Ecuador freeze-dried pet food market valued $479.60K in 2018 and is estimated to reach $719.36K by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.30% during the forecast period.
Freeze-drying is a process of removing water or moisture from feed formulation to preserve it over a long period. Unlike dehydration that uses warm air, freeze drying is performed by freezing, primary drying and secondary drying processes. Freezing before drying process ensure preservation of the nutritional content including proteins, minerals and vitamins in the formulation. Most of this demand is derived from very few cities such as Quito and Guayaquil. The increasing number of pet owners in these cities will support the growth of freeze-dried pet food in the country. The overall pet food market and freeze-dried pet food market in Ecuador is highly dependent on imports. Countries such as Colombia, France, Peru and Argentina export most of the pet food required in the country. According to the International Trade Centre, Ecuador imported nearly 8,400 tons of pet food including dry, frozen and freeze-dried forms in 2019. The value of pet food imports increased from USD 9,000K in 2015 to USD 13,400K in 2019, resembling the growing demand for premium freeze-dried products in the country
Outdoor activities likely to rise post COVID-19 pandemic is expected to surge the growth of freeze-dried pet food products in the country
Market Dynamics
Drivers
- Nutritional benefits of freeze-dried pet food
- Pet humanization and other pet health concerns
Restraints
- Health Risks to Pets Consuming Freeze-dried food
- Unsuitability in specific applications
Pet humanization and other pet health concerns
The changing lifestyles of pet owners led to the growth of pet food in Ecuador. The space for pet food has widened in Ecuadorian homes as majority of the population has no time to prepare meals for their pets
Pet owners in Ecuador are increasingly concerned over the quality of food consumed by their pets. They have shown a growing trend to imbue their pets with human characteristics
With the growing trend of pet humanization, the human food preferences are impacting the pet food purchasing options. As more consumers are focused towards avoiding heavily processed foods, they are extending the same to their pets. This has resulted in growth of freeze-dried pet food in the country. Also, the increasing per capita income of the citizens is allowing them to allocate higher budget for their pet nutrition and health
Nutritional benefits of freeze-dried pet food
Freeze-dried pet food is considered biologically same to raw pet food and is the most nutritious way of feeding pet animals. Freeze drying is the best way of maintaining nutritional content, flavour and smell of the raw ingredients in the pet food formulation. Unlike other processing techniques such as dehydration, cooking and baking that diminish the goodness of the food products, freeze drying is proven to retain the nutrients in meat, vegetables and other ingredients used. Freeze-dried vegetables are a nutritious alternative to grain and cereal-based fillers. They can diversify your pet food products while adding a nice balance of antioxidants and other vitamins and nutrients.
Moreover, freeze dried product ensures least wastage, high feed intake efficiency and avoids the need for complex defrosting activities. These potential benefits of freeze drying over all other methods is shifting the pet owners in Ecuador towards freeze-dried pet food, thus driving the market growth.
Also, these products offer considerable distribution and storage benefits over frozen pet food. Freeze-dried goods are lightweight, making them inexpensive to transport. Their long shelf life also means they can be ordered in advance, and can be stored for later use.