MANHATTAN, KAN. — More than 150 pet food industry professionals and members of academia gathered at Kansas State University (K-State) from Sept. 8 to 9 for Pet Food Collab (formerly KibbleCon) 2025. The event offered insights into current challenges, research and innovations pertaining to the industry, as well as encouraged discussion on topics throughout the event.
Presentations and discussions spanned a wide range of topics, from regulatory and research to product development and consumer behaviors. Attendees even got to hear from students of K-State’s Pet Food Program on their current research studies pertaining to pet food.
Read on to hear some of the highlights from the educational event.
Current regulatory landscape
To kick off the event, Haley Larson, Ph.D., assistant professor of animal health at K-State Olathe and scientific lead of K-State and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)’s Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS) process, provided an update and detailed explanation on the current ingredient approval pathways for the industry. The current processes include the SRIS, the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) interim Animal Food Ingredient Consultation (AFIC), and the FDA’s Food Additive Petition (FAP) and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) processes, which are currently being re-evaluated by the administration.
“Change is coming, and, for the sake of our industry, I think it’s exiting change,” Larson said. “We have so much complexity that exists in the ingredient approval space that there is some real opportunity for collaboration and improved efficiency within our ingredient approval processes, and we can see that through our progress.”
Larson’s update was followed by a discussion panel on the current regulatory landscape, where she was joined by Garret Ashabranner, Ph.D., program manager for the SRIS Program; Eric Altom, Ph.D., director of Innovation for Companion Animals and technical nutritionist for Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health; Amy Tryon, senior manager of Regulatory Affairs for Hill’s Pet Nutrition; and industry veteran Kathy Gross, Ph.D., who moderated the discussion.
The group discussed the current uncertain regulatory landscape and provided insights for manufacturers on how to ensure they have the most effective ingredient review process possible. The key theme of the discussion was the often lengthy amount of time an approval process can take, regardless of which pathway, which Ashabranner and Larson assured improving upon was a major goal of the new SRIS program, while still maintaining rigorous and safe reviews. During the panel, Larson also mentioned that the SRIS program will be “soft launching” this fall and beginning to take on some ingredient review submissions.
Consumer perceptions
Presenting insights from their research into pet food consumer purchasing behaviors and preferences, Aleksan Shanoyan, Ph.D., and Lonnie Hobbs, Ph.D., professor and assistant professor, respectively, in the Department of Agricultural Economics at K-State, took the stage.
Shanoyan presented findings on specific attributes that consumers would prefer their pet food products to have, which he referred to as their “wishlist.” Some top attributes included high protein, made in the United State and no artificial colors, flavors or growth hormones.
Despite these specific “wishlists” consumers have, they don’t always buy the products they say they ideally want. Shanoyan explained that he thinks consumers don’t always act on these preferences due to certain factors such as availability and financial ability, especially for those of the younger generations.
“We suspect that part of this difference is because those that actually value these things right now may not currently have the disposable income to purchase it,” he explained.
Hobbs presented more specific insights into consumer perceptions of sustainability in comparison to other key product attributes, demonstrating that sustainability is growing in consumer importance as younger generations are beginning to make their mark on the sector. However, the research showed that while sustainability does hold importance to current consumers, it still does not outweigh the importance of other features such as “high protein” in their pet food purchases.
Additionally, the research found that, across all generations, animal welfare is a bigger concern within sustainability than environmental impact. Specifically, survey responses showed that consumers are willing to pay more for certified animal welfare, ethically raised, pasture raise and cage free more than they are willing to pay for aspects of environmental sustainability.
Product development
In response to the current rise in cat ownership, Julia Guazzelli Pezzali, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the Pet Food Program at K-State, presented her research and insights on two common health issues among felines, urinary tract health and obesity. According to Pezzali, pet food manufacturers need to be mindful of the balance of minerals in their formulations, as she found mineral imbalance can greatly impact felines’ urinary tract health.
On the obesity side, she made sure to highlight the importance of this issue among cats, with the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reporting that 61% of domestic cats in the United States are obese. She shared that the causes of obesity are more complex than generally assumed, with society and behavior, biology and metabolism, energy balance, environment and psychological factors all contributing to the issue. She also shared the possible effectiveness of using betaine as a functional ingredient in pet food formulations, sharing research showing that it can enhance cats’ metabolism without damaging the liver.
“When you think about optimal health, it’s not just about meeting the minimums and the maximums, it’s about thinking about the consequences in long-term health,” Pezzali explained. “We need to make sure we are formulating for long-term health, it’s about scientific information and data.”
Later on, Leah Lambrakis, vice president of R&D, Nutrition and Scientific Affairs for Simmons Pet Food, provided insights on the process of turning a vision or concept into a successful new product launch to market. She shared that more than 50% of new pet food products don’t make it past the first year on the market, and 80% don’t make it past two years, demonstrating the importance of an effective product development strategy.
Lambrakis shared that an important part of avoiding this in the formulation process is to think about certain factors outside of just nutrition, such as the texture, binding, particle size, viscosity, batching and food safety of the product. She also provided insights on creating effective marketing for a new product through “storytelling” of four key sections of the product: nutrition, which includes ingredient emphasis; health, which includes the benefits of the product; quality, which includes safety and transparency features; and planet, which details welfare and sustainability features.
“At the end of the day, what really matters is what is in that bowl,” Lambrakis said.
Artificial intelligence in pet food
Providing insights into how artificial intelligence (AI) can be incorporated in pet food processing operations, Allison Blomme, Ph.D. student in Grain Science and Industry at K-State, took the stage. She shared that different forms of AI can aid pet food companies in formulation, processing, operational efficiency and enhance data security.
According to Blomme, AI can aid in formulation by learning continuously and predicting future formulations; in processing by improving processing predictions and production decision-making; in efficiency by tracking daily progress, streamlining paperwork and using digital system tools; and in data security by providing higher-quality data, keeping data self-contained and incorporating inline detection systems to support quality control.
“There is definitely not a one-size-fits-all solution, this definitely requires someone with the expertise within the system to find a solution for your specific facility,” she explained.
Academia and industry collaboration
The event wrapped up with a panel discussion about the benefits of collaboration between pet food industry companies and related academia, featuring Lambrakis; Melissa Weber, Ph.D., director of technical services for Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition; Rachelle Banwart, executive director of Corporate Engagement for K-State; Jane Shuh, Ph.D., director of Agricultural Research and associate dean for Research and Graduate Programs for K-State; and Shanoyan, who moderated the panel.
The group urged pet industry companies to explore other opportunities for collaboration if they don’t have the ability to do a large sponsorship such as a graduate program, with Weber and Lambrakis sharing personal experiences with their companies collaborating with K-State. According to the group, some of these collaborative opportunities could include research, education, student programs or just simply sharing knowledge with academia of what the current research needs of the industry are.
“Academia brings the curiosity, the resources and the thirst for research, while the industry brings the tools, environment and the questions we haven’t figured out,” Lambrakis said.
Weber and Lambrakis also discussed the benefits pet industry companies can gain from these collaborative ventures, including gaining expertise, resources and future qualified employees.
“We win because we’re getting research that can move our industry forward,” Weber noted. “And the university wins because they’re getting feedback from the industry on the things that important to it, while the students are getting the opportunity to do hands-on research.”
Read more about pet food and treat industry events.
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