Journey to innovation | Pet Food Processing

This article was published in the May/June 2025 issue of Pet Food Processing. Read it and other articles from this issue in our May/June digital edition. 

Product development is a multi-year, multi-step process. Before new products can find their way onto pet market shelves and into the mouths of dogs and cats, many considerations must be made, and countless processes must be completed. And while there is not one universal way to bring a product to market, product formulators agree — innovation is a journey, not a destination.  

“It starts with an idea,” said Jerry Kraus, director of Process Development & Commercialization at Simmons Pet Food, Siloam Springs, Ark. “That could be brought to us through consumer insights, a market gap, or a creative innovation that captures a pet parent’s unmet need. From there, product development unfolds in phases.”

The phases of product development aren’t an exact science and could vary from one manufacturer to the next. At Simmons the phases are: 

R&D specialists at each Simmons Pet Food facility work on developing new products and fine-tuning existing formulations. 

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Source: Ryan Alcantara Photography

Ideation and feasibility — Defining the concept, aligning with cross-functional partners and confirming technical and manufacturing viability.

Formulation — Creating a theoretical formula using a software tool, which is essentially a puzzle of balancing nutrient requirements, ingredient constraints and labeling requirements. 

Prototyping — Validating concepts through bench and pilot-scale tests to evaluate performance, feasibility, analytical profile, appearance and palatability.

Scale-up — Testing the formula in the plant, monitoring ingredient functionality and process capability under commercial conditions. Scale up encompasses a phased approach of increasing batches as each run is deemed successful, as part of the commissioning process. 

Commercialization — Finalizing specifications, validating process capability, ensuring nutritional performance, and preparing for full production and launch to market.

“The process is normally never linear — it loops back as the team learns, adjusts and improves,” Kraus added. “It’s hands-on, data-driven and highly collaborative across R&D, Operations and Quality.”

Knowing your consumer

While the stages of product development may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, most agree that understanding the end-consumer, or more specifically the pet parent, is an important place to start. Wellness Pet Company, Burlington, Mass., has outlined six high-level steps in developing a new pet food or treat product, and consumer and marketing insights are the first step. 

“Consumer research is essential to developing successful products — it brings an outside-in perspective that ensures we’re designing with the pet parent in mind, not just based on internal assumptions,” said Greg Kean, senior vice president of Innovation & Nutrition for Wellness Pet. “Even in a category we know well, it’s easy to fall into the trap of relying too heavily on industry experience without validating with consumers.”

Understanding the consumer involves a variety of research, both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative can involve in-home observations of pet feeding routines and pet interactions, as well as focus groups to assess consumer attitudes. On the quantitative side, surveys regarding purchasing habits, ingredient preferences and product preferences are important to conduct at the early stages of product development.

Product quality is critical to the development of innovative pet food, treat and supplement products. 

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Source: Zach Bernard

“Consumer insights are the North Star — they shape the ‘why’ behind a product, ensuring we’re not just solving technical or competitive challenges but creating real value for our customers, pets and pet parents,” said Leah Lambrakis, vice president of Research & Development, Nutrition and Scientific Affairs for Simmons Pet Food. “What resonates most are products that bring a solution to pet parents for easy everyday lifestyles, convenience and trust in optimal nutrition.”

Lee Ann Hagerty, director of consumer enrichment and insights at BSM Partners, Bentonville, Ark., added the importance of gathering consumer insights through digital communities. 

“Leveraging the expanding digital landscape is crucial for gathering insights,” she said. “This includes a meticulous analysis of social media sentiment, online product reviews and discussions within online pet owner communities. This digital intelligence helps identify emerging trends, unmet needs expressed organically by consumers, and the strengths and weaknesses of competitor offerings.”

Combining all methods of consumer research is the best way to truly understand consumer needs and where a new product might fit into the mix.

“By strategically triangulating these diverse streams of data — the emotional narratives uncovered through qualitative research, the statistical significance identified through quantitative methods, the real-time feedback gleaned from the digital sphere, and the practical considerations of the pet’s perspective — a deeper understanding of the market is achieved,” Hagerty said.

Nutritional considerations

When developing a new pet food or treat, nutrition should always be top of mind. Nutritionists play a vital role in product development and should be part of the process from the start. 

“While the consumer ultimately purchases the product, our primary responsibility during recipe development is to meet the nutritional needs of dogs and cats,” Kean said. “Nutrition is the foundation of everything we create.”

Depending on the manufacturer, the nutritionist could work alongside the product formulator or could actually be the formulator. Regardless of how the product development team is structured, the nutritionist is a key player.

“Our nutrition team plays a critical role in the product development process — ensuring that our products deliver the right balance of nutrients to support animal health, while also meeting regulatory requirements, label guarantees and nutritional compliance,” Lambrakis said. “A key part of the role is building and managing the nutrient matrix, which includes overseeing ingredient nutrient data to ensure formulation accuracy. The nutrition team also evaluates ingredient interactions and ensures nutrient stability throughout processing and over the product’s shelf life.”

