{"id":10847,"date":"2025-04-16T16:30:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T14:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appetizerblog.com\/?p=10847"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:38:31","slug":"pet-food-palatability-how-to-measure-up-to-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.appetizerblog.com\/en\/pet-food-palatability-how-to-measure-up-to-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet food palatability: how to measure up to competition"},"content":{"rendered":"
With the profusion of pet food products available on the market, differentiating your brand from the competition has become a challenge. A high palatability performance, assessed through meaningful criteria such as eaten quantity, attractiveness, pet enjoyment but also owner satisfaction, is a powerful differentiation means to stand up from the crowd.<\/div>\n

Around 2600 new pet food products hit the market in 2023*, all promising to be delicious, tasty, yummy… basically, the best pet food ever!<\/p>\n

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In that ocean of choice, if you want pet parents to pick YOUR products for Kitty and Max, you need to prove that their exceptional palatability will create a pet meal experience better than anyone.<\/p>\n

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Lucky you, there are numerous measurement methods that can help you characterize all the sensory properties of your precious, to find the winning claims that will set it apart from the crowd and touch pet parents\u2019 heart.<\/p>\n

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*Mintel<\/em><\/p>\n

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Guess what pet parents really<\/em> want<\/h2>\n

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Taste has always been in the top list of pet food purchase criteria. At the beginning of industrial pet food, there were huge variations in terms of quality and palatability between products. Simply getting a pet to eat was already a victory.<\/p>\n

But this was 50 years ago\u2026 Since then, premiumization has raised standards, making most products broadly acceptable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The definition of palatability performance has thus evolved: today’s pet parents don’t just want their pets to accept their food, they want them to visibly enjoy<\/strong> it. And they are willing to test multiple options to find the perfect fit.<\/p>\n

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To help pet food manufacturers develop products adapted to owners\u2019 new expectations, palatability measurement methods have progressed. Beyond acceptance, they now include additional criteria reflecting pet owners\u2019 perceptions of palatability and pet enjoyment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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These enriched methods allow characterizing all the sensory facets of a product<\/strong> to reveal its qualities and make the best out of it. They can spotlight distinguishing features<\/strong> that can be leveraged to enhance pet food promotion and stand out in a competitive market<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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With the right product and the right criteria, you’ll find the right arguments.<\/p>\n

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Promote attractiveness<\/h2>\n

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Attractiveness<\/strong> is one of the most meaningful palatability criteria for pet owners.
\nDefined as the appeal of the product to the animal<\/strong> when presented during a meal. Attractiveness is mainly linked with smell. It is particularly important as it marks the beginning of the meal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The higher the attractiveness, the faster the animal will come to the bowl and start eating, the happier the pet parents.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Two criteria can be used to assess attractiveness:<\/p>\n