Pet Food Science

Pet food has become a major innovation category with the humanisation of pets driving premium and functional segments. The session covers novel protein sources (insect, alternative meat, cultivated), raw and freeze-dried diets and the safety/regulatory considerations, life-stage nutrition formulation, prescription veterinary diets, pet-food sustainability metrics, and AAFCO regulatory framework. Discussion addresses pet obesity and weight-management diets, breed-specific nutrition, gut-microbiome modulation in pets, novel ingredients including microalgae and fermentation-derived proteins, and the parallel between human and pet nutrition trends including grain-free and high-protein diets.