Consumer Desires for Transparent Food Labeling Extends to Pet Food Labels

When it comes to food, consumers want to know everything about the products they place in their grocery baskets. In a Mintel’s Food Packaging Trends report conducted in 2015, about 70 percent of consumers will look at the ingredients label on packaging when grocery shopping, according to Packaging Digest. Consumers want to know whether the ingredients are gluten-free, GMO-free, free-range, free from artificial flavors and preservatives, and can provide health benefits.

In addition, consumers want to understand who made the food, if it was grown domestically, and how the food was shipped to retailers. This type of transparency has placed a spotlight on our clients as we are working with their manufacturing processes and supply chains to provide this transparency on packaging materials as well. Yet we can't just focus on offering clarity with only foods that humans eat. We also must extend this label information to the food that consumers provide their pets.

Demanding Better Labels on Pet Foods

Consumers love their pets and consider them a vital part of their families. So it isn't a surprise that they want to know what types of ingredients are in the pet food seen in store aisles. According to the "Humanization of Pet Food" study conducted by Nielsen, about 85 percent of pet owners believe they can extend the lives of their pets by making healthier food choices. The study shows evidence that pet owners are searching for more foods in the following categories: healthy treats, premium options, and specialty foods. In addition, the Nielsen study also shows that 43 percent of pet owners are deliberately avoiding any food that contains GMOs.

For pet owners to provide the best food products to their animal companions, we've extended our innovative packaging technology solutions to assist pet food plants and facilities to provide better packaging and labeling options. We hope to assist our manufacturing and processing clients in the pet food industry to enable them to feature ingredient labels that are easy for consumers to read. By focusing on further clarity and transparency on food products, pet food companies can gain the trust of consumers while still maintaining the quality and attractiveness of their pet food on store shelves.

Let Our Turnkey Solutions Help Your Operations

Contact Viking Masek today so we can provide you with innovative packaging equipment, product bag style suggestions, and labeling equipment for your pet food company. We can evaluate your existing processing and production lines to help you select the best Viking Masek equipment that will fit into your operations to increase your company's efficiency.