April 27-29, 2026

All Speakers

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

Shannon Landry
Research Director, Pet
Packaged Facts
Shannon Landry is the research director for Packaged Facts Pet, a leading authority on the U.S. pet industry and a division of the Freedonia Group. She has been researching the pet market for more than two decades, covering pet food and treats, non-food supplies, veterinary services and non-medical services. Key areas of research include sales and new product trends, consumer purchase patterns and pet owner sentiments and influences.
Date/TimeTitle
Tue Apr 28
1:30 PM - 2:35 PM
Alternative and sustainable pet foods: 1:30-2:35 p.m.
KCCC Room 2503
  • 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.