Pet Food Report

In July 2024, the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) kicked off a research project to update the 2019 pet food report, which assessed the scope of ingredients and upstream value of pet food in rural and urban communities across America. This report has provided the pet food industry and its stakeholders the most precise, comprehensive analysis of the diverse ingredients used and consumed by U.S. dogs and cats.  

The report found that U.S. pet food manufacturers use roughly 8.65 million tons of animal- and plant-based ingredients for dog and cat food to provide the complete nutrition pets need, at a value of $6.9 billion. More than 500 safe and nutritious ingredients are used, demonstrating the diversity of options available to shoppers at various price points to fit their budgets. Often using leftover ingredients made from the production of human food, such as bakery or brewery items or parts of the animal that humans don’t eat, the report also highlighted the pet food industry’s commitment to reducing agriculture’s environmental impact.  See more project results>> 

As trends in pet ownership and care shift, especially following the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to update the pet food ingredient dataset. The dataset is used by industry members, upstream and downstream value chain stakeholders, and researchers to understand the scope and status of pet food components and its use.  

Invest in this Industry Resource 

Decision Innovation Solutions is developing the report and IFEEDER is still raising funds to support the project.  

To contribute to the project and help IFEEDER raise the remaining amount, contact us or donate here>> 

Current Project Partners 

Thank you to our current funding partners:  

Also, special thanks to the following corporate IFEEDER donors supporting this effort, will you join them?  

Project Highlights: 

• Ingredient Analysis: Using a reverse engineering methodology, ingredients used and the value of those ingredients in various dog and cat food products are determined without uncovering proprietary recipes.  

• Economic Impact: Representative samples of pet food sales are used to estimate the economic multiplier effect the pet food industry has on the broader agricultural community.  

• Resources Your Company Can Use: The final report will include fact sheets and downloadable social media graphics. 

IFEEDER anticipates the updated report will be available in January 2025.