If the dog-loving children of actual royalty (The Cambridges) and pop royalty (The Beckhams) are anything to go by, Britain’s Gen Alphas (born 2013-2024) are set to become a pet-obsessed generation.
Gen Alphas are growing up with pets as companions. Pet ownership peaks among parents with children under 18, with almost 70% of such households owning one. These pet owners are increasingly ‘humanising’ their pets, meaning Gen Alphas will likely maintain this trend. Therefore, emerging health trends that influence how Gen Alphas consume food and drink will be pivotal for the petfood industry.
Fortified products and digestive health
Gen Alphas are used to eating fortified food: a third of global food and drink launches for children are fortified with vitamins or minerals, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD).
That’s mirrored in the way households with Gen Alphas look after their pets. Mintel research finds 39% of pet owners with children aged 15 and under give supplements to their pets, compared to 32% of all pet owners. Taking cues from their childhood, these youngsters will prioritise dietary supplementation for pets as they become pet owners themselves.
There is also a parallel in the digestive health claims on global children’s food and drink launches, which have more than doubled in the past decade. The petfood industry is already addressing concerns around digestive health: the share of global petfood launches with a prebiotic or probiotic claim has increased over the past five years. We also expect the growing consumer interest in postbiotics to lead to more future pet owners prioritising postbiotic-containing foods.
The UPF debate
The discussion around processed foods is another crucial point. ‘Pet parents’ who have a Gen Alpha at home are more likely to find manufactured petfood less appealing due to concerns over ultra-processed foods. So Gen Alphas will be interested in petfood that has not undergone much processing. Petfood brands should reframe raw and fresh products as unprocessed, and innovate with gentler processing methods.
Finally, psychological health will play a bigger role in pets’ lives. There are many concerns around the mental health of Gen Alphas, and this awareness will increasingly translate to pet ownership. While only 2% of global pet launches refer to mental health, calm or stress, according to Mintel GNPD, this number is set to grow.
Future pet owners will demand nothing less than the same care, nutrition, and mental wellbeing for their furry companions as they do for themselves.
Kate Vlietstra, Mintel senior food and drink research director
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