Pet products: trends and requirements

A cat paste supporting normal digestion, an oil for dogs or a functional soft chew? Planning a new pet nutrition product should start with the needs of the animal and its owner, but it should not end with a fashionable ingredient. Daily serving size, ease of administration, shelf life, permissible claims and development costs also determine whether the project is viable.

How do you turn a market direction into a product that can be manufactured, correctly labelled and sold? Below, we explore the main decisions for a brand commissioning a complementary feed or functional treat.

A market trend is a starting point, not a finished brief

According to FEDIAF data published in 2026, the European pet food market generated EUR 29.4 billion in 2024, with sales of 8.6 million tonnes. These figures describe the broader pet food market, not the value of the segment commonly described as “pet supplements”. Keep that distinction in mind when estimating the opportunity for your brand.

Four directions are worth considering when developing a range: functionality, a credible premium proposition, informed processing choices and transparent information. None is a ready-made formula for sales. Each needs to become a specific product attribute and a way to verify it.

Functionality and the microbiome: move beyond the headline

“Microbiome support” is too broad a starting point for a formulation scientist. A brief should identify the target species, intended function, ingredient and quantity per daily serving. For live microorganisms, strain identity matters as well as the bacterial species name.

During development, we recommend checking whether the literature addresses the relevant ingredient, animal species and conditions of use. Next, assess whether processing, packaging and storage can preserve the characteristics on which the proposed function depends. Including an ingredient in the formula does not, by itself, demonstrate a benefit of the finished product.

Legal assessment is a separate task. Where an ingredient is a feed additive, check the relevant authorisation and its conditions of use, including the target species. The European Commission provides the EU Register of Feed Additives and links to authorising legislation. An ingredient's status in human food does not replace this assessment.

Premium positioning: calculate value and cost per serving

Rather than starting with expensive packaging, define why a customer should pay more. The proposition might involve documented ingredient selection, easier administration, a well-designed applicator or stable levels of a declared substance. Each promise should be supported by the product.

Compare offers using the daily cost of use as well. In a hypothetical example, a PLN 90 pack lasting 30 days costs PLN 3 per day. A PLN 120 pack lasting 60 days costs PLN 2 per day. The comparison is meaningful only for the same animal body weight and the actual recommended daily serving, not merely the number of treats in a box.

Processing: ask about safety, not just the technology's name

“Gently processed” should not replace a risk assessment. For example, FDA research and guidance on raw pet food illustrate the importance of microbiological hazards when there is no processing step that reduces pathogens. This does not mean every less-processed product is unsafe, but the description alone does not establish safety.

Ask manufacturers how they control hazards and how their process affects relevant ingredients. The objective is not “as little technology as possible”, but a process suited to the formula and intended shelf life.

Transparency and packaging: make promises verifiable

For a brand, transparency starts with data: ingredient specifications, suppliers, lot numbers and production records. Plan quality documentation and traceability as operational capabilities, not as additions to a marketing story. Manufacturer obligations in this area arise, among other sources, from Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 and Annex II.

When choosing packaging, we recommend first establishing the protection required against oxygen, moisture and light, then comparing material options. Assess the product after opening too: packaging that works in storage may be inconvenient for daily dispensing. Treat environmental claims as separate statements requiring substantiation, not as an automatic benefit of how the pack looks.

Choose the format around the serving and administration method

There is no single best format for every project. Before choosing a liquid, paste, powder, tablet or soft chew, ask how much product the owner will give each day and how you will assess acceptance by the animal.

The parameters below are examples to agree with a formulation or manufacturing specialist, not a universal specification for every recipe.

Liquids and oils. Establish whether the product is a solution, suspension or emulsion. Absence of sediment is not the right criterion for every system: for a suspension, consistent redispersion and a repeatable serving may be more relevant. For oils, include oxidation assessment and protection during use.

Pastes in tubes and applicators. Plan assessments of viscosity, separation, extrusion force and dispensing consistency. Test the sample in the intended pack, including near the end of the pack's use. Good consistency in a beaker does not establish convenient administration.

Functional soft chews. Alongside palatability, consider texture, individual unit weight, uniformity and water activity. Moisture content alone does not replace assessment of water activity and microbiological risk. Calculate the number of chews required per day and the energy provided by that serving.

