Science, regulation and product-development thinking for people building the next generation of pet nutrition.
Every article cites its sources — regulations, agency notices and peer-reviewed studies — and is reviewed by our scientific team.
The eight steps from mash to bag, the process-variable table we use at the bench, an SME worked example and the failure points at scale-up.
Read article →How rice, corn, pea and tapioca starch differ in kibble: amylose, expansion, digestibility and glucose response.
Read article →Five FDA-recorded vitamin D episodes in US dog food, what each notice said, and the premix and testing controls that prevent them.
Read article →Label thresholds at three moisture levels, a five-step audit method and a spot check of three dry foods sold in India.
Read article →The three-step dry matter calculation, a worked kibble-versus-can comparison and the energy check that should follow it.
Read article →An illustrative adult dry dog food built from the FEDIAF nutrient profile to a label and feeding guide, with every nutrient checked per 1000 kcal in both adult columns.
Read case study →How to read the AAFCO dog and cat profiles and where FEDIAF meets and splits from them.
Read article →AAFCO and FEDIAF protein minimums by life stage, and how strong the evidence is above them.
Read article →Which credentials count, and the evidence file a brand needs before the claim goes on pack.
Read article →Why chicken listed first can supply less protein than chicken meal listed third.
Read article →The largest audit of homemade dog food recipes, its limits and what it means for brands.
Read article →The six steps our formulators follow for every recipe, with a worked per-1000 kcal check.
Read article →How formulators choose mineral sources, set the Ca:P ratio and stay inside puppy and cat limits.
Read article →In September 2026, a US pet brand recalled one lot each of two powdered daily supplements for dogs after an ingredient supplied to its manufacturer tested positive for Salmonella.
Read article →Palatants decide whether a well-formulated food is actually eaten.
Read article →Every nutrient in a pet food is judged against its energy content, so the calorie number is the foundation of the whole formula.
Read article →Owners are spending more and asking more — for proven health benefits, fresher formats and products made for their pet’s species.
Read article →Cats are obligate carnivores with nutrient needs that dogs do not share.
Read article →Sustainability claims are everywhere on pet food packs — but regulators and buyers now expect evidence.
Read article →Launching a pet food brand takes more than a good recipe.
Read article →Since January 2025, US manufacturers of cat and dog food made with uncooked poultry or cattle materials must address H5N1 avian influenza in their food safety plans.
Read article →AAFCO’s new model regulations replace the familiar guaranteed analysis with a Pet Nutrition Facts box and move the intended use to the front of the pack.
Read article →Eight years after FDA first raised concerns, the link between certain diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy is still not fully explained.
Read article →Insect meals are now established in European pet food, and the first cultivated-meat pet treat went on sale in the UK in 2025.
Read article →The right palatability study depends on the question you need answered.
Read article →Five markets, five regulatory models — from state-enforced model rules in the US to voluntary standards in India and Australia.
Read article →In August 2026, a US raw pet food maker recalled one lot each of a frozen raw chicken diet for cats and one for dogs after FDA sampling found Salmonella, and in the dog food also Listeria monocytogenes.
Read article →In August 2026, a US animal health company recalled six kitten milk replacer products sold under two brands after testing found potassium, copper, folic acid, choline and vitamin B6 below intended levels.
Read article →A pet supplement brand asked Guires PNL to develop one daily probiotic supplement that supports digestion, nutrient absorption and overall wellbeing for both dogs and cats, at every life stage..
Read case study →A pet food brand asked Guires PNL to deformulate a premium dry food for medium-sized adult dogs and rebuild it as their own complete and balanced recipe — matching its nutrient profile and its positioning for active, healthy dogs..
Read case study →A premium Indian pet food brand’s chicken-and-vegetable wet diet failed three production trials in a row after sterilisation.
Read case study →An established Indian pet food brand asked Guires PNL to convert its top-selling adult dry dog food to a clean-label recipe — no artificial preservatives, colours or flavours — with equal palatability, an acceptable shelf life and an unchanged shelf price..
Read case study →A first-time founder had a gently cooked dog food recipe customers wanted to buy — but the contract manufacturer’s first run failed.
