Insect based Pet food business

[Swfcdan]

Hi just signed up here to discuss my idea of an insect based pet food. As someone concerned by our environmental state I have cut down hugely on my meat consumption to almost none. I've also found a dried insect cat food for my cats but this is far from widely available and only available from a foreign company (and only one variety).

In addition I'd be interested in making a wet canned insect based food, by insect based I mean containing no animal meat, only insects and additives to make it a complete pet food. I know there are vegan dog foods available but again non widely available and not for cats.

I think this area will really increase in popularity as more people want to/are forced to become more environmentally conscious. I have ideas how to get the insects and which types, so would like to know if anyone wants to discuss this with me who is interested in the idea. I have no business experience so appreciate all advice too, thanks.

 

[Mark T Jones]

What specific parts of the business are you looking for feedback on?


I had a customer in this sector - they have survived and are now doing quite well, but have had a number of challenges including:

Marketing - building a client/fan base

Regulation

Manufacturing - they started in-house manufacturing, which was laborious and limiting. They now outsurce.

Dealing with multiples. Getting in the door / distribution / cashflow

Due to their early effort and success with building their brand it was a rare occasion where I suggested crowd funding, though they went with a JV instead

 

[Shopclicks]

A quick Google search for 'insect based pet food' shows a stack of brands already in this market. You're a bit late to the party.

 

[DontAsk]

I know there are vegan dog foods available but again non widely available and not for cats

There's a good reason for that. Don't let your human prejudices cloud your judgement.

 

[Fagin2021]

Hi just signed up here to discuss my idea of an insect based pet food. As someone concerned by our environmental state I have cut down hugely on my meat consumption to almost none. I've also found a dried insect cat food for my cats but this is far from widely available and only available from a foreign company (and only one variety).

In addition I'd be interested in making a wet canned insect based food, by insect based I mean containing no animal meat, only insects and additives to make it a complete pet food. I know there are vegan dog foods available but again non widely available and not for cats.

I think this area will really increase in popularity as more people want to/are forced to become more environmentally conscious. I have ideas how to get the insects and which types, so would like to know if anyone wants to discuss this with me who is interested in the idea. I have no business experience so appreciate all advice too, thanks.

<rant>
What exactly is ‘environmentally friendly’ about insect-based foods – either for humans or animals ? Thanks to loss of habitat, modern farming methods and especially pesticides, insect populations are in sharp decline around the world - as are the numerous species of birds, mammals and reptiles that depend on them. It’s the same with krill in the oceans. There's eight billion of us humans and when food sources become scarce or difficult we plunder the bottom of the food chain on which other groups rely. Is that ‘environment-friendly' ?
</rant>

PS. The exception is horse flies. You can can as many of those little buggers as you like.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

@Shopclicks has pointed out the important part that your market maybe over saturated but can you offer something unique that the others don't

 

[WaveJumper]

And judging by the down turn in human based non meat etc food alternatives due to price the latter is going to be a major factor in your success.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Never forget that first place seldom goes to:

The first
The best
The most ethical.

You are in a marketing game - if you are better at finding your market you will win

Then you'll just have to produce, deliver and get paid...

 

[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

<rant>
What exactly is ‘environmentally friendly’ about insect-based foods – either for humans or animals ? Thanks to loss of habitat, modern farming methods and especially pesticides, insect populations are in sharp decline around the world - as are the numerous species of birds, mammals and reptiles that depend on them. It’s the same with krill in the oceans. There's eight billion of us humans and when food sources become scarce or difficult we plunder the bottom of the food chain on which other groups rely. Is that ‘environment-friendly' ?
</rant>

PS. The exception is horse flies. You can can as many of those little buggers as you like.

Insect farming isn't the same as trawling for krill. The only time you could 'wild catch' sufficient insects would be a plague of locusts or swarms of cicadas.

The basic premise is that it takes less resources and space. Quite a staggering difference in feedstock used, water used and space used as well as time taken to produce a kilo of insect protein vs a kilo of beef protein. They are not fussy on what they eat either, so a good use of food waste. So are pigs, if proper swill heating guidlines were followed.

