Ann Marie D. Ocker, Ph.D., wants pet food manufacturers to understand that upcycled ingredients represent more than a sustainability trend — they’re scientifically validated, nutritionally robust solutions that can enhance performance while reducing environmental impact.
“Upcycled ingredients sit at the intersection of increasing pressure to reduce waste, improve transparency, and deliver high-quality nutrition in a resource-efficient way,” said Ocker, technical marketing and innovation director at International Ingredient Corp. “They allow manufacturers to meet sustainability targets without compromising palatability, digestibility or nutrient quality.”
Ocker will present “Circular nutrition: Unlocking the value of upcycled ingredients in pet food” on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Petfood Forum 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Her session will examine how upcycled ingredients from food and agricultural sectors can be repurposed into functional pet food ingredients that reduce environmental impact while offering nutritional benefits.
Practical benefits for manufacturers
Ocker noted feeding trials and compositional analyses demonstrate improvements in palatability, digestibility and overall diet performance from these co-products, which contribute high-quality proteins, essential fatty acids and bioavailable micronutrients. During the session, she will explore formulation strategies and ingredient functionality, providing practical insights into how upcycled materials support product development and environmental goals while meeting consumer demands for transparency.
“Upcycled ingredients offer pet food companies a practical, scalable path toward circular nutrition,” said Ocker. “These ingredients enable them to reduce environmental impact through diverting high-quality co-products from waste streams, meet rising consumer expectations around sustainability and responsible sourcing, enhance nutritional profiles using ingredients rich in proteins and bioavailable micronutrients, and innovate efficiently by leveraging materials already integrated within established supply chains.
“As sustainability becomes a competitive differentiator, upcycling helps bridge the gap between environmental responsibility and high-performance nutrition,” she added.
Future developments in upcycling
Ocker envisions several developments shaping upcycled ingredients over the next five years. Improved analytical tools will provide deeper insight into digestibility, bioavailability and functional performance, leading to more targeted and consistent ingredient design. New co-products from fermentation, cell-based fermentation, food production and agricultural processing will create additional nutrient-rich sources suited for pet food.
Consumer demand for transparency will drive stronger sustainability labeling, lifecycle analysis and verified upcycling standards integrated directly into product claims. As data continues to show high palatability and digestibility, upcycled ingredients will move beyond value recipes and enter performance nutrition, therapeutic diets and limited-ingredient lines, she noted.
“Closer collaboration across agricultural, human food and pet food sectors will streamline sourcing and reduce waste, improving both economic and environmental outcomes,” Ocker said. “Together, these advancements will position upcycled ingredients as a foundational pillar of sustainable, high-performance pet nutrition.”
Petfood Forum and Petfood Essentials show dates are April 27-29, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. To register or stay informed on the latest event developments, go to PetfoodForumEvents.com.
