PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 9

TRENDS

TO TOP IT OFF
Toppers and mix-ins embody key consumer
trends and offer several mealtime merits.
By Jordan Tyler | jtyler@sosland.com

I

In recent years, humanization, personalization and variety have been key trends guiding the pet food and treat
market to where it is today. The emerging category of
meal toppers and mix-ins encapsulates all three of these
trends, offering owners the opportunity to mix-andmatch their pets' mealtime experiences based on individual preferences, improve palatability, and provide a
sort of unique, culinary experience.
" Toppers allow owners to put a personalized touch
on their dog or cat's regular dry or wet food, enhancing
both its palatability and nutrition, and tailoring meals to
their pet's specific needs, " said Ann Hudson, vice president of marketing for Whitebridge Pet Brands, St. Louis.
" Consumers are no longer viewing toppers and mix-ins
strictly as something to entice finicky, older or infirm
pets to eat; they're seeing that these products can also be a
tasty and economical way to customize meals with functional nutrition and other supplemental health benefits. "
Meal toppers are a convenient way to offer variety.
While these products are usually considered premium or
super-premium, the cost and risk barriers of purchasing
a topper or mix-in are significantly lower than switching
diets entirely, which is appealing to pet owners.
" When pet owners are reluctant to completely change

what they are feeding, an offer to enhance a pet's current
diet is more approachable and easier for pet owners to
envision as part of their daily lives, " confirmed Lindsay
Meyers, director of product development, veterinary
channel, Primal Pet Foods, Fairfield, Calif.
Accordingly, pet food and treat manufacturers have
recognized this opportunity in the market and begun to
throw their hats in the ring.

Stella & Chewy's
Magical Dinner Dust
is a freeze-dried protein powder made
with 98% meat,
organs and bone for
dogs and cats.
Stella & Chewy's

Form and function

Meal toppers and mix-ins are available in a range of formats, from freeze-dried proteins and powdered blends
to whole food toppers, frozen/fresh enhancers and liquid meal pour-overs. Several complete-and-balanced
freeze-dried, dehydrated or fresh diets are also marketed
as meal toppers for added nutrition or palatability.
" Freeze-dried toppers and mix-in products have certainly seen explosive growth and, even during the challenges of the pandemic, frozen food sales have continued to grow exponentially, " Meyers noted.
Primal Pet Foods offers several different meal toppers and pour-over products. The company's Fresh
Toppers are sold frozen in the refrigerated section of pet
stores and have the consistency of a smoothie or a pes-

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PET Food Processing - March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PET Food Processing - March 2021

PET Food Processing - March 2021 - Intro
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 1
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 2
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 3
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 4
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 5
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 6
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 7
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 8
PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 9
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PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 11
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https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-march-2024
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-january-2024
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-november-2023
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-september-2023
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-july-2023
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-may-2023
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-march-2023
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-december-2022
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-october-2022
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-september-2022
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/-pet-food-processing-june-2022
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-march-2022
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-december-2021
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-october-2021
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-september-2021
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-june-2021
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/pet-food-processing-march-2021
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2020_12_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2020_10_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2020_09_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2020_06_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2020_03_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2019_12_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2019_10_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2019_09_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2019_06_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2019_03_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2018_12_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2018_09_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2018_06_01
https://digital.petfoodprocessing.net/sosland/pfp/2018_03_01
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