To fill a gap in the market for accessibly priced gut health pet nutrition solutions, Proteine Resources announced VELI, a range of functional wet pet foods made with an alternative protein ingredient. The line features EntoPro, made from insect-derived protein and functional bioactives sourced from mushroom by-products, which delivers protein, prebiotic fiber and bioactive compounds. This alt-protein is paired with postbiotics to support both gut and skin health.
Proteine Resources is currently seeking partnerships with direct-to-consumer pet food brands, retail chains, and private-label manufacturers interested in the functional wet pet food segment. Ahead of its official market launch, VELI is running a product testing platform and planning to get ingredient certification for EntoPro in Canada and the United States later this year.
What's Driving This Trend
- Alternative-protein Pet Foods
- Emergence of affordable, nutrient-dense proteins for pets creates potential to upend traditional meat-based formulations with sustainable, scalable ingredient sources.
- Insect-derived Functional Ingredients
- Use of insect protein combined with bioactive compounds signals a shift toward multifunctional ingredients that deliver nutrition plus targeted physiological benefits.
- Postbiotic-enhanced Pet Nutrition
- Growing incorporation of postbiotics and prebiotic fibers into wet foods indicates a move from basic feeding to microbiome-focused products that differentiate on gut and skin health outcomes.
Who This Affects Most
- Pet Food Manufacturing
- Manufacturers capable of integrating novel proteins and bioactives into wet formats stand to redefine product portfolios and cost structures across mainstream and premium lines.
- Retail Pet Chains
- Retailers offering shelf space to functional, alt-protein pet foods may transform category assortment and consumer expectations around sustainability and health claims.
- Ingredient Certification and Testing
- Certification bodies and testing labs positioned to validate safety and efficacy of insect-derived and postbiotic ingredients could become gatekeepers for market access in new protein categories.
