Category Analysis: Freeze-Dried Food and Treats

Freeze-dried food and treat brands are optimistic about the future of their businesses and the category as a whole. Increasing awareness of ingredient quality and sourcing is fueling steady growth in raw feeding, while helping pet owners make more informed choices about what they feed their cats and dogs.

“We’ve seen incredible momentum this year, and I’ve honestly never been more excited about the future of Smallbatch, or the alternative pet food category,” shared Smallbatch CEO Steve Donzelli. “More pet parents are discovering freeze-dried and minimally processed foods, and there’s a much broader understanding of why ingredient quality and sourcing matter.”

“With that growth comes some pressure on our supply chain,” Donzelli continued. “We’re uncompromising about what goes into our foods and where our proteins come from. We contract and source everything ourselves to the high standards our customers know and trust, so we can’t simply substitute ingredients when demand spikes. We’re placing a lot of emphasis and resources around getting better at forecasting, purchasing cycles and planning further ahead so that supply can keep pace with demand without changing the standards that got us here.”

“I’m excited to see continued growth in raw feeding and, more importantly, consumers becoming more educated about what they are feeding their pets,” revealed Steve’s Real Food CEO Nicole Lindsley. “Freeze-dried has become an incredible entry point into raw because it removes many of the barriers people associate with feeding frozen raw.”

“Our biggest challenge is the same one facing much of the category: balancing quality, availability, and affordability,” Lindsley shared. “We never want to make decisions that compromise the nutritional philosophy behind our food, but we also have to recognize that consumers are feeling pressure on their wallets. Our job is to continue finding efficiencies in manufacturing and distribution so we can make high-quality raw nutrition accessible without compromising what makes the food valuable in the first place.”

“Flexibility will continue to shape how people feed. We see more pet parents mixing, topping, and rotating proteins as they look for ways to improve nutrition without turning feeding into something complicated,” Vital Essentials CEO Heather Govea previously said. “We often say there’s no wrong way to feed raw—whether someone is adding a scoop or feeding it every day, we’re here to meet pet parents where they are. At the same time, people want transparency. They want to understand what’s in the bowl and trust that it’s doing what it should for their pets.”

“One of the biggest challenges is helping people make sense of all the noise around pet food and understand what truly fuels their pets,” Govea continued. “As more feeding options enter the conversation, it’s important to explain what makes our raw different in a way that feels clear and practical. At Vital Essentials, we stay grounded in what we know works. When pet parents understand those differences and start to see the impact in their pets, that’s when real confidence builds.”

Suppliers say the leaders in freeze-dried are those who focus on the science behind their recipes. “There’s tremendous opportunity ahead for freeze-dried, and I think the leaders will be the brands that combine strong standards, meaningful innovation and the ability to execute consistently as they grow,” Donzelli shared. “The brands that stand out will be the ones that continue to raise the bar on ingredient quality, sourcing, formulation and the overall quality of the food.”

Lindsley with Steve’s Real Food predicts, “The brands that lead will need to demonstrate that there is real nutritional science behind their formulations, be transparent about their ingredients and manufacturing, maintain consistent quality, and build trust with both consumers and retailers.”

She continued, “They’ll also have to figure out affordability. Raw ingredients, manufacturing and freeze-drying are expensive, and we can’t ignore the economic reality facing consumers. The companies that can preserve nutritional quality while becoming more efficient will have an advantage. Finally, I think the strongest brands will understand that this is an ecosystem. Manufacturers, distributors, independent retailers and consumers all have to succeed for the category to remain healthy. Growing sales is relatively easy to measure. Building a category that can sustain that growth is the harder and more important job.”

Manufacturers are challenging misconceptions about the freeze-dried food and treat category and urging the industry to reconsider its assumptions. 

“One misconception is that all freeze-dried products are more alike than they are different,” Donzelli with Smallbatch offered. “In reality, freeze-drying is just one part of what determines the quality of the finished food. The ingredients you start with, where the proteins come from, how the recipe is formulated, the amount of meat and organ, and what else is added can vary significantly from one product to another. As consumers become more educated, I think they’ll increasingly look beyond the format and pay closer attention to what went into making the product.”

“[One misconception is] that freeze-dried and frozen raw are fundamentally different nutritional categories,” Lindsley with Steve’s Real Food stated. “Freeze-drying is really a method of removing moisture. When it’s done properly, it gives consumers another way to feed raw nutrition with significantly more convenience. That makes it incredibly valuable for travel, transitioning new raw feeders, households that don’t have freezer space and consumers who simply prefer the convenience.”