Knowing the type of product that’s being formulated before the development process starts can be helpful since there are different considerations regarding nutrient requirements and product claims for pet food versus supplements. 

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Source: Lyly Photography

Ingredient sourcing should be considered early during product design. With today’s unpredictable supply chain and ingredient costs, it’s important to verify all components of a new formulation will be available before mass production occurs.

“With innovation in mind, a product concept still must consider real-world sourcing — ensuring ingredient availability, quality, cost consistency and supply continuity,” Kraus said. “R&D works closely with procurement and quality to identify trusted suppliers and validate functional performance. It’s a constant conversation throughout the product development and commercialization phases — and beyond, especially in today’s unpredictable supply chain environment.”

Understanding the type of product being formulated is also important in the early stages of new product development. There are different considerations for pet food versus treats versus supplements, so it’s essential to know from the start what type of product is being developed.

“Developing a complete-and-balanced pet food generally requires a longer lead time due to the need for in-depth nutritional validation, including kennel feeding studies to confirm performance and safety,” Kean said.

Treats aren’t used as the sole source of nutrition, so the approach to those formulations is different. Treating typically involves indulgence and experience — often focusing on the human-animal connection that’s made through the act of sharing the treat. Supplements, however, are different.

“Supplements lean into active ingredients, dosing considerations and product claims that require careful navigation and substantiation,” Lambrakis said. “While the development framework is consistent, the technical focus shifts depending on the product category and regulatory requirements.”

Of course, the best nutrition doesn’t mean anything if the food, treat or supplement isn’t enjoyed by the pet. Keeping this in mind, formulators need to ensure palatability testing is incorporated into the development process as early as possible. 

“Palatability plays a make-or-break role in the success of any new pet food or treat development,” said Neeley Bowden of BSM Partners.

“Palatability plays a make-or-break role in the success of any new pet food or treat development,” said Neeley Bowden, product innovation manager at BSM Partners. “No matter how nutritious or innovative a formula is, if pets don’t enjoy eating it, pet parents won’t buy it again. That’s why it’s important to get palatability right from the start and ensure any new development launches with the best palatability.”

Testing can involve internal kennel studies, employee panels and even consumer trials. Wellness Pet has developed a hedonic scoring system used for testing palatability with cats — who we all know are quite finnicky — that measures enthusiasm both as they approach the food and while eating.

“This allows us to quantify and refine the eating experience more precisely,” Kean said.

Simmons considers palatability long before the product is even formulated. 

“It’s a key criteria we discuss right at project kickoff — aligning on the palatability target, test methods, and how success will be measured,” Lambrakis explained. “Palatability performance must be both consistent and repeatable. I always caution teams not to make major business or product decisions based on a single palatability study — it’s an iterative process. We refine the product based on the animals’ feedback, ensuring it’s not only consumed but truly enjoyed, and that pets are eating to meet their daily caloric requirements.”

Getting to market

While it may seem that marketing should be the last step of the product development process, most agree that it should be considered sooner rather than later. Treating marketing as an afterthought can leave a new product without key elements needed for success in the marketplace.

“It’s not a ‘polish’ to be applied at the end; it’s a fundamental ingredient that needs to be mixed in from the very start,” Hagerty said.

“R&D must understand the final vision from a marketing standpoint prior to formulation and process design,” Lambrakis added. “When R&D and marketing collaborate early, the result is a product that delivers both technically and in ways that influence purchase decisions, ensuring relevance in a competitive market.”

Marketing’s involvement in product development circles back to understanding the consumer. Knowing the wants and needs of the pet parent provides essential insights about how a new product has the potential to deliver unmet nutritional needs, product format needs, functional benefits or even a new packaging need.

“Marketing teams are the voice of the consumer within the organization. They’re constantly gathering insights about evolving trends, unmet needs and competitive landscapes,” Hagerty said. “This knowledge is invaluable at the very beginning of the development process, helping to identify opportunities and shape the initial product concept.”

Keeping an eye on marketing from the start will also allow for an assessment of market viability — which can save time and money for the manufacturer in the long run. 

“Marketing can assess early on whether a proposed product concept has the potential to succeed in the marketplace. They can help avoid costly mistakes by identifying potential roadblocks or a lack of demand before significant resources are invested,” Hagerty added. “From the earliest stages, marketing provides crucial feedback. They can test initial concepts with consumers, gather their reactions, and iterate on both the product and the marketing strategy. This iterative process, this constant dialogue between product development and marketing, ensures that the final product is not only nutritionally sound but also highly desirable and marketable.

“Finally, marketing’s early involvement allows for a well-planned and executed launch,” she added. “They can begin developing the branding, messaging and distribution strategy well in advance, ensuring that the product enters the market with maximum impact.”

Read more about product development, ingredients and formulation.