Mars Petcare, Big Idea Ventures Launch Scheme for Novel Food Startups to Develop Sustainable Pet Food

Mars Petcare and Big Idea Ventures are spearheading a new programme for startups developing novel proteins and fats to develop sustainable pet food innovations.

As the planetary impacts of pet food become apparent to more and more consumers, a new programme is hoping to advance innovations that deliver more sustainable food for our furry friends.

Industry giant Mars Petcare and food tech investor Big Idea Ventures have partnered with food and feed technology specialist Bühler and plant-based fat producer AAK to launch the Next Generation Pet Food Program.

The initiative is on the hunt for human food startups that can help greenify the pet food sector through sustainable solutions like novel ingredients and upcycling. The idea is to use alternative proteins and fats to reduce the carbon emissions of the pet food sector.

“This initiative aims to highlight the exciting opportunity for developing sustainable pet food products,” said Andrew D Ive, founder and managing general partner of Big Idea Ventures. “It represents a significant step forward in fostering innovative, eco-friendly solutions within the pet food industry.”

Scheme looks for novel food startups to transform pet food sector

Pet ownership is on the rise, as is the carbon footprint attached to it. While the true emissions of pet food are a subject of debate between experts, research has shown that 20% of all meat in the UK and 25-30% in the US is used for pet food.

Meat is the most carbon-intensive food, making up 57% of the global dietary emissions together with dairy (twice as high as plant-based foods). Livestock agriculture is also an efficient form of farming, taking up 80% of the world’s farmland while supplying only 18% of its calories and 37% of its protein.

While. there are a number of companies working specifically on making pet food more planet-friendly, whether through plant-based proteins or cultivated meat, the Next Generation Pet Food Program wants to apply the tech advancements in human food to this industry.

The organisers are looking for companies innovating with alternative proteins and fats, nutritionally rich and sustainable novel ingredients, and eco-friendly processing technologies like food waste upcycling and innovative extraction techniques.

Startups will be chosen based on how unique their solution is, their ability to be scaled up, their potential to reduce emissions (with quantifiable metrics), and their willingness to openly collaborate with partners using your IP. Companies based in Asia-Pacific are preferred as the showcase event, will be held in Singapore, but other geographies will be considered if they have a highly relevant tech solution.

Mars has already been working on replacing chicken and pork fat with sustainable alternatives, so partnering with AAK – which makes plant-based oils and fats for a variety of applications – makes sense. Bühler, meanwhile, will provide technological expertise, with selected startups invited to tour its Protein Innovation Center and participate in an extrusion demo in Singapore.

“Ensuring a sustainable source of pet nutrition requires new ideas, technologies, and innovative practices,” said Bühler CTO Ian Roberts. “Collaborative innovation between industry leaders like Mars Petcare and Big Idea Ventures attracts startups from both within and beyond the pet care sector, supporting them in scaling their solutions to enhance the sustainability of pet nutrition.”

Startups to showcase product concepts in Singapore

The deadline for applications is September 10, and in the end, five to six startups will be chosen for the programme. Once selected, they’ll participate in online sessions during October and November, gaining expert insights from leading pet food experts and understanding the key factors in product formulation for pet food.

The startups will work with CPG, ingredient and tech experts from Mars Petcare, AAK and Bühler to develop innovative pet food concepts that directly address problem statements.

Then, during the Singapore International Agri-Food Week (November 18-22), the organisers will host a meet-and-greet event alongside the tour of Bühler’s facility. The startups will present a pitch for their innovations to Big Idea Ventures, which will help polish the presentation in preparation for a showcase event. Here, they’ll be presenting their solutions to a “high-profile audience”, which will offer them a host of networking opportunities.

“At Mars Petcare, our purpose is: A Better World for Pets,” said Elise Malandain, VP of R&D at Mars Petcare. “This programme aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and innovation, and we are excited to collaborate with startups that share our vision.”

The announcement of the Next Generation Pet Food Program comes amid a flurry of activity in the alternative pet food space. Just this week, for example, Wild Earth entered the vegan cat food category with a “nutritionally complete” Unicorn Pate.

Last month, UK manufacturer Pets Choice agreed to acquire vegan dog food maker Hownd, while London-based Meatly became the world’s first cultivated pet food company to be approved for sale.

Meanwhile, in the US, Friends & Family Pet Food Co. announced it was partnering with Singapore’s Umami Bioworks to produce cultivated seafood treats for cats, while Cult Food Science began preparing for FDA feeding trials in pursuit of regulatory approval for its Noochies! cultivated dog treats.

And in a major win for the sector, the British Veterinary Association revised its position on the health credentials of vegan pet food, recognising that it’s possible to feed plant-based diets to dogs, so long as they’re nutritionally complete.