Pet Food

Top Tips for Producing a Sell-Out Plant-Based Dog Food

We already target flexitarians, vegetarians, pescatarians, and vegans with plant-based products – but what about those who have pets? Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental, ethical, and health impacts of eating meat and dairy. Yet, many would not think twice about the origins of what they feed their companion animals. 

However, like most human eating trends, the plant-based movement is spilling over into the diets of companion animals – dogs, in particular. As more people share their lives with canine friends and more people adopt plant-based eating habits (40% of European consumers identify as flexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan), the market is set to boom.

Clif Pet Dog Eating Carrot/ Veggies
©Clif Bar

With this in mind, how can your company best produce and sell plant-based dog food? What considerations are vital to success? ProVeg International has recently published an article that aims to answer these questions, with recommendations on how best to produce a popular plant-based dog food. Understanding the demand and target market is vital before any other decisions can be made. So, who, if anyone, wants to buy plant-based dog food?

Interestingly, a 2021 study found that 72% of US pet parents were open to having plant-based protein sources in their animals’ diets. The study participants also indicated a high interest in hybrid diets – balancing animal and plant-based protein sources, lending further credence to the notion that flexitarianism is leading pet carers to try similar ways of feeding their pets. 

© malamooshi – stock.adobe.com

“The plant-based, pet-feeding trend is much like the human practice – we see a larger proportion of pets fed plant-based as a component of their diet and a small proportion fed a plant-based diet exclusively. I predict that, as long as the [flexitarian] trend is growing in the human world, we’ll likely see similar growth in the pet-food industry,” says Dr Sarah Dodd, animal nutrition expert.

Satisfy flexitarian drivers

Innova’s Nutrition & Health Survey 2020 shows that the top reasons driving consumers to switch to flexitarian diets include health, sustainability, and taste – all things dog parents are increasingly demanding for their pets, too. Mix this with the increasing trend of pet humanisation and the various effects that COVID-19 has had on consumer psyches and business trends, and it’s understandable why the plant-based pet food industry is skyrocketing.

veg dog German pet food startup's product range
© VEGDOG

Satisfying these drivers must remain a top priority in the production of dog-food products in order to attract the value-driven pet parent.

“Many of our customers are making small changes [to their pets’ diets], such as one veggie day, or changing to vegan snacks – the flexitarian approach,” commented Valerie Henssen, CEO and Co-Founder of VEGDOG.

Now that you know who to target, read the full article to uncover ProVeg’s three top tips for producing a plant-based dog food.


1.  ProVeg International (2020): European consumer survey on plant-based foods. Available at: https://proveg.com/what-we-do/corporate-engagement/proveg-consumer-survey-report-download. Accessed 2021-10-08
2.  Plant based pet food trend is picking up speed, (2021). Pet Food Industry. Available at: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10097-plant-based-pet-food-is-a-trend-picking-up-speed?v=preview. Accessed 2023-01-05.
3.  Plant based pet food trend is picking up speed, (2021). Pet Food Industry. Available at: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10097-plant-based-pet-food-is-a-trend-picking-up-speed?v=preview. Accessed 2023-01-05.
4.  Plant based pet food trend is picking up speed, (2021). Pet Food Industry. Available at: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10097-plant-based-pet-food-is-a-trend-picking-up-speed?v=preview. Accessed 2023-01-05.
5.  Plant based pet food trend is picking up speed, (2021). Pet Food Industry. Available at: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10097-plant-based-pet-food-is-a-trend-picking-up-speed?v=preview. Accessed 2023-01-05.
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