It's incredibly efficient. Insect farming is to protein/meat production what hydroponics in a greenhouse is to salad growing.

Mealworms are surprisingly tasty. That and chocolate coated crickets are as far as I've ventured, but as someone who loves food I'd try others.

 

[Swfcdan]

<rant>
What exactly is ‘environmentally friendly’ about insect-based foods – either for humans or animals ? Thanks to loss of habitat, modern farming methods and especially pesticides, insect populations are in sharp decline around the world - as are the numerous species of birds, mammals and reptiles that depend on them. It’s the same with krill in the oceans. There's eight billion of us humans and when food sources become scarce or difficult we plunder the bottom of the food chain on which other groups rely. Is that ‘environment-friendly' ?
</rant>

PS. The exception is horse flies. You can can as many of those little buggers as you like.

Insect farming isn't the same as trawling for krill. The only time you could 'wild catch' sufficient insects would be a plague of locusts or swarms of cicadas.

The basic premise is that it takes less resources and space. Quite a staggering difference in feedstock used, water used and space used as well as time taken to produce a kilo of insect protein vs a kilo of beef protein. They are not fussy on what they eat either, so a good use of food waste. So are pigs, if proper swill heating guidlines were followed.

It's incredibly efficient. Insect farming is to protein/meat production what hydroponics in a greenhouse is to salad growing.

Mealworms are surprisingly tasty. That and chocolate coated crickets are as far as I've ventured, but as someone who loves food I'd try others.

I was just about to reply to the first post (didn't exactly expect a rant in reply to my first post here) but this reply answered all what I was basically going to say, thank you! Yes insect farming. It's not without flaws but hugely lower environmental impact and takes much less time as you said.
Even mentioning insects as a human food source, which will likely be coming not too far in the future I agree!
It seems there are more brands out there than I realised but none have made them into major retailers yet. I still think there's a big opportunity with this.

 

[MRQ]

I know there are vegan dog foods available but again non widely available and not for cats.

I have two bags of insect based cat food sitting in the back kitchen... Greta (the cat) won't touch the stuff; just gives me a disgusted look; as only cats can. - Morag... the dog; a Spaniel who will normally eat absolutely anything and loves leftover catfood, just looks at me baffled... doesn't even seem to realise it's supposed to be food.

This happens whether I give it to them wet, dry, with gravy, mixed in with other food.

I may put it out for the birds... they eat insects; don't they?

 

[Mark T Jones]

I have two bags of insect based cat food sitting in the back kitchen... Greta (the cat) won't touch the stuff; just gives me a disgusted look; as only cats can. - Morag... the dog; a Spaniel who will normally eat absolutely anything and loves leftover catfood, just looks at me baffled... doesn't even seem to realise it's supposed to be food.

This happens whether I give it to them wet, dry, with gravy, mixed in with other food.

I may put it out for the birds... they eat insects; don't they?

Fair point - pets tend to be brand-agnostic.

Though presumably every brand has this challenge.

 

[IanSuth]

A few years ago a member of the girls rugby team i manage gave me a locust meal energy bar to try - it was perfectly fine.

It was being brought to market and marketed by a family friend of theirs - whole idea was it was ethical and very protein dense. Unfortunately each bar cost about £3 compared with at the time 75p-£1 for the alternative mainstream bar.

I have not really seen them since. There was also a news article a few months ago on BBC with an insect food lady, she was on complaining about brexit red tape causing her issues. Story seemed to be the same though - good initial interest, enough to move from self growing the insects to having to outsource that side, but then it stalled.

I agree with others - great idea ethically but hope you have a huge pile of marketing wonga (or can source investment/buy in from someone who can give you traction).

PS Our Collie lives on Lidl dry "working dog" biscuits with whatever stock or meat scraps we have around (all carcasses get boiled for stock in this house). She tried Tails and only picked at it and has never had wet dog food in her 8 years

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

down turn in human based non meat etc

What down turn? One business has been hit by competition and they have had a few issues...