She added, “I would love to see the industry talk less about frozen versus freeze-dried and more about how we make raw feeding work for more households. For some consumers, that may even mean feeding a combination of raw and other foods. I’d rather see someone incorporate meaningful amounts of raw into their pet’s diet than believe they have to feed 100% raw or not participate at all.”

Manufacturers recognize that consumers want products that meet their standards and appeal to their pets. 

“Consumers want to know that a product meets their standards, and that their dog or cat loves the food,” Donzelli with Smallbatch explained. “They’re paying much closer attention to ingredient quality, sourcing and what’s actually in the food. They want clean, straightforward ingredient panels, but they also want to see their pets thriving on the food. That combination of quality, palatability and visible results is incredibly important.”

“They’re also looking for products that fit easily into the way they already feed,” he continued. “Freeze-dried gives them that flexibility, and format can be a real deciding factor. We recently expanded our freeze-dried line with a bites format to give customers more choice in how they serve the food.”

Top shelf ingredients are essential – expected even – but price value is playing an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions.

“Quality is still incredibly important, but value is becoming a much bigger part of the decision,” Lindsley with Steve’s Real Food elaborated. “Consumers want high-quality meat, recognizable ingredients, nutritional benefits and brands they trust, but they are increasingly evaluating those things against price.”

She continued, “I think that creates an important distinction between price and value. If someone understands why a product costs more and what they are getting for that money, they may be willing to pay the premium. Education becomes incredibly important in that environment. We can’t just tell consumers a food is better. We need to help them understand why.”

Retailers want to partner with brands that can help them better serve pet parents. 

“I think retailers are looking for brands that can help them better serve cat customers, especially as interest in alternative foods like freeze-dried food for cats continues to grow,” Donzelli with Smallbatch said. “Freeze-dried can be a great fit because it gives customers a convenient, shelf-stable way to add more meat-forward food to the bowl without having to completely change how they feed.”

They also want partners who can drive increased basket rings.

“Retailers need brands to do more than put products on their shelves. They need partners that help them sell those products,” Lindsley with Steve’s Real Food said. “That means education for store employees, consumer education, reliable inventory, sensible product assortments and marketing that actually drives customers into independent stores. Retailers don’t necessarily need another five flavors or another slightly different bag of freeze-dried food. They need products that turn, brands their employees understand and manufacturers that are invested in the long-term health of their businesses. For us, sustainability has always included the sustainability of our retail partners. If we grow at their expense, that’s not sustainable growth.”

Freeze-dried food and treat manufacturers identified the trends they believe are here to stay.

“Consumers continue to become much more educated about what makes a truly high-quality product,” said Donzelli with Smallbatch. “They’re looking beyond the percentage of protein in the bag and want to know where that protein comes from, how it was sourced and whether it aligns with the standards they have for their own food.”

He continued, “We’re also seeing growing interest in novel proteins, single-ingredient treats and more ways to use freeze-dried, whether that’s as a complete meal, topper or treat. I think there is a particularly strong opportunity with cat owners, who are looking for highly palatable, meat-forward foods and more convenient ways to incorporate raw into the bowl. Because freeze-dried is shelf stable and easy to feed, it removes some of the barriers that can come with raw feeding.”

He added, “I think that demand for transparency will continue to grow as consumers expect brands to be clear about what’s in the food, where it comes from and why it’s there.”

“I think we’re seeing consumers move beyond simply looking for ‘freeze-dried’ on the package,” Lindsley with Steve’s Real Food said. “They’re asking better questions about what is actually in the food, how it is formulated, where ingredients come from and why certain ingredients are included.”

“The trend I believe has the most staying power is simplicity and transparency,” she continued. “Consumers want recognizable ingredients and cleaner labels, but I think the next evolution of that conversation will be understanding that ‘clean’ shouldn’t simply mean fewer ingredients. Every ingredient should have a nutritional purpose. Sometimes the simplest-looking ingredient panel isn’t necessarily the best nutritional formulation.”

“We’re also seeing more people use freeze-dried in different ways: as a complete diet, a topper, a treat or as a way to incorporate some raw nutrition into an otherwise conventional diet. That flexibility gives the category tremendous room to grow,” she added.