KANSAS CITY, MO. — From Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, pet food manufacturers, suppliers and industry partners gathered in Kansas City for the third annual Pet Food Processing Exchange, a conference hosted by Pet Food Processing and parent company Sosland Publishing Co. Held at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Country Club Plaza, the event provided attendees with education and insights from industry thought-leaders and subject matter experts, and opportunities to connect and network with peers, all with the ultimate goal to drive the pet food industry forward. 

The 2026 Pet Food Processing Exchange was sponsored by Thanh Phu Packaging, Handtmann, Camlin Fine Sciences, Peel Plastics, Parker Freeze Dry, The Peterson Company, Malt Products Corporation and Columbia/Okura, and had the support from the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), Pet Food Institute (PFI), the Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA), and Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA).

Attendees of this year’s event included pet food, treat and supplement manufacturers, ingredient and equipment suppliers, as well as companies interested in expanding their burgeoning presence in the pet nutrition market. 

“The pet food industry continues to evolve at an impressive pace,” shared Meyer Sosland, chief operating officer and executive editor of Sosland Publishing, during the event. “Consumer expectations, ingredient innovation, technology adoption, regulatory requirements and global market forces are all shaping how pet food and treats are formulated, manufactured and marketed. As those changes accelerate, the need for meaningful industry collaboration becomes even more important. That’s exactly why we created the Pet Food Processing Exchange.

“Our goal has always been simple: bring together industry leaders, manufacturers, suppliers and experts to share insights, exchange ideas and discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of this industry,” he added.

Pet Food Processing Editor Kimberlie Clyma, added, “As editor of Pet Food Processing, I spend a lot of time talking with manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, consultants and industry leaders about the trends and challenges impacting pet food production. One theme has emerged repeatedly over the past year: change is happening faster than ever.”

Before the event, attendees gathered on the night of Sept. 29 for an informal meet and greet to spark connections and conversations. 

Day one

Gail Kulhman, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAS, of GXK Consulting, presenting at the 2026 PFP Exchange.  | Source: Sosland Publishing Co.

The 2026 Exchange kicked off with a keynote presentation by pet nutrition industry veteran Gail Kulhman, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAS, of GXK Consulting, who discussed the evolving relationship between people and their pets and how the industry must focus on preventive functional nutrition, science, personalization and transparency to thrive in the future. 

Additionally, Kuhlman urged the industry to foster collaboration, believing the future of the industry hinges upon manufacturers, retailers, veterinarians, researchers, technology innovators and nutritional scientists working closely to support pet health while also ensuring trust with pet parents.

“The future is where technology identifies [pet] health concerns early. Where science, wellness and emotional care work together and where pet parents feel safe and confident [in their nutrition decisions] every step of the way,” she said. “The one thing that ties all this together is trust… The future of pet nutrition is not about feeding more efficiently, it’s about helping pets live longer, healthier lives.”

Following this, Robert Fredrich, director of operations, Food & Beverage Division at Burns & McDonnell, shared his insights on a big buzzword in the manufacturing industry: artificial intelligence (AI). By providing real-world examples in which production facilities are tapping AI, Fredrich highlighted the importance of data. In fact, most pieces of manufacturing equipment are collecting several data points, but many plants are not using the data to fully optimize production processes. 

With pet food recalls littering news headlines, food safety continues to grow in importance for pet food processors. Jarrod Kersey, Ph.D., spoke on this topic and the importance of creating a food safety and quality culture that comes from the top down. According to Kersey, most pet food plants have great written food safety plans, but it’s in the execution where companies fail, as employees tend to create workarounds for processes that are too difficult. 

Mitchell Hall, senior director of business development at Gray, Inc., speaking at the 2026 PFP Exchange. 

Pet food manufacturers have to juggle several priorities from consumers and even within their own businesses. With this in mind, Mitchell Hall, senior director of business development at Gray, Inc., spoke about how manufacturers can best protect their margins while expanding manufacturing capacity. The big key here is finding the right partner.

“The lowest cost projects is not always the lowest cost business decision,” he revealed. “… Finding the right partner who can help you in the conceptual planning phase, budgeting through engineering, construction and commissioning. In the long run, it will save you time and it’ll save you money at the end of the day by having the right department that can help you step through this process.”

Following lunch and networking, Progressive Trade Consulting Founder Rebecca Rizzuti shared several timely updates on trade and tariff issues impacting the pet food industry. From enhanced custom enforcement to importer identification information to forced labor used throughout supply chains, several emerging policies are expected to make international trade more challenging for the industry. 

Minimally processed formats (raw, freeze-dried, fresh, etc.) have gained popularity with consumers, leaving the industry wondering what the future of pet food processing will look like. Greg Aldrich, Ph.D., chief operating officer of Nulo, discussed this topic, revealing that the future depends on better processing methods and better technology, not less of it.

Aldrich also introduced the term “foodness,” the creation of pet foods that look increasingly like human food products. This can include more consumer-recognizable ingredients, moisture or freshness cues, human-food handling processes or even increased traceability. 

