and human pathogen, and outbreaks of foodborne illness affecting pets and humans have been linked to dry dog food and pet treats. These outbreaks have resulted in product recalls. This presentation will focus on new research on the survival and recovery of Salmonella in dry environments. Cleaning and sanitizing strategies to reduce food safety risk will be discussed in light of new research.
11:05 a.m. | CEM Corporation & Certified Group | Presenters: Eileen Stochl, product manager, and Jay Alappat, Ph.D., chief science officer – chemistry
>> Sustainable solutions for compositional analysis — Ensure product quality while eliminating solvents and reducing test times. CEM’s easy-to-use analyzers provide reference chemistry accuracy for moisture, fat and ash in a fraction of the time traditionally required. From raw and incoming ingredients to in-process slurries and finished kibble, accurate analysis is just a start button away.
11:20 a.m. | Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics | Presenter: Dr. Abhijit Rathi, director of R&D, pet and human nutrition
>> Advancing canine oral care: Enzyme-probiotic formulation demonstrates antimicrobial and clinical benefits — Researchers evaluated Bactase Pet PB™, an enzyme-probiotic formulation for pet oral health, through in vitro testing and a 30-day randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in dogs. Results demonstrated significant reductions in plaque, gingivitis, bad breath and bacterial load, with strong anti-biofilm activity. The study provides microbiological and clinical evidence supporting enzyme-probiotic supplementation as an innovative, science-backed strategy to address periodontal disease and elevate health and wellness in companion animals.
11:35 a.m. | Stratum Nutrition | Presenter: Marie Parks, ingredient science specialist
>> Proactive pet health: A clinically validated oral probiotic for next-gen innovations — As pet owners shift toward preventative care, oral health is emerging as a high-impact innovation space. This session reviews the science behind OraCMU™, a patented probiotic shown to reduce key markers of halitosis and plaque in dogs. Attendees will gain insight into how microbiome-based oral care can drive product differentiation, premium positioning and long-term brand growth.
11:50 a.m. | Jefo Nutrition Inc. | Presenter: Emilie Fontaine, vice president of brand and products
>> Redefining stability and bioavailability: Jefo Matrix Microencapsulation revolution in pet food — Creating high-performance pet food is a balancing act, often compromised by aggressive minerals that degrade vitamins and limit bioavailability. This session introduces Jefo Matrix Technology, which uses advanced lipid engineering to physically isolate reactive ingredients, ensuring they survive the journey from the premix to the gut. Discover how to bridge the gap between economic efficiency and biological performance, making precision nutrition simpler and more predictable for you.
12:05 p.m. | Reiser | Presenter: Paul McKeithan, senior vice president of business development
>> Market trends shaping the future of pet food manufacturing — The pet product market is shifting from volume-driven to value-driven growth, as health-conscious consumers demand higher quality, transparency, sustainability, and convenience. Manufacturers must adopt flexible, agile technologies to meet evolving expectations. The move from traditional kibble to alternative and human-grade formats is reshaping retail shelf space, requiring producers to adapt processes and collaborate with suppliers to deliver customized solutions efficiently.
12:20 p.m. | Kemin
>> Info coming soon
Wednesday, April 29
9:20 a.m. | Phileo by Lesaffre | Presenter: Russ Kelley, global program manager, pet
>> Yeast extracts: Solutions for companion animals — Yeast extracts are natural ingredients that can offer an array of benefits to foods, treats, or supplements that target companion animals. Yeast extracts can be rich sources of essential nutrients or bioactive compounds as well providing unique flavor profiles. The exact benefit or combination of benefits are dependent upon strain, fermentation conditions, extraction processes, and post-extraction processes.
9:35 a.m. | Mérieux NutriSciences | Presenters: Alexandra Miller, global key account manager and Kris Newton, business development manager, expert partners
>> Teaching an old plant new tricks: Retrofitting for pathogen control — Most pet food facilities aren’t new builds, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be world-class in safety. We’ll discuss how to modernize your sanitary design without tearing down the walls.
9:50 a.m. | Kerry | Presenter: Ricardo Moreia, business development director-food protention
>> Freshness fetched: Delivering science-backed shelf-life extension for refrigerated pet food— Refrigerated pet food is on the rise, but so are the risks. Ricardo Moreira will present the fresh pet food solutions for total food protection, shelf life extension and pathogens control with clean label and kitchen-friendly ingredients, backed by predictive microbiology and real-world results.
