The Fresh Pet Food Market Will Enjoy Double-Digit Growth Through 2012 to Reach $473 Million

Virtually all of the dollar sales growth in the North American pet food market over the past decade has come from affluent consumers who are willing to pay more for higher quality foods that improve and maintain the health of their furry loved ones. This trend has led to $169 million in North American sales of fresh pet food in 2007, according to an all-new report from Packaged Facts, "Fresh Pet Food in North America: The Raw/Frozen, Refrigerated and Homemade Wave.'

Although the raw/frozen pet food market is small compared to the overall North American market's $18 billion reported sales in 2007, there can be no mistaking that the notion of fresh pet food is on the rise. And with a lively 23% CAGR anticipated for 2007 through 2012, this market should bark up $473 million by 2012.

Natural and organic products are one of the hottest trends in the overall marketplace. Both product types are closely associated with fresh pet food due to their nutritional attributes. Innovative new products with convenience features and technological advances, spurred by heightened food safety concerns, are driving consumer demand.

"The key to this market and its growth rate will depend largely on the ability of marketers and pet specialty retailers of fresh pet foods to educate consumers about the benefits of these products," comments Tatjana Meerman, the Publisher of Packaged Facts. "Other factors will include marketers' abilities to expand distribution and increase production at a time when fuel and raw ingredient prices are at record highs and still increasing."

Packaged Facts' ground-breaking report, "Fresh Pet Food in North America," is the first market report to quantify this dynamic segment of the North American pet food market. The report includes primary interviews with top industry experts and is supported by extensive canvassing of the Internet, where the "word-of-mouth" raw foods movement has long been based and continues to spread. Packaged Facts also examines the growing trend toward homemade pet foods, especially within the context of overlap with raw pet foods and the use of fresh ingredients with traditional shelf-stable dry and wet pet foods. For further information visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Fresh-Pet-Food-1420439/.

Packaged Facts publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics, pet, and financial products. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. For more information visit www.packagedfacts.com, or contact Jenn Tekin at 240-747-3015 or jtekin@marketresearch.com.