Sights from SUPERZOO 2024 | Pet Food Processing

From Aug. 14 to 16, the World Pet Association (WPA) drew more than 22,000 pet industry professionals to Las Vegas, not to gamble but to see the latest innovations at SUPERZOO. The event’s show floor was bursting with the latest products in pet and pet nutrition. 

Phelps Pet Products showcased its newest brand — Callie’s Gourmet Kitchen — during the show. The brand offers a variety of jerky treats for dogs, all focused on high-quality and ingredient-conscious formulas.

Evanger’s lit-up the show floor with its unique booth display, drawing attendees in to learn more about the company’s latest new products, which includes a new line: The Good Egg Pet Food Company. Known as a good source of nutrients for pets, Evanger’s upcycles rejected eggs from companies that hard boil them for human consumption and would otherwise go to waste. The Good Egg line includes recipes inspired by standard omelets, including Denver Omelet, Bacon & Eggs, and Steak ‘n Egg.

SUPERZOO is known for its highly decorative dogs. This year, however, a wider variety of pets graced the show floor, like this Macaw. 

On of the biggest trends seen across the show floor was an increasing number of cat-centric innovations, from toys to nutrition. For example, Plato Pet Treats showcased its cat treat line, which includes four recipes: Chicken, Chicken and Catnip, Tuna and Salmon, and Baltic Sprat. 

Known for its herbal dog food formulas, Charmy Pet highlighted its single-ingredient, air-dried dog and cat treats during the show. The line includes Blue Mussel, Rabbit Ear, Lake Smelt, Turkey Breast, Rainbow Trout and Beef Spleen. Each treat not only aims to satiate dogs and cats, but also seeks to provide a targeted health benefit, a continued trend seen at this year’s show.

With inflation rising, manufacturers are seeking to meet consumer demand for multi-functional and multi-format pet nutrition products. For example, Petcurean teased its new Now Fresh Good Gravy pet food offering during the show. The product is a kibble coated with bone broth that can be served dry or wet with the addition of water, offering a single kibble in two ways. 

It’s not enough to have one impressively groomed dog, you must have two.

Taking a break from the expansive show floor, Michael Johnson, principal at BSM Partners, provided attendees with a peek into the future of the pet care industry, from the impacts of inflation and insights on the typical consumer to purchasing behaviors and more. 

Back on the show floor, O.T.I.S. showcased its newest products, Wild Things Trainers treats, and highlighted its mission to support medical dog programs and survivors. The treats are available in four recipes, each of which is formulated with responsibly sourced proteins and upcycled ingredients to support the environment. Additionally, the company teased an upcoming new product: Venison Lung.  

Boss Dog and Boss Cat, brands under Boss Nation, debuted several new products during the show, including a Goat Milk Powder ProBlend for dogs and cats. Goat milk continues to be a major product trend amongst pet nutrition companies for its purported health benefits.  

Though dogs typically catch attention during SUPERZOO, cats were sure to make their presence known. Pictured here is Whisker Media Principal Mary Tan’s cat Franklin Delano Tan. 

On Aug. 14, the World Pet Association (WPA) announced the winners of the New Product Showcase Awards. Woof received First Place in the dog category and won Best New-to-Market Pet Product for its Pupsicle innovation that combines a dog toy with a treat, providing dogs with enhanced enrichment. 

Representing the cat category, Choolip took home First place in the category for its Berry Good Milk product, a lactose-free, vitamin-infused drink. The milk can help support urinary health, digestion and joint function, and is free from antibiotics, grains and gluten.

In the New Product Showcase, Brutus Bone Broth debuted its functional bone broth powders, serving as an alternative format to liquid broths. The line includes Hip and Joint Beef Bone Broth, Hip and Joint Chicken Bone Broth, Probiotic Pork Bone Broth, and Skin and Coat Vegetable Recipe. The powdered broths can be served wet or dry as a meal topper. 

A dog and Sphynx cat walk into a tradeshow…

Another trend proliferating the pet nutrition industry is an increased usage of New Zealand-sourced animal proteins. The country is known for its strict animal welfare practices, raising farm animals in such a way that also provides superior nutritional value. K9 Natural and Feline Natural, brands under Natural Pet Food Group, leveraged this to develop its pet food formulas. 

TEEF for Life introduced its first dental treats for dogs and cats, utilizing its Protektin42™ for dogs and Protektin30™ for cats formulas. The treats are available in salmon and duck recipes and build upon the brand’s existing dental powders. 

To help pet parents get more bang of their buck, Petcurean’s Go! Solutions line teased two new dry dog foods: Weight Management + Joint Care Grain-Free Salmon recipe and Digestion + Gut Health Chicken recipe. The Weight Management + Joint Care formula contains a controlled amount of fat and L-Carnitine to support healthy weight and promote joint health. The Digestion + Gut Health diet is formulated with a probiotic to support digestive and gut health.

In addition to pets, other sights caught the eyes of several SUPERZOO attendees, like this Mustang at Benebone’s booth. 

Pet parents have shown an increased interest in feeding their pets more novel proteins for their nutritional and environmental benefits. This & That Canine Co. ran with this for its new Be Wild treat line. The line includes Sticks and Treats and Trainers formats, all made with emu, crocodile, kangaroo, venison and bison proteins.

In the grooming section of the SUPERZOO show floor, grooming professionals took the stage to showcase their talents. 

Feline nutrition was a big focus for Wellness Pet Company at this year’s show. The company teased numerous nutritional products for cats, including Appetizing Entrées™. The new line offers nine protein-rich meals for adult cats designed to help provide hydration during mealtime. The wet diets also aim to promote sustained energy, healthy digestion, healthy skin and coat, immune health and healthy teeth and bones in felines.
 

Tiki Pets’ Tiki Dog teased a hyper-humanized wet food line — Taste of the World — incorporating flavors from Asian, French, Spanish, Italian and Greek cuisine. The recipes are inspired by human meals from around the globe and includes Chicken & Snow Peas Stir Fry Recipe; Peking Duck; Beef Potatoes & Carrots Burgundy Recipe; Chicken & Shrimp Paella Recipe; Chicken & Pasta Carbonara Recipe; and Lamb, Couscous & Chickpea Recipe. Each canned food comes in broth, providing additional hydration to dogs.

On Aug. 14, founders from six pet industry startups pitched their businesses during Leap Venture Studio and the Black Pet Business Network’s SUPERZOO Pitch Competition. Pawgone Good, a holistic nutrition brand, won first place; Skona Pet Food, a pet food brand using Indian herbs, won second place; and Social Paws, a platform that connects pet owners with non-owners, won third place.

A purr-fectly adorable sight greeted attendees at RAWZ Natural Pet Food’s booth. The company highlighted various products at its booth, including its newest Limited Rabbit Recipe cat food. The formula is a freeze-dried, raw-coated kibble recipe made with a single protein: rabbit.

Inspired by the numerous innovations seen across the show floor, brands are already looking forward to SUPERZOO 2025, which is set to be held Aug. 13 to 15 with education beginning on Aug. 12.