Pet “superfoods”: tasty, healthy, sustainable
The pet market is growing more than ever before. Its market size in Europe was worth USD 5.75 billion in 2023 alone. Estimations for the European market are around USD 11.74 billion by 2032 from USD 6.23 billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 8.24% from 2024 to 2032.
All of this is to say – we expect the pet food market to grow along with it. With this in mind, pet owners are now on the look-out for tasty, nutritious, and environmentally-friendly pet food solutions. One of the rising stars in pet food nutrition are insect-enriched products.
Why? Well, the reason may be scientific, but its foundation is easy to grasp: insects are nutrition powerhouses.
Insects offer between 55% to 76% crude protein, 10% to 50% healthy fats, and essential antioxidants that pets require. Additionally, incorporating insects into pet food supports dogs’ and cats’ immune systems while enhancing their intestinal health.
More information is available in IPIFF’s factsheet. Not only this, but insects offer pet food solutions with extremely high digestibility rates of up to 90%. As such, they are a viable solution to address “complete” pet food needs.
According to the FEDIAF, the European Pet Food Producers Association, “complete pet food means pet food which, by reason of its composition, is sufficient for a daily ration (Regulation EU No. 767/2009 adapted).”
In another factsheet, FEDIAF mentions that “insects are able to eat by-products and foods that are surplus to human requirements and efficiently convert them into quality proteins and produce valuable byproducts such as chitin and insect oil. This biological reprocessing of by-products is the key concept underpinning the use of insect protein in animal feeds. The increased acceptability of insect-based pet food ingredients has been further bolstered by research which indicates that insects are a nutritious source of protein and other essential nutrients, as well as potentially being more sustainable than conventional meat sources for pet food.”
While a myriad of pet food solutions can be found, owners often look out for complete foods that will keep their companions healthy and happy. Nevertheless, sustainability is another critical factor to consider.
For instance, conventional pet food production contributes to between 1.1% to 2.9% of all the emissions from agriculture worldwide every year. One of the biggest challenges pet food producers are faced with lies at the intersection of providing protein and vitamin-rich pet food that relies on locally sourced and environmentally performing materials to ensure higher sustainability credentials.
So, how do we find a solution? Nobody can make this choice for you, however, we’ve pulled together some of the science-based facts about insect-enriched pet foods, so you can make an informed choice.
1. Nutritional Benefits
High-Quality Protein: Insects like black soldier fly larvae, crickets, and mealworms are rich in essential amino acids, comparable to traditional animal proteins such as chicken or beef.
Healthy Fats: They contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, beneficial for pets’ skin, coat, and overall health.
Micronutrients: Insects are naturally rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, calcium, and B vitamins.
2. Digestibility
Many insects have high digestibility scores, making them an excellent source of easily absorbable nutrients for pets with sensitive stomachs or specific dietary needs. Most insect species have digestibility rates between 80-90%, according to research. For this reason alone, a lot of pet owners opt for insect-enriched pet foods, as their premium ingredients turn them into super pet foods.
3. Sustainability
Low Resource Use: Insect farming requires significantly less land, water, and feed compared to livestock farming. For example, crickets need 12 times less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein.
Reduced Emissions: Insects produce negligible greenhouse gases compared to traditional livestock.
Upcycling: Many insects are raised on organic waste, converting it into high-quality protein and fats, reducing food waste and contributing to a circular economy.
Life cycle assessment studies indicate that insect proteins can have a lower environmental impact (eg., lower land use, lower water use, less emission of CO2 – equivalents) than animal proteins from ruminants, pigs, and poultry when produced using renewable energy and fed with agricultural by-products (Van Huis and Oonincx 2017).
4. Hypoallergenic Properties
Insects are novel protein sources for many pets, reducing the risk of allergic reactions associated with more common proteins like beef, chicken, or fish. This makes insect-based pet foods ideal for pets with food sensitivities or allergies.
5. Economic Benefits Cost-Effective
Scaling: Insect farming can be done vertically, making it a scalable solution to meet the rising demand for pet food protein.
Local Production: Insects can be farmed almost anywhere, reducing dependency on imported ingredients and stabilising supply chains.
6. Versatility
Insect ingredients can be used in various forms, such as whole dried insects, powders, or oils, allowing manufacturers to incorporate them into wet, dry, or treat-based pet foods. This helps you choose the right snack and texture for your companion.
7. Environmental Impact
Awareness Pet owners are increasingly looking for sustainable products. Using insect-based ingredients aligns pet food brands with environmentally conscious consumer values, enhancing brand reputation.
Pet superfood
The aspects considered above speak not only to the nutritional profile of insect-enriched pet foods, but also to their sustainability credentials. As insect ingredients provide premium quality animal feeds, pet owners, vets and some industry experts have started referring to such animal ingredients as super feed solutions.