The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) sponsored a one-and-a-half-day pet workshop in Guadalajara, Mexico for pet food industry representatives learning about trends in pet nutrition, including the use of sorghum and corn fermented protein (CFP) as sustainable, nutritious ingredients.
“After overall consumer spending on pets increased significantly as a side effect of household spending redistribution during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, general growth has tapered but the pet food market has been resilient, motivated by other dynamic factors like individual pet diet needs and strong consumer preferences,” said Patricia Esqueda, USGBC senior marketing specialist.
Esqueda, USGBC Manager of Global Trade Jace Hefner and USGBC Office Manager and Administrator Ana Livia Guerra led the program that attracted 30 participants.
Speakers for the first day covered topics ranging from current consumer trends in Mexico, nutritional requirements for different types of pets and the health benefits and availability of U.S. sorghum and CFP for Mexican producers.
The program concluded with additional sessions the following morning centered on sustainable ingredient sourcing, proper techniques to extract maximum value from inputs and a formulation exercise to practice optimal recipe combinations.
“The Mexican pet market is expected to reach nearly $5 billion by 2029 and demand for premium products is remaining insulated from overall grocery affordability concerns among consumers, keeping an opportunity open for U.S. corn and sorghum farmers in Mexico,” Esqueda said.
Learn more about the Council’s work in Mexico here.