It seems there are more brands out there than I realised but none have made them into major retailers yet. I still think there's a big opportunity with this.

If you have the big bucks for marketing, you stand a chance. Why not try to tie in with dog & cat homes to get endorsements?

BTW, aren't insects meat based?

 

[IanSuth]

What down turn? One business has been hit by competition and they have had a few issues...

Cost of living: Beyond Meat hit as inflation squeezes shoppers

The vegan food firm's revenues fell by 30.5% as inflation impacts household budgets.

www.bbc.co.uk

In June, vegan food company Meatless Farm stopped trading and let its staff go, while sausage producer Heck recently reduced its vegan range citing lack of consumer demand.
The Vegan Society has said the cost-of-living crisis in the UK is having a "big impact" on people's purchasing choices, while Meatless Farm said the market for alternative meat had become crowded.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

I believe that, whilst the economic situation will contribute to the woes, this is a major case of a saturated market - too many companies jumping on the bandwagon and over supply!

If you are not a meat eater, it is unlikely that you will start eating meat because of the economic environment!

 

[MOIC]

If you are not a meat eater, it is unlikely that you will start eating meat because of the economic environment!

They’ll probably stick to mainstream vegetables, fruits, nuts, pulses plus whatever else is vegan, rather than pay for overpriced products that look and have the texture of meat.

I can’t understand why a vegan would want to eat something that resembles meat.

We digress.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

I can’t understand why a vegan would want to eat something that resembles meat.

I agree, but it is probably more for converts who want some good memories!

 

[LPB 123]

I can’t understand why a vegan would want to eat something that resembles meat.

Because most vegans still like the taste of meat, they just don't eat it for ethical / environmental reasons.

 

[MOIC]

What if an animal was ethically raised without harming the environment?

Roadkill OK?

 

[Mark T Jones]

I was just about to reply to the first post (didn't exactly expect a rant in reply to my first post here) but this reply answered all what I was basically going to say, thank you! Yes insect farming. It's not without flaws but hugely lower environmental impact and takes much less time as you said.
Even mentioning insects as a human food source, which will likely be coming not too far in the future I agree!
It seems there are more brands out there than I realised but none have made them into major retailers yet. I still think there's a big opportunity with this.

There is a very important marketing lesson here

Your brand / marketing needs to imply the values you are looking for, but not to make spurious or contentious claims.

You might want to have a debate about the merits/demerits of eating insects, but that is distinct and separate from your product marketing.

 

[LPB 123]

What if an animal was ethically raised without harming the environment?

Still cruel to slaughter an animal in my opinion. (Also is that even possible?)

Roadkill OK?

Ethically yes in my opinion.

 

[MRQ]

...Cats are obligate carnivores; they cannot properly digest vegetation. Dogs are technically omnivores; but prefer and benefit from meat. - My old Spaniel, Dan, could be given a large carrot as a treat and loved it; our current hound, Morag (also a Spaniel) baulks even at 'vegetarian meatballs' (a phase my wife goes through from time to time) and tends to leave any 'greens' in the leftovers.

As Mark says; animals are 'brand agnostic' ...but cats in particular can be fussy eaters and will often reject food that is heavy in non-meat fillers. - Doesn't matter how cheap/expensive/ethical/pretty the box is. The big question is will the critters eat the stuff?

 

[macScot]

Anyone interested in farming should add 'The Biggest Little Farm' to their watch list, it is on Netflix. In my opinion, it is a very well-made film/documentary.

 

[DontAsk]

What if an animal was ethically raised without harming the environment?

Roadkill OK?

They are probably Just Stop Oil protestors too, so no.

 

[IanSuth]

They are probably Just Stop Oil protestors too, so no.