Read case study →No articles match these filters yet.Client case studies are being prepared and will be published with client permission. Ask us for relevant project examples →
How Guires PNL took client briefs from requirement to result — the challenges, the science and what each client received. Client names are withheld unless shared with permission.
A pet supplement brand asked Guires PNL to develop one daily probiotic supplement that supports digestion, nutrient absorption and overall wellbeing for both dogs and cats, at every life stage.
Read the case study →A pet food brand asked Guires PNL to deformulate a premium dry food for medium-sized adult dogs and rebuild it as their own complete and balanced recipe — matching its nutrient profile and its positioning for active, healthy dogs.
Read the case study →A premium Indian pet food brand’s chicken-and-vegetable wet diet failed three production trials in a row after sterilisation. Guires PNL traced the cause to the formulation, not the retort, and validated a fix the manufacturer could run on its existing line.
Read the case study →An established Indian pet food brand asked Guires PNL to convert its top-selling adult dry dog food to a clean-label recipe — no artificial preservatives, colours or flavours — with equal palatability, an acceptable shelf life and an unchanged shelf price.
Read the case study →A first-time founder had a gently cooked dog food recipe customers wanted to buy — but the contract manufacturer’s first run failed. Guires PNL took the recipe through nutrient analysis, reformulation, pilot processing, testing, labelling and tech transfer to a first production batch in 90 days.
Read the case study →The topics shaping product development this year — each with its source, and what it means for your next product.
In a January 2026 Packaged Facts survey, half of cat owners agreed that manufacturers sometimes treat cats as “second-class citizens”; fresh cat food remains underdeveloped.
We design cat recipes from feline biology first, with cat-specific palatability testing.
Brands are following the human GLP-1 trend with satiety fibres; one reported dog trial is still awaiting peer review, so dog-specific evidence is pending.
Weight claims are built on energy density and measured weight-loss studies, not trend language.
A study of nearly 1,000 UK dog foods found up to a 65-fold spread in greenhouse-gas emissions between products.
Carbon footprint and life-cycle assessment help you make measurable sustainability claims.
Gut–immune and gut–brain science featured strongly at Petfood Forum 2026 and in Purina Institute veterinary programmes.
Microbiome endpoints are available as part of our feeding studies.
Palatant suppliers are using formulation and performance data to predict palatability before animal trials.
Data-led screening narrows options so fewer animal studies are needed.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entered into force in 2025, with recycled-content targets for plastic packaging from 2030.
Pack changes are trialled with the product inside, so recyclable formats still protect shelf life.
Regular series on rules, research, safety, ingredients and launches — written by our scientists for product teams.
Project diaries: what our scientists worked on, learned and solved
Rule changes, market by market
What owners buy, and why
New studies, explained
Recalls and lessons for brands
One ingredient, in depth
Proving what goes on pack
The nutrition behind products
Greener formulas and packs
How-tos for founders
The core subjects of pet nutrition science and product development. Pick a subject to get new articles as they are published.
Nutrient requirements, species and life stages.
Get new articles →Proteins, fats, fibres and micronutrients.
Get new articles →From concept to market-ready product.
Get new articles →Extrusion, retort, baking and drying.
Get new articles →Acceptance, preference and feeding behaviour.
Get new articles →Classification, labels and claims.
Get new articles →Pathogens, contaminants and process safety.
Get new articles →Actives, formats and evidence.
Get new articles →Categories, channels and consumer trends.
Get new articles →Our studies, papers and technical reports.
Get new articles →Checklists and development guides from our formulation, testing and regulatory teams. Enter your business email to download.
Pick your options for an indicative timeline, based on the typical industry ranges published on this site.
Estimate only, from typical ranges (formulation 6–12 weeks; testing 1–3; palatability 2–4; accelerated shelf life 3–6 months; AAFCO adult trial at least 26 weeks plus reporting; label review 1–2 weeks per market). Pilot-batch timing is agreed with you. Your proposal confirms exact dates.
Get a real plan →AAFCO, FDA, FEDIAF, FSSAI and more — summarised for product teams.
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Every Guires PNL product is formulated to comply with the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines and the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. Neither body issues certificates to manufacturers, so compliance is verified independently against their published standards — and every product comes with a complete documentation package for regulatory submissions in the EU, US, Australia and Asian markets.
How we verify compliance →