Natural products become a key trend

With fewer holidays and business trips, fewer outdoor activities on offer and a dearth of cultural events to attend, people suddenly found they had more time on their hands during the pandemic. This also had an effect on their lifestyle. It has been observed that people across the globe have focused more on nutrition, their health and their activity levels during the months of the coronavirus. Not only did they look closely at their own behaviour in relation to health, but also at that of their pets, especially of cats and dogs. It is thus self-evident that the desire to feed family pets better than before has grown significantly in the last few months. Humanisation in the pet food segment is continuing and premium products are in greater demand than ever.

The sub-segment of naturally produced dog food in particular has benefited from the increased health awareness of many consumers, who read the small print on the packaging more than before. They take care to ensure that their pet's food contains natural ingredients and where possible no additives or preservatives. Many of them understand that a close link exists between healthy nutrition and health. They are learning that the growing number of allergies, joint complaints, skin and coat problems, kidney and liver diseases and gastrointestinal ailments have their roots in bad, unhealthy food. Canine experts point out that the rise in dogs displaying behavioural problems is also caused by too many chemicals in food. It has been proven that neurotoxic substances in synthetic preservatives can modify canine behaviour.
Alongside online retailers, the main beneficiary of this trend are the pet stores, which normally offer a larger assortment of naturally produced premium dog food than the supermarkets. It is a trend that emerged before the coronavirus and has become stronger during the pandemic.

But what is naturally produced pet food? The definition most commonly heard is that natural dog food consists of ingredients that are derived unchanged from nature, contain no synthetic substances and have not been genetically modified. This has considerable consequences for the process of manufacturing the food. To ensure that no vitamins or other nutrients are lost, naturally produced food should not bace heated too strongly. Such food can swell in the dog's stomach and cause disruption to the metabolism.
Meat is one of the most important constituents of natural dog food. Proponents of…