Powders and tablets. For powders, check uniformity, caking and practical measuring accuracy. For tablets, assess acceptance, mechanical properties and divisibility where splitting is part of the intended administration method. A small target quantity of an ingredient does not necessarily mean a small finished product.

Developing your own product for dogs or cats? Contact team@foodup.com.pl. FoodUP helps structure formulation, format and documentation requirements before discussions with a manufacturer.

Resolve classification and claims before designing the label

“Pet supplement” is a market term, not a separate feed category equivalent to human food supplements. A product may, for example, qualify as complementary feed, but classification must reflect its composition and intended use. Definitions and labelling rules are set out in Regulation (EC) No 767/2009.

Under Article 13, claims must be objective, understandable and verifiable, with scientific substantiation available when the feed is placed on the market. Appropriate publicly available scientific evidence or documented company research may provide that substantiation. This does not automatically require a new clinical study for every product.

Do not plan disease-treatment or disease-prevention claims for an ordinary complementary feed. The word “supports” does not automatically make a statement acceptable either: the full claim, context and evidence matter. We discuss the practical distinctions in “Feed claims: what can you put on the label?”.

Before launch, agree a documentation package with your manufacturer covering ingredient and finished-product specifications, batch acceptance criteria, a shelf-life study plan, claim substantiation and records that reconstruct the history of each batch. Match the testing programme to the actual risks of the formula and pack rather than copying it from another product.

Match the manufacturer to the technology and authorised activities

Start with the site where manufacturing will actually take place. Check the relevant registration or required approval and the activities covered. Regulation (EC) No 183/2005, particularly Articles 6, 9 and 10, distinguishes these obligations and requires HACCP-based procedures for activities beyond the primary-production operations specified in the regulation. In Poland, the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate's feed business registers are a useful starting point (in Polish).

Do not reduce qualification to “do you have an α-PL number?”. That number is not a universal requirement for every feed establishment. Determine the requirements that apply to the specific activity; ingredients of animal origin may introduce additional veterinary requirements.

Separate legal duties from additional certification. GMP+ explains that its standards apply alongside legislation, not instead of it. Where a manufacturer presents a certificate, check its validity, site and scope. Then confirm experience with the selected format, available testing and the process for handling non-conforming batches.

Launch costs extend beyond the price per pack

Prepare two calculations when comparing quotations: the cost of the initial launch and the cost of repeat orders. For the first, include formulation development, samples, manufacturing trials, testing, packaging and label preparation, and logistics. Establish which items are included in the quotation and which are charged separately.

Break down minimum order quantities, or MOQs, in the same way. Ask for thresholds for production mass, flavour variant, pack quantity and custom printing. An MOQ of “1,000 units” is incomplete information if it also requires purchasing packaging components for several future batches.

With a limited budget, compare an extensive range with one carefully developed variant. This is a project decision: fewer combinations may make costs, inventory and quality easier to manage, but the choice must fit the sales plan.

How do you move from an idea to supplier discussions?

Once the species, function, serving, format and budget are defined, you can shortlist companies to approach. This is where FoodUP's “Suppliers and Partners in the Pet Supplement Sector” report can help.

The report combines market context, an overview of product formats and guidance on briefs, costs and assessing manufacturers' capabilities. It includes a database of 100 companies and partners, including businesses with manufacturing sites in Poland. It helps organise the search rather than starting with an unstructured list of addresses.

Explore the FoodUP report and sample company profiles. Select a technological direction, prepare a brief and start discussions with relevant partners.

FAQ: planning a pet nutrition product

Where should I start when developing a dog or cat supplement?

Start with the species, nutritional need, intended function and daily serving. Use these requirements to select ingredients, format, packaging and manufacturer. Assess ingredient legal status alongside formulation work.

Are soft chews better than pastes and powders?

No format has a universal advantage. Compare its ability to deliver the intended serving, acceptance, shelf life, convenience and daily cost. Product requirements and trial results should guide the choice, not the format's popularity alone.

Does every claim require a company's own product study?

No. Article 13 of Regulation No 767/2009 allows substantiation through publicly available scientific evidence or documented company research. However, the evidence must be relevant to the specific claim and product; citing any paper about an ingredient is not sufficient.

Does a manufacturer database entry confirm that a company can deliver my project?

No. A database supports initial selection. Direct discussions, documentation review and assessment of commercial terms are needed to confirm technology, manufacturing site, capacity, batch size and schedule.