Going Above and Beyond: Wellness' Rigorous Approach to Pet Food Testing

In this episode of Petworking, host Peter Kenseth interviews Greg Kean, Global VP of Innovation & Nutrition at Wellness Pet Company. They discuss Wellness's extensive testing protocols for its pet food products, which go above and beyond the industry standard. Key points from the discussion: Wellness is investing 3-4 million dollars to put their entire product portfolio through AAFCO feeding trials, even though this is not required if diets meet AAFCO nutrient profiles. This testing helps build confidence with veterinarians recommending Wellness products, as vets don't always receive extensive nutrition training. Before even doing AAFCO trials, Wellness conducts digestibility, stool quality, and palatability testing, as well as urine pH for cat diets. Any novel diets or ingredients also undergo feeding trials. Greg discusses the need for more companion animal nutrition research overall, and how the industry is funding much of this itself in the absence of government funding. They discuss trends around unprocessed/raw diets vs kibble, noting that more research is needed on health impacts. Kibble remains important for accessibility of pet ownership. With a shrinking pet food market post-pandemic, innovation will focus on addressing consumer needs in affordable ways and educating on new food formats. The future may bring more functional diets for health and longevity, but Greg emphasizes the importance of having sound research before making claims, while maintaining healthy body weight remains key. Overall, the discussion highlights Wellness's commitment to extensively testing its products to ensure optimal nutrition, as well as broader issues around advancing pet food science and innovation.