As the effects of climate change intensify, transitioning to a more sustainable agri-food system that meets the nutritional needs of a growing global population – both human and animal – while staying within planetary boundaries is essential.  

Food and feed industry investment in novel ingredient manufacturing processes, such as cell culturing, precision fermentation, microbial biomass fermentation, and plant molecular farming, has ramped up in the past decade.   

Other so-called novel foods are more low-tech – insects and microalgae, for example – but still promise big environmental rewards.  

While some of these ingredients are not yet available at scale, the pet food industry is watching closely to evaluate how they can help companies “move along their sustainable supply chain journey”, said Caitlyn Dudas, senior adviser and co-founder of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, a non-profit that advances businesses through environmental and social business practices, in a 2024 industry webinar. 

“We need to think about these new solutions like algae, lab-grown meat, and insects as really essential innovations that can offer a patchwork of solutions to address the challenges that we are seeing today,” she said.  

Changing consumers’ perceptions is also important to ensuring uptake, she added.  

“On the consumer side, I feel that we need to advance human thinking on what is edible. […] As our population and pet populations continue to increase, what can our system feasibly handle?” she asked. 

Importantly, however, if manufacturers are to turn away from unsustainable protein sources, alternative proteins must be viable, affordable, and available at scale, Dudas said.  

Microbial protein 

German startup MicroHarvest makes B2B ingredients based on a protein-rich single-cell microorganism. Grown in bioreactors via biomass fermentation, the cells are inactivated and dried to create an ingredient containing over 60% crude protein, essential amino acids, and micronutrients such as vitamin B2 and iron. The bacterial protein grows quickly – MicroHarvest says it can go from input to final ingredient in 24 hours – and it feeds on agricultural byproducts, making it more sustainable than livestock-derived meat.  

Its first ingredient, Hilix, was developed specifically for the aquaculture market and, in May 2024, it partnered with German dog food brand Vegdog to launch a dog treat. The treat contains microbial protein, potato, and apple pomace, among other ingredients. 

MicroHarvest carried out a palatability study that found dogs showed a 10% higher acceptance rate of microbial protein treats compared with poultry-based treats.

Mycelium  

The term mycelium refers to the root-like filamentous structure of fungi. Finnish startup Enifer makes a mycelium-based protein that it says is highly digestible and palatable to both cats and dogs.

It grows the fungus, Paecilomyces variotii, via a continuous liquid fermentation process and using agri-food side-streams as a feedstock. The ingredient, Pekilo Pet, contains 60% protein with an “excellent” amino acid profile; 30% fibre, including beta-glucan, a functional fibre that provides health benefits for dogs; and smaller amounts of fat, minerals, and vitamins. 

Pekilo Pet was approved for use in the EU in 2021 and the company plans to supply industrial volumes by 2026. According to Enifer, Pekilo Pet has a low ash content of less than 8% compared with animal-based sources of protein, which means it can be used in formulations at high inclusion rates. 

Macro- and microalgae 

It is common for pet food brands to add the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA to pet food, and these can derive from fish or marine algae. However, some brands are making seaweeds – both macro- and microalgae – their star ingredients.  

Irish company Seaweed for Dogs makes, as its name suggests, a range of macro- and microalgae-based supplements for dogs, each of which is said to deliver targeted health benefits.

Its Canident product is made from a blend of three organic brown seaweeds that contain the bioactive compound fucoidan to prevent plaque formation, loosen tartar, and fight bad breath. Its Eye+ supplement contains chlorella and spirulina as well as a blend of Fucales, Laminariales, and Gigartinales to support eye health in dogs, while its Joint+ supplement contains polysaccharides from the seaweeds Ulvae enteromorpha and Ascophyllum nodosum to enhance joint lubrication, as well as the microalgae astaxanthin.  

Hybrid products: Plant protein and insects  

Although clearly not plant-based or animal-free, insects are a sustainable protein source – they require minimal land and water resources and can feed on agri-food side-streams – with an excellent amino acid profile.

Belgian company Imby makes what it calls “almost vegetarian cat food” using insect protein that is supplemented with sweet potato, apples, carrots, and spirulina. Developed by vets and nutritionists, the product contains 38% protein derived from mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and, according to the brand, it is a complete food that meets all cats' nutritional requirements. According to Imby, its insect powder contains three times more protein than fresh chicken and has an acceptance rate of over 90%.  

UK company Yora uses black soldier fly (Hermetia Illucens) larvae in its cat and dog food products, which it describes as “a true superfood” thanks to the protein, fat, mineral, and antioxidant content.

Yora’s kibble is made with 62.5% insects – a blend of 40% insect meal, 19.5% freshly prepared insect, and 3% insect oil – along with plant-based ingredients such as oats, potato, parsley, beetroot, carrots, and tomato pomace.  

Hybrid products: Plant protein and cell-cultured meat  

Several startups are working on producing animal-free meat and fish for pet food using cell culturing. Cell culturing involves taking a non-lethal biopsy of tissue cells from animals and cultivating them in a nutrient-rich growth medium in bioreactors. No pet products are on the market yet, but several startups have products in the pipeline. 

Singapore-based biotech startup Umami Bioworks is making a hybrid product, Marina Cat, that will blend plant-based ingredients with cell-cultivated ocean snapper. Last year, the company said a widespread commercial launch was slated for 2024.

Korean startup Everything But intends to supply cell-cultivated chicken to dog and cat food brands, although it has not yet announced when its ingredients will be available to manufacturers. As it plans to target the US market, it must first seek approval from the Center for Veterinary Medicine, a branch of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

BioCraft Pet Nutrition (formerly Because Animals) is based in both the US and Austria, and is developing cell lines of mouse, rabbit, and chicken. Its first product will be based on mouse, which has the advantage of being cats’ preferred prey – mice are the ancestral diet of small felines, it says – as well as being well understood by scientists due to their use in laboratory settings.