10:05 a.m. | The Haskell Company | Presenter: Zary Peretz, senior analyst
>> Digital twins for line tuning and optimization in the pet food industry — Digital twins can create virtual environments that enable engineers to explore different improvement opportunities on existing and new lines. Haskell will share two recent uses of this technology to explain how simulation can support better decision-making and line performance improvements. Lessons learned and keys to success will be highlighted.
10:20 a.m. | Alltech | Presenter: Kami Grandeen, technical manager, petfood
>> From bioavailability to benefits: A fresh look at proteinate trace minerals in pet diets — Research in dogs and cats has shown that the right form of trace minerals can promote vitamin stability, shelf life and palatability. Alltech’s Bioplex range of highly bioavailable proteinate trace minerals, are designed to optimize pet health by supporting nutrient absorption, immunity and overall wellness. Learn how Bioplex proteinates can boost your formula and your brand.
10:35 a.m. | BCF Life Sciences | Presenters: Ludovic Lair, pet care business unit leader and Pierrick Kersante, pet care R&D manager
>> Boosting cat wet food palatability with natural free amino acid solutions — Cats’ highly selective palates make wet food palatability notoriously difficult to optimize. Conventional systems often rely on amino acids and sugars for Maillard reactions—but that’s only part of the story. At BCF Life Sciences, we have developed naturally derived and balanced free L-amino acid mixes through extensive hydrolysis, shown to effectively stimulate feline umami receptors and significantly enhance palatability in wet cat food.
10:50 a.m. | Cargill | Presenter: Jess Jarett, R&D prinicipal scientist, pet
>> Postbiotics beyond the gut: Holistic benefits of TruMune in aging dogs — Postbiotics are well known for their positive effects on digestive health and immunity, but their benefits in other areas of pets’ well-being are just starting to be explored. We present new research results on holistic impacts of supplementation with TruMune in older pet dogs, in areas such as nighttime rest and occasional discomfort-related behaviors. We also demonstrate support for critical species in the gut microbiome including Peptoclostridium hiranonis in a real-world population of dogs.
11:05 a.m. | ProMach | Presenter: Troy Snader, senior vice president, secondary-business development
>> The sustainability shift: Rethinking films and oxidation in modern pet food — Market trends in pet food are increasingly challenging manufacturers to deliver fresher products while maintaining acceptable shelf life. At the same time, sustainability goals, consumer expectations and emerging state legislation are creating competing pressures that can feel difficult to reconcile. This presentation explores practical strategies to address oxidation through advances in machinery and film technology, helping producers balance performance, compliance and environmental responsibility.
11:20 a.m. | Eurofins Nutrition Analysis Center | Presenter: Kari Nichols, business development director
>> Analytical considerations for pet food — Pet Food Label Modernization has brought dietary fiber front and center within the pet food and ingredient industries. This Tech Talk will introduce the commonly used methods as well as discuss high-level thoughts on considerations for pet food testing specifically.
11:35 a.m. | Novonesis | Presenters: Marcial Guevara, global senior technical product manager – pet and Rebecaa Replogle, nutrition science lead
>> The emerging role of enzymes in pet food — Enzymes represent an exciting new frontier in pet food. While they are widely used in livestock feed, their adoption in pet nutrition is still in its early stages. This presentation will explore how enzymes have traditionally been used and highlight the untapped opportunities they offer to elevate product quality and support pet health across the pet food industry.
11:50 a.m. | Info coming soon
The Petfood Tech Talk Stage is located in Aisle 600 on Exhibit Hall Floor. Companies will present for 10 minutes with 5 minutes for Q&A.
Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to hear about these emerging pet food products and capabilities!
About Petfood Forum
Pet food and treat manufacturers and brand owners count on Petfood Forum to anticipate supply chain and market changes through practical research and technology insights from vetted experts - and connecting with suppliers to turn those insights into action.
Petfood Forum places suppliers directly in front of industry decision-makers who are actively sourcing solutions. As the only event 100% focused on pet food and treat manufacturing, it enables ingredient, equipment, packaging, processing, and service providers to engage qualified buyers, demonstrate relevance, and build partnerships that move business forward.