Pet food, treat industry gathers for 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange

KANSAS CITY, MO. — From Oct. 19 to 21, pet food manufacturers, suppliers and industry partners gathered in Kansas City for the second annual Pet Food Processing Exchange, a conference hosted by Pet Food Processing and parent company Sosland Publishing Co. Held at the Marriott in Downtown Kansas City, the event provided attendees with education and insights from industry thought-leaders and subject matter experts, and opportunities to connect and network with peers, all with the ultimate goal to drive the pet food industry forward. 

The 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange was sponsored by Thanh Phu Packaging, Handtmann, Camlin Fine Sciences, Nyle Dehydrators, Parker Freeze Dry, Kemin Nutrisurance, KSE – The Batching Experts and Peel Plastics, and had the support from the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA), and Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA).

Attendees of this year’s event included pet food, treat and supplement manufacturers, ingredient and equipment suppliers, as well as companies interested in expanding their burgeoning presence in the pet nutrition market. 

“Sosland Publishing and Pet Food Processing seek to unite industry influencers, thought leaders and decision makers through the Pet Food Processing Exchange,” shared Meyer Sosland, chief operating officer and executive editor of Sosland Publishing. “Our goal is to create a space where pet food and treat manufacturers and suppliers can come together to share strategies and best practices that truly drive the industry forward.”

Pet Food Processing Editor Kimberlie Clyma, added, “One of the best things about this industry is that there’s no shortage of knowledgeable professionals willing to share their knowledge and expertise. There’s a constant flow of collaboration in the industry and a true sense of shared responsibility in the mission of making pets’ lives healthier and happier — and the Pet Food Processing Exchange strives to foster that.”

Before the event, attendees gathered on the night of Oct. 19 for a meet and greet to spark connections and conversations. 

Day One

The 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange officially kicked off with a dive into leadership and retaining labor from Frank Niles, Ph.D., principal of Business Transformation at BSM Partners. With many companies struggling with the current labor market, Niles provided key guidance on how companies can better retain their talent by building a healthy culture that focuses on employee autonomy, competency and connectedness. 

“Leaders create the conditions for employees to flourish,” he shared. 

Following this, Greg Kean, senior vice president of Innovation and Nutrition at Wellness Pet Company, discussed product development and innovation during his presentation. He highlighted the importance of addressing product development as a cross-functional, collaborative process that not only accounts for what the consumer demands but also the technical feasibility and economic viability of a new product. 

Allison Reser, director of Sustainability and Innovation at the Pet Sustainability Coalition, presenting at the 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange. 

| Source: Pet Food Processing / Sosland Publishing Co.

Allison Reser, director of Sustainability and Innovation at the PSC, then took attendees on a quest for sustainable packaging. In addition to breaking down the journey toward more sustainable packaging, she also touched on the emergence of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws. So far, California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine and Minnesota are implementing these laws, and others, like Illinois and Maryland, are working on their own. As shared by Reser, these laws enforce a per-pound fee rate for each piece of unsustainable packaging onto a pet food company, with the goal to fund critical recycling infrastructure and help incentivize more sustainably designed packaging. 

“EPR is an ally in disguise,” Reser shared.

With the supply chain and transportation a critical topic on everyone’s mind, RedStone Logistics Chief Executive Officer Jim Ritchie provided an update on the state of the supply chain and logistics, touching on trade and geopolitical issues, interest rates, the weakening labor market and more. A big theme from Ritchie’s presentation was uncertainty, which he encouraged companies to “get comfortable with” by leveraging more targeted procurement practices and turning their supply chains into a competitive advantage. 

Following lunch, Marcial Guevara, Ph.D., global senior technical product manager for Pets at Novonesis, took the stage to speak on the growing interest in biotic ingredients. Pre-, pro- and postbiotics have grown in popularity as pet owners associate them with general health and wellness in their four-legged companions. In addition to breaking down the differences between these biotics and their best applications, Guevara also explained the importance of selecting the right biotic strains, as certain strains have more efficacious benefits. 

Within the realm of formulation, Lindsay Meyers, vice president of Quality, Nutrition and Compliance at Primal Pet Foods, shared a case-study on food safety and compliance. Meyers shared her first-hand experience at Primal when the company was issued a warning letter from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), diving into how Primal ramped up its food safety practices and how the company continues to collaborate with the FDA. With this in mind, Meyers advised pet food manufacturers to approach food safety as a balancing act between what regulations and regulators demand, what consumers expect and understand, and what can be implemented operationally.

“Regulators are not our enemies, but, instead our partners,” she shared. 

From left to right: Michael Johnson, principal of consumer strategy at BSM Partners; Jim Holdrieth, CEO of Muenster Pet; Nate Thomas, co-founder of BSM Partners; and Worth Turner, CEO of CompletePet; during the State of the Industry Panel. 

| Source: Pet Food Processing / Sosland Publishing Co.

