Pet owners are incorporating more freeze-dried, air-dried and gently cooked options into their dogs' diets, thanks in part to the perception that these foods feature high-quality ingredients that offer multiple health benefits.

Freeze-dried, air-dried and gently cooked diets were once viewed as meal toppers for dogs to enjoy as an occasional treat. However, today's pet owners are choosing to use these products regularly as an enhancement to their dogs' daily meals, said Molly Keveney, spokesperson for Champion Petfoods, the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based manufacturer of the Acana and Orijen brands.

"Deterring flavor fatigue or mitigating potential dietary sensitivities are some of the reasons consumers continue to diversify their pet's food," she said. "Rotating dry food recipes alone is not cutting it, so pet lovers are looking for new ways to create crave-able meals that are more enticing and exciting for pets."

Freeze-dried foods are great options for pet owners who want the benefit of frozen raw nutrition, Keveney noted. The freeze-drying process maintains the nutritional value of fresh ingredients by locking in flavor and nutrients, creating biologically appropriate nutrition for dogs and offering peace of mind for owners that want to amplify their pet's everyday meals, she added.
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"Our freeze-dried diets are made with 90 percent quality animal ingredients and are available in a variety of recipes," Keveney said. "Acana Freeze-Dried Food comes in two different sizes, patties or morsels, and features a savory bone broth for an added boost of flavor and protein."

FOCUSED ON NUTRITION

The humanization of pet food has been driving the market for alternative food formats such as freeze-dried, air-dried and gently cooked the past few years, according to industry insiders.

"The alternative food category is one of the fastest growing in the pet space," said Dan Markenson, head of retail at Dr. Marty Pets, a Los Angeles-based pet food manufacturer that recently introduced a 48-ounce bag for all its recipes. "Pet parents are looking for ways to nutritionally build up their pet's food bowl by feeding whole foods and adding superfoods and extra nutrients where they can. A focus on whole real food that is bioavailable to the pet is what pet parents are looking for."

Jason Ast, co-owner of Just Dog People, a pet store in Garner, N.C., has seen similar trends. "These food types are a great way to begin feeding dogs a more biologically appropriate diet," Ast said. "Freeze-dried foods have been popular at Just Dog People for several years now, and many people use these options as toppers and training treats."

Innovation in this category has a broader focus on specific, health-targeted ingredients, especially those aimed at digestive health or joint health, according to insiders. Pet owners are looking to build a diet for their pets that drives optimum health and wellness, said Kelly Walters, brand leader of pet foods at Redbarn Pet Products, a pet food and treats manufacturer in Long Beach, Calif.

"Consumers looking for better ingredients led to a premiumization of the category," Walters said. "They are also looking for ingredients to be less processed, which is driving the growth in the alternative categories. Air-dried, freeze-dried and gently cooked are all processed in ways that better maintain nutrients in the raw ingredients, as compared to a typical dog food kibble."

Redbarn Pet Products released several trial-size options for its air-dried lines in December 2022 and will launch largesize options soon.

"The trial sample sizes were driven by consumers who are looking for an opportunity to try out the product prior to making a more significant investment," Walters said. "Many pet parents have been interested in checking out the category, but prices have kept them from diving in. Once people try the product, they are hooked and are ready to make a commitment to feeding more regularly, whether as a full feed, topper or training incentive."

Tyler Maneth, vice president of marketing at Ziwi USA, an Overland Park, Kan.-based pet food and treat manufacturer, said consumers are also looking for diets that offer variety, including textures, price points and ingredients

"As pet parents continue to educate [themselves] and desire to provide their pets with better nutrition, manufacturers push to provide foods that meet and exceed their expectations for optimal health," Maneth said. "This also coincides with the quality of the ingredients and sourcing, with a strong focal point on ethical and sustainable practices being integral to the products."

Ziwi recently made improvements to its air-dried line, which included increasing organ meat inclusions.

Amy Snell, national sales manager for Northwest Naturals, a manufacturer in Portland, Ore., said the freeze-dried category has grown in popularity because it is so versatile. "Pet parents can use freeze-dried recipes as a complete and balanced treat," Snell said. "These diet options are great for training and as a topper due to the meat smell and palatability, and are perfect for traveling."

With the awareness and growth of frozen raw, freezedried foods have become a great option for those who are uncomfortable handling raw. Pets still get the same nutritional benefits from diets in this category, but without the pet owner having to handle wet raw meat, insiders report.

"Consumer awareness has increased, and pet parents want more wholesome and rewarding choices for their pets," said Christie Dilling, assistant manager and clinical pet nutritionist for We Lov Pets, which has four locations in Ohio. "They now know what is important in a dog's diet but still need convenience due to busy lifestyles. This makes air-dried, freeze-dried and gently cooked foods an extremely appealing choice."

More shoppers understand the benefits of providing a more nutrient-dense diet for their pets, and air-dried and freeze-dried options help pet owners to do that in a more economical way than feeding a completely raw or homecooked diet, said Heather Blum, co-owner of Petagogy, which has three stores in Pittsburgh.

"For many customers, these diets represent an entirely new way to feed their pets," Blum said. "Introducing them slowly as a way to boost an existing kibble diet has been an accessible way for many pet owners. Air-dried and freeze-dried diets especially can be used as toppers and are great for pets that are growing tired of basic kibble and need a boost to their bowls."

CONSUMER EDUCATION

Many retailers do a good job educating consumers about the best nutrition for their dogs, Keveney said.

"It is a brand's responsibility to arm retailers with the information and resources needed to encourage more diverse feeding practices," Keveney said. "The nutritional benefits, production process and overall convenience factors are important qualities for retailers to highlight to help increase awareness around this pet food category."

Retailers should inform customers about different manufacturing processes that are used to maintain more of the nutrients in the raw ingredients, and help them understand the benefits, Walters noted.

"Shopping this alternative feeding space can be daunting for pet owners, between the different options and the higher price points," Walters said. "Retailers should continue to focus on the ingredients in the foods that manufacturers bring to them and splitting apart the marketing messages from the food those messages represent."

Ziwi has an online training module available to its retail partners and their associates to help educate customers about its brand and products, Maneth said. "Taking advantage of the resources and training made available by brands is an absolute must," Maneth said. "Within the store, having a dedicated space for this category is extremely helpful so a store associate can easily walk and educate customers through the different options."

More pet owners are discovering the power of raw foods for their pets.

"Communication in the aisle is a great way to let pet parents understand the value of raw," Markenson said. "The scale of this category is at the point where pet stores can have alternative feeding sections that are differentiated from the kibble section and offer educational information on the power of raw food. In-store demos and sampling programs can help educate as well as demonstrate the palatability of many of these recipes."

When retailers explain the biological nutritional needs of dogs, consumers are more inclined to try these diets."Once pet parents understand how convenient these diets can be, they can't wait to buy more," Dilling said. "For most of our customers feeding completely in these categories of food is just too expensive. When we explain that there are huge benefits for even using it as supplemental feeding, many pet parents are much more open to the idea of adding these nutritionally packed diets."

Availability and acceptance helped these foods expand, and people are willing to try alternatives to kibble, Ast said.

"The more you talk to your customers, the more you'll find that they are looking for alternatives to their dog's current diet," Ast said. "It is surprising how many people are receptive to feeding a non-kibble diet." Snell said starting with small steps can be valuable.

"In the freeze-dried category, a little raw is better than no raw," Snell said. "Recommend the customer start with a treat or a topper. Starting small is a great way for pet parents to add nutrition to their dogs' current diets."

BY ALEXIS MATTSON

THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY CHAMPION PETFOODS