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| PET GAZETTE CLEAN EATING PETS
with clean eating some believe the concept that
a pet only needs the raw, stripped basics has
led humans to follow suit and believe that’s all
they need too. Deborah Burrows, managing
director of The Healthy Pet Food Store,
Hampshire which promises to offer “healthy,
natural and eco-friendly products” and sells its
own range of raw pet food, says she’s noticed
a low carbohydrate trend among consumers.
“Dogs and cats don’t need carbohydrates in
their diets, they have protein-based diets. What’s
happened now is that humans are realising,
‘maybe I don’t need that many carbohydrates
either’.” She continues: “People are cutting
them out as well for weight loss, so it’s the
reverse of what you would expect.” As a result,
similarly to humanisation, we have households
where the humans and pets both eat diets
while not necessarily similar in components
and ingredients but mirrored in attitude and
approach. Lock adds: “We’ve seen natural
foods grow in the human food industry and
us two legged consumers are now asking the
important questions of our food to ensure we’re
looking after ourselves and the planet.” Guy
Blaskey, founder of Pooch and Mutt, a brand
which says it creates “health food for dogs” says
premiumisation is also a major factor in the
popularity of clean diets as consumers seek a
higher class of product in all areas. “You can see
across all sectors whether it’s people going from
Schweppes to Fever Tree, Heineken to Brewdog,
Cadburys to Green and Black.”
However during the research into clean
eating, Mars Petcare found it was a trend which
began with people and trickled its way into the
pet trade. Dumas says: “What we have seen
is that pet owners really are choosing foods
that mirrors their own desires for natural foods.
Nutro approaches this challenge with those
three elements which are simplicity, purposeful
and trustworthy ingredients.”
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KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Clean eating and simplicity are practically
synonymous as foods which aren’t processed,
don’t have filler ingredients or preservatives
tend to be ‘clean’ by their very nature. Trainor
comments: “Pet parents want simplicity and
transparency in their products, as we do with
our own food.” Freshpet recently released an
ad campaign where a chef served people
the company’s pet food, in an effort to show
how trustworthy, clean and safe its product
was. Trainor says the company’s food has no
“preservatives, meat powders or fillers, or crazy
ingredients” people can’t pronounce before
adding: “We are so confident in the quality of
our dog food that we thought people would
even enjoy it.” Burrows adds to this saying all
customers want is “clarity of ingredients”.
EATING FOR HEALTH
“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine
be thy food,” says Blaskey, quoting Greek
physician Hippocrates, adding: “The best way
to treat disease is to not get disease and one
of the key causes is bad diet.” The pet owner
consumer pool is diverse, with some even
going as far as to choose not to vaccinate
their furry and feathered companions, a sect
of the market which was examined in March’s
issue. While these fears and beliefs aren’t too
common and its basis unfounded, minimising
the probability of illness and consequently
the need vet appointments through food and
holistic means is a method all pet businesses
are beginning to take note of. Trainor says:
“Treating pets like one of the family continues
to be a trend which is leading pet owners to
increasingly prioritise their pets’ health.”
CLEAR BENEFITS
As clean eating focuses on keeping things
natural and simple, it is easier for owners not
only to understand the ingredients list but to
check each one and look into its benefits for
their pet. Dumas says: “It’s really concentrated
on the simplicity, we can say that every
ingredient has a purpose.”
AFFORDABLE SUPERIORITY?
Although it is agreed that pet owners are
willing to pay more for premium, high quality
ingredients, it is noted that this isn’t necessary
to follow the clean eating trend. Speaking
on her store’s own brand range of raw food,
Burrows says: “I don’t think in raw people
are looking for premium because the whole
essence of raw is simplicity.” This sentiment
is echoed by Blaskey who adds: “It depends
what you call premium. For us it’s good quality
ingredients, That doesn’t mean it’s caviar - it
can be chicken but it’s not made with animal
derivatives; when we say chicken it’s chicken.”
Mars Petcare has attempted to offer this with
its Nutro Wild Frontier range, which boasts a
“high level of ingredients” and is made with
“70 percent of ingredients from animal sources
which is high in protein and grain-free”. It has
also made the effort to make sure its supply
chain remains as ‘clean’ as its brand promises
to be, with trusted suppliers and sources.
The clean eating trend - which is
arguably a fragment of humanisation and
premiumisation - is well meaning; owners
are prioritising their pets’ health and going for
products which include wholesome, natural
ingredients with no filler components. No
matter which way brands in the trade choose
to market themselves, it’s clear that consumers
are putting their money where their mouths
are, looking beyond the taglines, reading the
ingredients list and choosing what is right for
their companions. As Dumas concludes: “We
aim for all our pet food to be well balanced
and nutritional.”
December 2018