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Concept
Pet food
Summary
Pet food is animal feed intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for animals is a byproduct of the human food industry, and is not regarded as "human grade".
In 2019, the world pet food market was valued at US113.2 billion by the year 2024. The pet food market is dominated by five major companies, as of 2020: Mars, Inc., Nestle Purina Petcare, J. M. Smucker, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. (owned by Colgate-Palmolive), and Blue Buffalo Co. Ltd (owned by General Mills).
In the United States, pet-food sales in 2016 reached an all-time high of 17 billion annually in pet-care products. Online sales of pet food are increasing and contributing to this growth. Online sales in the US increased 15 percent in 2015. Worldwide, the compound annual growth rate of pet food purchased online was more than 25% between 2013 and 2018. , the U.S. leads the world in pet-food spending.
Sustainable food system
Given the carnivorous diets fed to many pets (especially cats and dogs), involving the consumption of an estimated fifth of the world's meat and fish, the impact of pet-food production on climate change, other environmental impacts and land-use becomes an issue.
A 2023 review on the topic indicates adequate vegan diets, which are more sustainable, would not have adverse impacts on the health of pet dogs and cats. There also is research on insect-based pet food.
A life-cycle analysis of contemporary pet foods suggests wet foods for cats and dogs tend to have a larger impact than dry foods. It also suggests there are substantial opportunities for improvement in "all phases of the pet food life cycle, including formulation, ingredient selection, manufacturing processes" and so on.
Like humans, dogs are omnivores.
Official source
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