“The idea here is that we’re moving away from merely talking about humanization to bring this notion of foodness into our discussion, and my point is that it takes more technology to do that effectively and safely than less,” he explained. “It will complement what we do with extrusion. It will complement what we do with our nutrition at the bowl, and it will increase the rings at the cash register and increase the items in the basket. To do that, though, we have to separate perception of the market, things like freshness cues, ingredients, minimal processing language, traceability claims, human food analog information, with the things that we know we are responsible for the health and the wellbeing of our companion animals, the measurable items like digestibility, palatability, stool consistency, volatile chemistry, sensory flavors, water activity, shelf life and other pathogen controls. We still have that responsibility.”

From left to right: Catherine McCarthy of Curious & Co. Strategy + Innovation, Phillip Bramel of Vets Plus, Jennifer Radosevich, Ph.D., of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and Bob Riebe of BSM Partners. 

To close out the first day of the Exchange, industry leaders Phillip Bramel of Vets Plus, Catherine McCarthy of Curious & Co. Strategy + Innovation, and Jennifer Radosevich, Ph.D., of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, discussed the state of the industry and its future in a panel moderated by BSM Partners Chief Operations and Sales Officer Bob Riebe. These experts spoke about more proactive, personalized nutrition; how to best market and think about pet owners; the risk of relying on a constantly decreasing animal-based protein supply chain; and more. 

Day two

Day two of the Exchange started off with a bang with Hayley Larson, Ph.D., of Kansas State University Olathe; Austin Therrell, executive director of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO); and Pat Tovey, vice president of the Pet Food Institute (PFI); discussing several regulations hitting the pet food industry.

These experts shared their perspectives on Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM), changes to the US Food & Drug Administration’s self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) process, AAFCO’s new Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions (SRIS) process with K-State Olathe, the Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform (PURR) Act, and the Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Food Ingredient Consultations (AFIC) process.

As sustainability continues to become a priority for pet food companies, interest in regenerative agriculture has risen among manufacturers. Nathan Essary, president and chief executive officer of Thousand Hills Agriculture, dove into this topic. Regenerative agriculture can help support farmers, reduce input costs and lead to a more natural farming experience, however, the procurement of regen ag ingredients can be very difficult. Essary recommends contact farming, providing farmers with a direct link to the industry. 

Nathan Essary, president and chief executive officer of Thousand Hills Agriculture, presenting at the Exchange. 

“Contract growing has been happening… we’ve been doing it for a long time, but I think the point of that is can we get it more pet industry focused. Can the pet industry go push and present regenerative opportunities to farmers,” he shared. “Farmers are really open to contract growing… but nobody’s connecting Mars with Joe Farmer. That conversation doesn’t happen. There’s six people in the middle, there’s two trading groups, there’s two grain mills, and there’s a guy who runs a screening and cleaning facility, so the farmer doesn’t know [the end user]…I think that falls back to us as an industry to go out and find the right partners… You have to have the right partners that have the connections to the farmers that have the right certifications and understanding of how we manage those pieces. That’s where I think us as an industry will really win for both us and the farmer.”

Following this, Lyn Huffaker, DVM, Ph.D., of LH Solutions LLC spoke on animal diseases and their looming risk on the pet food supply chain. 

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), African Swine Fever (ASF), Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) and New World Screwworm (NWS) are posing a risk to several protein supply chains and the pet industry, as when one species’ protein availability drops due to this diseases, market demand rises for alternative species, creating significant sourcing challenges. To prepare for such sourcing issues, Huffaker recommends processors take proactive steps, which can include diversifying suppliers across geographies; approving alternative ingredients and suppliers to be used  as backups; monitoring outbreaks and trade changes through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and World Organization for Animal Health (WOHA); using industry groups like PFI and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) for insights into trade; considering thermal processing to ensure food safety; and embracing more alternative, novel proteins, like insects or plant-based sources. 

Following a networking break, CRB Director of Client Engagement Ken VonderHaar shared how processors can master operational readiness by focusing on the four Ms: minds, materials, methods and machines. He also shared insights from CRB’s “Horizons: Operational Readiness” report, explaining how operational readiness can save manufacturers time, money and market share in the long run. 

Mary Tan, founder and principal of Whisker Media, at the Exchange.

Ending the conference, Mary Tan of Whisker Media dove into how pet food brands can create and maintain trust with today’s pet owners by focusing on transparency, shared values and authenticity. Tan advises brands tell consumers the truth in plain language and demonstrate shared values in action. 

“Transparency, shared values and authenticity aren’t an option. You have to embrace it because Gen Zers and Millennials are demanding it — and they are your future,” Tan said.

From exploring emerging trends and actionable strategies to gaining insights from leading industry experts, the Exchange offers a unique opportunity to spark new ideas, build valuable connections and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving pet food industry.

Read more coverage from the Pet Food Processing Exchange.