The Interview - Dana Brooks - CEO at Pet Food Institue

Good science is needed - not disruptors

What does the Pet Food Institute do in the industry? What could you say about its mission?

The Pet Food Institute's goal is to support the industry as the voice of U.S. pet food and treat makers. PFI is the industry's representative before Congress and state legislatures, as well as state and federal agencies; a public education and media relations resource; an organizer of seminars and educational programs; and a liaison to other organizations.

Is there any current research in the industry that you consider a disruptive factor in its growth?

I don't think there's research that is a disruption. Good science is needed - not disruptors. PFI's research group focuses mostly on food safety.

How do you think the post pandemic pet food industry will keep on developing?

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Our members' goal is always to provide safe products that provide complete and balanced nutrition to dogs and cats. That goal will not change. One thing that we have seen is that post-pandemic, more American households than ever have a pet – about 70% now. This rapid growth, in addition to the sourcing issues due to renewable diesel mandates and trucking issues, will continue to create supply chain issues moving forward. PFI continues to advocate for solutions to improve supply chain issues and support the needs of pet lovers and their pets.

How do you think that people's trends and habits impact their pet ownership?

One big area we see this in is the increasing concern over pet obesity. Over 50% of American pets are currently overweight or obese. This, unfortunately, leads to a host of health issues for the animal including diabetes, joint, and heart issues.

Studies show that a dog at a healthy weight can live up to 2.5 years longer than one that is overweight. During the pandemic, more Americans were home with their pets, and pets were being fed more treats and toys filled with peanut butter to keep the pets calm while people worked. Since less than 10% of a pet's daily caloric intake should come from treats, this created an unhealthy situation. That's why Pet Food Institute launched the Your Pet's Healthy Weight campaign to educate consumers on the dangers of pet obesity and encourage them to work with their vets to attain a healthy weight.

Sustainability is one of the most important initiative nowadays. What do you think of it? How is the company embracing it?

The pet food industry is embracing ideas that will make its operations more sustainable. Some of those efforts are hindered by regulatory challenges like the length of time it takes to get approval on new ingredients. PFI members take several different steps to support continued sustainability in the manufacturing of pet food. This can include steps such as investing in packaging advancements to minimize waste and maximize recycling to reducing water and energy use at manufacturing sites and avoiding competing with the human food supply.

From responsible ingredient sourcing to on-site manufacturing and packaging, PFI members are finding multiple ways to advance the sustainable production of pet food. That's why the Pet Food Institute is working with the Pet Sustainability Coalition and we have created a Sustainability Working Group – to proactively search for ways to become more sustainable. The Pet Sustainability Coalition's Earth Day campaign is one example of how the industry is coming together to be more sustainable. During Earth Day 2022, pet industry professionals came together to complete over 10,000 earth-friendly actions.

What challenges could you say are the most difficult to overcome for the industry nowadays?

One of the biggest challenges are supply chain issues partially caused by mandates and incentives for renewable diesel use. In an effort to address climate change, the government is providing incentives to farmers to use animal and plant oils traditionally used in pet food and for human consumption to be used in the creation of renewable diesel. This is causing unintended consequences in the supply chain in the form of ingredient shortages and drastically increased ingredient costs for pet food makers.

The lengthy, time consuming and expensive process of getting new and innovative ingredients approved for use in pet food. This process can take upwards of 5 years making it difficult for pet food makers to implement new research and sustainable practices to provide the best nutrition possible for pets. A key example of this is the use of insect proteins. Currently, there is tentative approval to use only one ingredient – black soldier fly larvae - in dog food. However, there are other high-quality insect proteins that could be used in pet foods if the approval process were more efficient and harmonized. This delays bringing highly sustainable ingredients to market at a time when the government is seeking to reduce carbon emissions.

Source: Pet Food Institute