“Free From” Claims Help Drive $30 Billion in Pet Foods Sales

Amy Tokic
by Amy Tokic
It turns out that we want our pets to eat just as well as we do. And it’s this focus on quality that’s behind a growing niche of natural pet food products.


What do you look for when buying your pet food? We’re going to guess that foods that claim to be “free from” certain ingredients go a big way in determining your purchasing decision. Okay, we’ve got to come clean – we don’t have ESP. This is info from a market research publisher that says the “free from” label is helping to drive the pet food market to $30 billion in sales this year.


According to Packaged Facts’ new report, Pet Food in the U.S., 12th Edition, pet parent want to feed their fur babies the same high-quality food we usually buy for ourselves. The strengthening of the human/animal bond is deepening, and it’s no surprise to see that niches in the pet food industry are jumping on the bandwagon.


Related: What You Need To Know About Dog Food Labels


As we mentioned early, “free from” labels on pet foods are the biggest draw, with grain-free claims drawing interest. Any product that’s all-natural in the U.S. has to have a grain-free line in order to be seen as a contender in this high-quality niche.


In the past two years, we’ve seen a rise in the number of grain-free pet foods entering the market, and there’s no sign of it stopping now; estimates say that grain-free pet foods account for approximately a third of dog and cat food sales in the pet specialty channel. In terms of money, grain-free recipes account for $2 billion in sales.


Wondering what other “free from” claims are affecting our purchasing power? It turns out that we’re on the lookout for pet foods that are: gluten-free, corn-free, soy-free, non-GMO, potato/starch-free, and claims of no by-products, and artificial ingredients. If you’re a cat owner, chances are that you stalk foods that contain no fillers or by-products.


Are you one of the pet parents that look for pet foods that claim to be “free from” certain ingredients? Why do you feed these kinds of foods to your pet? Leave your reasons in the comment section below.

Amy Tokic
Amy Tokic

Amy Tokic, Editor of PetGuide.com, is a passionate animal lover and proud pet parent of Oscar, a Shih Tzu/Chihuahua cross, and Zed, a Japanese Chin. Her love of animals began in kindergarten, when she brought her stuffed dog Snoopy into class with her every day. Now, she writes about her adventures in pet ownership and tirelessly researches products, news and health related issues she can share with other animal enthusiasts. In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, obsessing over the latest pet products available and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with her pooches).

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