Insects, including crickets and grubs, have long been consumed by cultures across the globe and Jiminys is making the "natural" diet more accessible to pet owners and their furry friends. Made from crickets, which are high in fats, protein, and other essential nutrients, the dog food is substantially more sustainable than traditional beef-based dog food options. Switching to Jiminys insect-based pet food could save almost 400,000 gallons of water annually and the equivalent emissions of driving over 500 miles.
Marketing the cricket-based dog food to owners, however, took some thought. Anne Carlson, the founder and CEO of Jiminy’s, says: "Because our protein source is unusual, we wanted to make it easy for people to recognize, ‘oh, it looks like a normal treat, the food looks like normal food, it smells good to me, I’m not afraid of this. While the end consumer is the dog, you’ve got to get the human to actually buy it for them."
Currently, pet owners can buy Jiminys online and in various retailers across the country with prices starting at $16.95. While this is more expensive than traditional dog foods (because meat alternatives aren't subsided by the government), Carlson anticipates that the industry will soon get more efficient and prices will decrease.
Cricket-Based Dog Foods
Jiminys Line of Dog Food is Eco-Friendly and Offers Healthy Protein
Trend Themes
1. Insect-based Pet Food - The pet food industry can invest in developing more insect-based products to offer sustainable and healthy alternatives to traditional meat-based options.
2. Eco-friendly Pet Products - The trend towards eco-friendly pet products can drive innovation and development in the pet industry, creating opportunities for businesses to offer more sustainable and environmentally conscious options.
3. Alternative Protein Sources - The use of alternative protein sources beyond traditional meat products presents a significant innovation opportunity for the pet food industry, with trends towards more sustainable and healthy options.
Industry Implications
1. Pet Food Manufacturing - The pet food manufacturing industry can invest in creating more sustainable and eco-friendly product lines, using insect-based proteins instead of traditional meat-based sources.
2. Pet Retail - Pet retail businesses can capitalize on the trend towards eco-friendly and sustainable pet products by offering a variety of non-traditional pet foods and other eco-friendly products to consumers.
3. Insect Farming - The insect farming industry can increase production and innovation to meet the demand for insect-based pet foods and other alternative protein sources, creating new markets and profitable opportunities.