Pet Fair Asia 2023 Reflections

The AFB China Team was excited to attend Pet Fair Asia in August 2023. The show was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) with 17 exhibition halls and 230,000 square meters of exhibition space. About 2,200 brands participated as exhibitors and more than 250,000 visitors attended the show. Pet Fair Asia is considered the benchmark exhibition for pet supply companies in Asia-Pacific. The event gives significant importance to Asian markets and presents a wide coverage of supply chain and sourcing needs.

In this blog, Charlie Xie, Technical Service Manager for AFB China, reports on various market trends and products while at the event.

Compared with traditional baked kibble, some manufacturers have redesigned the shape and introduced multiple colors. It is relatively novel among many baked kibble brands. Some brands and manufacturers have also designed chips for pets, similar to potato chips eaten by people. The main component of chips for pets is meat. The chips are very crispy, meeting the cat’s texture preference. Dogs also like to eat these chips. One company was displaying freeze-dried dietary fiber meat, which increases the intake of dietary fiber in cats, helping to promote intestinal peristalsis, prevent intestinal hairballs, reduce constipation, and reduce fecal odor.

Looking at customized meals for pets, the daily nutritional needs are customized according to the physical condition of each pet. The corresponding nutritional plan is formulated according to age, weight, gender, and other information. The daily diet could include kibble, freeze-dried, wet pet food, snacks, etc. The diet will also be customized according to customer requirements, such as plans to help fur appear healthier and more beautiful, increase intestinal health, improve oral health, and support weight loss.

A new concept around wet food packaging is the mini can of cat food. Cats are often fed many times a day, leading to relatively small food intake at each meal. When using a can, there may be a surplus, resulting in leftover food that is not fresh. Therefore, a brand has designed a smaller package where each mini can is 35g. This can be consumed in full every time, and part of the package is transparent so you can see the contents. Another packaging product was the Tetra Pak Packaging Wet Pet Food. Using sealed filling Tetra Recart packaging technology, low-carbon paper, environmentally friendly, recyclable materials, to promote sustainable development. This packaging uses Tetra Pak’s first 9-layer packaging technology, and the shelf life can reach 24 months without adding any preservatives.

Other products that were displayed were around special needs, such as a pill used to wrap medicine. Often, pets refuse to take medicine due to poor palatability. In order to solve this problem, the brand has designed a medicine-feeding product, which wraps tablets so pets successfully take medicine. This pill has very good palatability, which can cover up the bad taste. Some brands make pet nutritional supplements into the shape of coffee capsules, mixed with water, and fed to pets for pet nutrition supplements.

Attending these types of shows is valuable to market research. At AFB, our palatants are specially designed to make pet foods, treats and supplements taste better. Seeing new products in person helps us support our customers using new technology.

Please reach out to Charlie Xie at CYXie@afbinternational.com if you want to learn more about AFB palatants and our services and solutions in China. We Make Pet Food Taste Great.^TM