Use of Meat Industry By-products in Pet Food Industry: Prospects and Sustainability for Startups in India

With the increasing nuclear family, urbanization, incidents of theft, and isolation in society in the last decades there has been a drastic rise in the number of companion animals, especially pet dogs in the country. The pet food industry is witnessing rapid growth due to the increasing demand for pet foods since pet owners are much more aware of well-being and a balanced diet. India is one of the emerging pet food markets in Asia-Pacific. The country imports 45-50% of pet food to meet the domestic requirements. Therefore there is a huge opportunity in the Indian Pet Food Industry and immense potential to venture into the pet food segment. With a series of opportunities, the sector also witnessed a few challenges which include the absence of a uniform regulatory framework, isolated government policies, higher taxation for pet food compared to other food processing industries, and scattered availability of raw materials. This article throws light on the prospects, sustainability, regulation issues, scope, and opportunities for start-ups in the pet food manufacturing segment by utilizing meat industry by-products as the primary source of protein components to produce cost-effectively and meet the recommended nutritional standards to fulfill the present demands of pet foods.