ORLANDO, FLA. — The 15th annual Global Pet Expo has come and gone, drawing more than 1,000 exhibitors, including several hundred pet food and treat brands to showcase their latest product innovations, discuss trends, challenges and opportunities in the industry, network with and learn from one another. 

Several innovative product development trends, ingredients and formulations caught the attention of Pet Food Processing’s editorial team as we perused the show floor and met with exhibitors. Among the hundreds — if not thousands — of new pet food and treat products seen at Global Pet Expo this year, these five trends jumped out in particular: grain-inclusive diets, the development of complementary dry and wet pet food formulas, whole-prey nutrition, the use of solutions-based ingredients and proliferation in wet, fresh and frozen pet food and treats. 

We also saw a continued rise in hemp-CBD pet products, an emphasis on human-grade products and a handful of reformulations and package redesigns.

Keep up with the latest pet food and treat trends on our Trends page.