Owners make dog’s dinner of food lines

“IT’S a dog’s dinner,” is no longer the criticism it once was.

In fact, according to market trends it might actually be quite the complement as pet owners are forcing changes which have seen treats produced to suit their taste buds rather than those of their dogs.

The Euromonitor industry report said this year’s key trend has been the blurring of lines between human tastes and animal products.

“Products are marketed using language designed to appeal to the owner rather than the pet. “Buzz words like ‘natural ingredients’, ‘low fat’ and ‘improved dental hygiene’ coupled with products tailored to suit the different life stages of pets struck chords with consumers,” it said.

Sales director for Irish Dog Foods Paul Blair said the humanisation of pet food is becoming more pronounced.

“We are producing food lines for organic pet food. These are made from items that are fully organic and this is the way people want their pet food — the same as they would shop for themselves,” he said.