Now you and your pup can share meals, though you probably will want your own bowl.
While many a pet owner has given their dog human food at some point or another — it’s hard to resist those sweet eyes patiently waiting at your side, after all — most vets warn against it as they prefer that dogs eat specialty diets engineered specifically for them.
However, as the popularity of raw food has risen in recent years, as well as consumer interest in being able to recognize the ingredients they read on food labels, more people want to be sure they aren’t feeding their animals anything that’s unhealthy.
Animal food manufacturers across all price points have leaned into this trend, leading to more products on store shelves touting “natural” or other descriptors to appeal to consumers. And while the ongoing argument of whether human food is suitable for pets or not rages on, many just chuck that advice out the window and feed their dogs whatever they please.
But a new product line from Full Moon Pet aims to change that by creating food that is “human-grade” — in other words, you could eat it yourself.
Dog Food You Could Eat Yourself
Full Moon Pet
Called Freshly Crafted, this new pet food line features ingredients you would buy at the grocery store for yourself and your family to cook meals with. Three varieties are available featuring chicken, turkey, and beef respectively. The foods also contain a range of fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers, spinach, sweet potato, and blueberries.
Naturally, feeding dogs this kind of food costs a lot more than your typical dog chow, with 4-pound bags starting at $24.99. But it sure beats cooking all that stuff at home yourself and assembling it for your pup to eat — unless you happen to have the free time to dedicate yourself to being your pet’s personal chef.
The food will be sold on Full Moon Pet’s website and H-E-B grocery stores in Texas. (Full Moon is owned by privately-held Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s largest chicken producers.)
The Move Towards Premiumization
A few trends have shown consistent popularity in the pet food industry for years. On the top of that list is premiumization, the desire for the food owners give to pets to look like the food they eat themselves.
Premium pet food sales hit $34.9 billion in 2017, and are estimated to rise to $59.2 billion by 2027. That’s partially due to humanization. Per a survey from Euromonitor International, 71% of global pet owners consider their pets as members of their family, which leads to a stronger interest in their general health and well-being. Some researchers believe this effect deepened during the pandemic when many people were isolated at home with only their animals to keep them company.
Selling pet food exclusively or mostly online is also in line with a trend. Global animal food sales online rose to 23% in 2021.
Traditional Pet Food Fights Back
More traditional pet food makers have cast doubt on the trend.
Purina says in an informational post that “According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials, there is no legal definition for the term ‘human-grade.'” It adds that “Whether or not a food can be consider a human-grade dog food has absolutely no impact on dog food safety, according to AAFCO.”
On its own site, AAFCO says “There have been “human-grade” claims on some pet foods for a few years. This term has no definition in any animal feed regulations.” It adds that “While pet owners can buy what they feel is best for their pet, they should understand the definitions and the odds.”
