Interzoo is a leading trade fair for the international pet industry

Interzoo is a leading trade fair for the international pet industry

The value of fish products in pet food emphasized at interzoo

As humans place increased value on the importance of what their pets eat, the pet industry becomes a very interesting business opportunity for the fishing industry.

Fish-based pet products can provide owners with sustainable and healthy options for their pets. Many of the exhibitors present at Interzoo, the world’s leading trade fair for the international pet industry, were presenting their food products for dogs, cats, and aquarium fish. Pet foods for dogs and cats are produced in massive volumes making these segments interesting for fish producers. Additionally, the unit price of aquarium fish feed is many hundred times higher than the unit price of fishmeal or even of fish for human consumption. Therefore, the fishing industry could profit from increased involvement in aquarium fish feed.

Diverse options for pet food made from quality fish

This year the exhibitions showed that there are now companies producing fish-based food for dogs and cats. It is not just the cheap “trash fish” species that are used as ingredients but also higher quality products such as salmon. The pet food industry is more and more focused on mixing the fish with ingredients like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, blueberries, hemp, aloe vera, and many other “high-end” ingredients. Pet food containing fish is also found mixed with turkey, lamb and beef. But the innovative pet food industry does not just limit itself to fishbased proteins; krill, membranes from fish roe, micro- and macro algae can be present as well. These ingredients are sourced from many different countries. If not dried as whole small fish, the different parts, the skin, the heads, etc. of the fish are used as snacks or meals for dogs and cats. The snacks are made in different shapes; in cubes or round or they could be minced, cooked, and then formed into different shapes. If the snack is made of fish skin alone, it can be twisted or even braided. Moreover, fish oil is also often added as a supplement to the food by many producers.

One of the species used for pet food is the round goby which is native to Central Eurasia, including the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It has, however, established large non-native populations in the Baltic Sea, several major Eurasian rivers, and the North American Great Lakes. Their presence in these new environments has become a big problem for the ecosystems. Few people eat the round goby, but using these fish for dog and cat food gives coastal fishers a fairly good price for this bycatch, contributes to decreasing the population of this invasive species and thereby reducing its environmental impact.

Fish-based pet foods are better for the pets

Pet health is becoming more and more important to owners in lots of countries. The inclusion of sea-based proteins in pet food may contribute to better health. This should also eliminate the potential of adverse reactions generally associated with either food allergy or hypersensitivity (i.e., an immunological response) or with food intolerance (non-immunological responses) to chicken meat. Pet owners are asking for more transparency in terms of sustainability and animal health, thus placing the industry under pressure to develop suitable new products. These factors also drive many pet food producers to use fish as the main protein source in the pet food.

The pet industry prevents significant economic potential

According to IVH/ZZF survey in 2021 on the German pet market alone there are 16.7 million cats (26 of households) and 10.3 million dogs (21 of households). In addition, the IVH/ZZF survey revealed about 2.3 million aquariums and 1.4 garden ponds in Germany with fish that also acquire fish proteins. Among the many magazines focused on the pet industry, five comprehensive magazines were distributed at Interzoo focused exclusively on pet food and animal feed technology, supplements, supply chain and marketing. The day before Interzoo started, Petfood Forum Europe was held there for the first time and drew 250 participants. Here, suppliers to the pet food industry could learn about sustainable pet foods, pet humanisation with examples, pet food with high-end ingredients, healthy snacks, and consumers’ attitudes to the sustainability of products and packaging. On the last day of the fair, a jury of experts selected the best innovative ideas as part of the first Interzoo Fresh Ideas Contest. Prombyx from Germany won first place with the recycling of by-products of silk production as an alternative protein source for dogs and cats, the Sustainable People, also from Germany, established themselves in second place with biodegradable dog waste bags, followed by Protenga from Singapore at number three with sustainably produced insect protein, which goes to indicate that the pet business is an international phenomenon.

At Interzoo exhibitors presented many different fish-based pet food products and technologies for creating fish-based pet foods.

Christian Philip Unmack, christian.unmack@eurofish.dk