Not sure my dog would eat JSO protesters - even if tenderised by an HGV

 

[MRQ]

Not sure my dog would eat JSO protesters - even if tenderised by an HGV

...Wouldn't get a chance mate; As soon as they heard little Tarquine or Tarquinelle had been squished Mimsie or Popsie would be round double-quick in the old Bentayga to shovel the remains into a bucket to be fed to their own hynds. ? One simply must recycle don'cha know!

 

[BustersDogs]

There are lots of insect food brands out there in pet supermarkets, but I assume you are going for 'proper' supermarkets?

I can't help with that, but manufacturing pet food is covered by lots of different laws, as it's counted as livestock food (ie food meant to animals that feed humans).

Couple of links if don't already have them.

FEDIAF | Home

FEDIAF EuropeanPetFood, The voice of the European pet food industry We promote nutritious pet food, responsible...

europeanpetfood.org

https://www.ukpetfood.org

Personally I have no interest in feeding my dogs insects. They don't seem to like the taste judging by the look on their faces when they've killed their own 'food' (not as tasty as poo apparently), so I'm not sure with no additives how palatable that would be for pets.

 

[japancool]

I have two bags of insect based cat food sitting in the back kitchen... Greta (the cat) won't touch the stuff; just gives me a disgusted look; as only cats can. - Morag... the dog; a Spaniel who will normally eat absolutely anything and loves leftover catfood, just looks at me baffled... doesn't even seem to realise it's supposed to be food.

To be fair, I never worked out what my cat liked. She'd refuse to eat anything I bought her apart from tuna.

I say "my" cat, she actually belonged to the people across the street, and decided my house was her second home.

 

[chickenlady]

I went to Crufts this year - there were several insect dog foods stalls and I went to chat to them because it seemed quite interesting and they were quiet compared to some of the 'raw food' offerings. Dog tried Yopa (insect based) in the local pet shop this morning with little enthusiasm. Meaty kibble for us thank you - clean, easy to store, keep in your pocket and unlikely to give you e.coli. Not a fan of raw, don't think insect will catch on until humans start eating it regularly - psychologically, dogs are part of the family - Butternut Box and some others do very well by selling human-like food.

 

[Swfcdan]

As the TC, I've just had a look back through replies. I still believe insect based food has a lot of potential, it may take a while but pets can change their eating habits. my cats like one of the very few dried insect foods I can find- but it's pricey and not widely available.

If I wanted to get started on this idea, where is the best place to start? Could people here offer advice on setting up a business? I'd need to do more research first myself too, but want to know what my path would involve and how possible it is, before I spend too many hours researching it further myself. I don't have any experience in setting up a business.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

The first thing to do is understand and source the products. Do this before you do anything else, as without a supply and understanding of costs, leadtimes, requirements etc, you cannot proceed.

 

[IanSuth]

The first thing to do is understand and source the products. Do this before you do anything else, as without a supply and understanding of costs, leadtimes, requirements etc, you cannot proceed.

And get a rough idea of what people would pay - you say the current product is "pricey" if the price point people will pay is above what you need to sell at to make a profit (once you have costed in all those things Paul Kelly mention plus a fudge factor and min profit) all is good, if below then you are onto a non starter.

 

[japancool]

What about insects for people food?

Where I come from, stir fried insects are available at most markets, although I rather suspect quite a lot of them are sold to unsuspecting tourists. They're sold at local markets as well though.

 

[IanSuth]

What about insects for people food?

Where I come from, stir fried insects are available at most markets, although I rather suspect quite a lot of them are sold to unsuspecting tourists. They're sold at local markets as well though.

As i posted earlier in thread, I have had cereal bars made with insect flour. Aimed at the sports marketplace where people are looking for protein supplements

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Never forget that first place seldom goes to:

The first
The best
The most ethical.

You are in a marketing game - if you are better at finding your market you will win

Then you'll just have to produce, deliver and get paid...

100% agree. Once you've figured out your price point, then it's all down to marketing. And there are a load of competitors so to cut through all the noise, your marketing will have to be amazing.

Make your prospects laugh, entertain them, make them love your product.