April 27-29, 2026

All Speakers

Dog and cat food research experts who will present at Petfood Forum & Petfood Essentials

Caitlyn Dudas
Principal
Good Company
Caitlyn Dudas is the founder of Good Company, a consultancy advancing regenerative supply chains in the pet food industry. She has more than a decade of experience leading sustainability initiatives, including co-founding and serving as executive director of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, where she built a 200-plus company member base and spearheaded industry-wide packaging and sourcing programs. Dudas currently advises ranchers, processors and pet food manufacturers on scaling regenerative ingredient markets across the U.S.
Date/TimeTitle
Tue Apr 28
3:10 PM - 4:15 PM
Alternative and sustainable pet foods: 3:10-4:15 p.m.
KCCC Room 2503
  • 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.