To end the first day of the Pet Food Processing Exchange, industry leaders Jim Holdrieth, CEO of Muenster Pet; Nate Thomas, co-founder of BSM Partners; and Worth Turner, CEO of CompletePet; discussed the top challenges in the State of the Industry panel, moderated by Michael Johnson, principal of consumer strategy at BSM Partners. These experts candidly discussed how they’re battling the labor market by leveraging automation, the rising prices of pet food products and how consumer purchasing behavior continues to evolve, the growth of direct-to-consumer, the struggles of the independent pet channel and much more. 

After a day chock full of knowledge and actionable insights, attendees celebrated another year of the Exchange with a cocktail reception. 

Day Two

Day two of the 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange began with a bang with the Future of Pet Food panel, specifically focusing on increasing interest in alternative proteins. Rich Kelleman, CEO and founder of Bond Pet Foods; Shannon Falconer, Ph.D., CEO and founder of BioCraft Pet Nutrition; Michael Faurot, director of Global Clinical Nutrition and Claims at Hill’s Pet Nutrition; and Adam Mutschler, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Archway Pet Food; shared their thoughts on insect-based, cell-cultured and precision fermented proteins and the use in pet nutrition. 

From left to right: Kimberlie Clyma, editor of Pet Food Processing; Rich Kelleman, CEO and founder of Bond Pet Foods; Adam Mutschler, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Archway Pet Food; Shannon Falconer, Ph.D., CEO and founder of BioCraft Pet Nutrition; and Michael Faurot, director of Global Clinical Nutrition and Claims at Hill’s Pet Nutrition; during the Pet Food of the Future panel. 

| Source: Pet Food Processing / Sosland Publishing Co.

Consumer perception and education are large hurdles in using such alternative proteins. When it comes to education, these leaders advised companies to focus on the ingredient’s health benefits to pets and the environmental benefits as an additional plus. They also noted the importance of demystifying the process in which these proteins are created, as pet owners likely don’t realize these processes have been around for decades and are used to create human food products. 

“It’s important to explain that there’s nothing mystical happening here,” Falconer said. 

Following this, Tara Zedayko, chief scientific officer at Ollie, shared the growth of personalization within the pet nutrition industry, detailing how companies like Ollie are tapping data from pet parents to enhance their pet food product formulations, as well as business overall. According to Zedayko, data is foundational for personalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers an opportunity for companies to eliminate barriers. 

As interest in more personalized pet food products has risen, so too has interest in minimally processed formats, like those made through high pressure processing (HPP). Mary-Grace Danao, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, shared an in-depth view of HPP and how it can be used to meet this demand, as well as enhance a product’s food safety and shelf life. Danao shared how HPP works and how it can serve as a stand-alone or additional kill-step for pet food manufacturers seeking alternatives to non-thermal processing.

Mary-Grace Danao, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, presenting at the 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange.

| Source: Pet Food Processing / Sosland Publishing Co.

Though this processing method offers benefits in reducing microbial load, Danao cautioned attendees that it is possible to overload HPP systems and to consider the quality of raw materials, as well as the possibility of using HPP in tandem with another non-thermal kill-step, like freeze-drying, to ensure a 5-log reduction. 

“Microbial contamination depends on the quality of raw ingredients, and it’s hard to hide behind a bad-quality ingredient,” she said. 

Following this, Dana Waters, director of International Affairs at the Pet Food Institute, provided attendees with a look into trade opportunities, sharing that despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, government shutdowns and evolving trade relations, US pet food exports are remaining steady, which Waters attributed to continued rises in global pet ownership. As companies look to expand their international presence, Waters recommends they take advantage of resources from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS), and to tailor product messaging to different markets. For example, innovative formats appeal more to consumers in more established markets like Canada, China and Mexico, whereas accessibility is key to consumers in more emerging markets, like Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Dana Waters, director of International Affairs at the Pet Food Institute, presenting at the 2025 Pet Food Processing Exchange. 

| Source: Pet Food Processing / Sosland Publishing Co.

“At the end of the day, US pet food already has what these international markets want,” she revealed.

Ending the conference, Jon Copeland, research manager at MarketPlace, shared the latest pet parent data from the 2025 Dog Trends and Cat Trends consumer survey conducted by MarketPlace brand Nextin Research. According to the data, the top need states for cats are indoor, hairball, daily wellness, digestion and dental care, and the top needs for dogs are skin and coat, daily wellness, joint health, digestion and weight management. 

“Need states are purchase drivers, so we need to be paying attention,” he explained.

With this data in mind, Copeland advised pet food brands to consider a multi-media approach to reach consumers, taking into account both people (like veterinarians) and online sources (like social media). He also highlighted the need for brands to adopt an omnichannel retail approach, as purchasing behaviors continue to vary from cat owners to dog owners, as well as generation to generation.

Planning is already underway for Pet Food Processing Exchange 2026, which is planned for early October in Kansas City, Mo. Whether it’s discovering the latest trends, gaining fresh insights or learning new strategies from industry experts, the Exchange is the place to develop ideas and foster meaningful connections to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving industry. 

Keep an eye-out for upcoming details on Pet Food Processing Exchange 2026 and stay tuned for more coverage from the event.