At C&D Foods and its affiliates, we aim to optimise all opportunities to engage with customers and we love the chance to find out more about how we can support you as you navigate both the needs of pet pawrents and the commercial landscape.
The recent Zoomark exhibition, held in Bologna, Italy, was just such an opportunity, and, over the course of the three-day event, we welcomed hundreds of delegates to our stand, engaging in meaningful conversations and exploring the future of pet nutrition and wellbeing.
Zoomark was also a vibrant showcase of innovation and emerging trends in the pet care industry. The show enabled us to explore some of the hot topics in the pet food and pet care sectors, and we’ve returned full of insights that will be a catalyst for innovation across our business. We wanted to share some of that experience with you in this blog.
Innovation & Trends
In between talking with our customers and the many visitors to our stand, our Category and R&D teams walked the exhibition halls at Zoomark, actively scouting the latest developments from across the European market.
We expected to see some fresh ideas, and we weren’t disappointed, with a wide variety of pet food innovations on display: from meals inspired by home cooking, through to functional diets, single protein source snacks, and an array of alternative ingredients. All of these highlights from the show reflect key themes we’re already discussing with our customers, including transparency, health benefits, and sustainability.
Key Themes
So what else did we see and hear at Zoomark that reflects key themes we’re working on?
Humanisation: This trend has been around for a while, but it’s constantly evolving and it was interesting to see how brands are widening the inspiration for humanisation in pet food development and using that to push boundaries that echo human dining experience trends. Some of the highlights here included sushi-style treats for dogs, along with human-grade meals that demonstrate how far the concept of “pet cuisine” is gaining traction. It’s clear that many pet pawrents want the option of going beyond generic, off-the-shelf meals for their cats and dogs resulting in the growth in tailored, premium meals that resemble what we might serve to our human family members at our own dinner tables.
Treating: Closely linked to the humanisation trend (because we all love a treat, don’t we?!) is the innovation we saw in the treats category. Pet pawrents love to show love by offering their cats and dogs a treat, and in this category, we saw several examples of pet treats taking inspiration from treats that humans enjoy. Surprise eggs for cats and dogs reminded us of childhood treats with a toy inside, while freeze-dried lollipops and smoothies for dogs combine healthy eating and humanisation in treat form. Meanwhile cheese flavoured snacks echo the snacks you might find during the drinks and nibbles aperitif at any human dinner party, and also offer pets the taste of a human food they love.
Just like humans, pets enjoy treats in liquid form too, so we also saw a strong focus on lickable and liquid snacks, which combine taste with functional benefits, such as digestion support, joint mobility, and calming.
Many of these treats were paired with interactive toys designed to reduce boredom – some of which wouldn’t look out of place in a child’s playroom! – highlighting the role of nutrition in showing affection for our pets supporting their wellbeing.
Wellbeing: Speaking of wellbeing, this was another key theme at Zoomark 2025. We saw a significant focus on brain and cognitive health, with products featuring fish oils, collagen, and calming ingredients, reflecting a holistic approach to pet wellness that aligns with some of the established trends in the human health and wellbeing space.
Mono-proteins: There was a noticeable increase in mono-protein-based pet foods at Zoomark, which cater for pets with food sensitivities, allergies, or digestive issues. These formulations offer simplicity and clarity, aligning with the broader trend toward clean-label nutrition, and indicating pet pawrent demand for foods that support their cat or dog’s health and wellbeing with healthy nutrition tailored to their dietary needs.
Food for thought
As always, not all of the ideas we saw at Zoomark will make it to shelf, but they do demonstrate the creative thinking in the pet food sector, the potential for innovation, and the scope to diversify product ranges. We had some very exciting conversations about fresh ideas at the show, and we’re looking forward to continuing to develop new varieties tailored to the needs of our customers, pet pawrents and their pets!
