Neo Bites, an eco-conscious pet food startup based in Austin, Texas, has announced the launch of its first line of functional dog food toppers made from insect protein. The company aims to offer a healthy alternative to typical supermarket dog foods, which often rely on artificial preservatives, fillers, and highly-processed meats.
Unlike animal protein-based dog foods, the insect protein utilized by Neo Bites comes with a natural prebiotic and contains a significant dose of omega-3s. In addition, the Neo Bites toppers are hypoallergenic, making them ideal for dogs with known food sensitivities.
Currently, the toppers come in three versions. These include the Health Aid Topper, designed to improve everyday vitality, the Digestive Aid Topper, formulated to support gut health, the Skin & Coat Aid Topper, made to keep a dog's coat thick and shiny. All three versions come with Neo Bites signature Super-Insect Blend.
Image Credit: Neo Bites
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Insect-based Pet Food
- Opportunity for other pet food startups to explore the use of insect protein as an eco-conscious and healthy alternative to traditional pet food ingredients.
- Functional Pet Food Toppers
- Opportunity for pet food companies to continue exploring the use of functional ingredients in pet food toppers, such as those designed to benefit gut health, skin and coat health, and overall vitality.
- Prebiotic Pet Food
- Opportunity to explore the benefits of prebiotics in pet food and potentially incorporate them into other types of pet food or supplements.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Pet Food
- Opportunity for pet food companies in the $91 billion pet industry to explore alternative and functional ingredients to meet the growing demand for healthier and eco-conscious pet food options.
- Insect Farming
- Opportunity for insect farming as a more sustainable and efficient way to produce protein for pet food, reducing the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming.
- Pet Health Supplements
- Opportunity for companies in the $1.4 billion pet-health supplement industry to further explore the benefits of functional ingredients like prebiotics and expand their offerings to include toppers and other types of pet food.
