Vanguard Awards: Novel Protein Treats

Companies at the forefront of the novel proteins category have disrupted the space by introducing consumers to non-traditional proteins that pack as much nutrients and value-added ingredients as traditional meats, if not more. Roam, as an example, entered the novel protein treats category intent on disrupting the pet food industry by introducing uncommon and exotic proteins. The company’s focus on health and environmental advantages mirrors pet parents becoming increasingly mindful of the ingredients in their pets’ diets along with the impact those ingredients have on the planet. And Gaines Family Farms has recognized how the humanization of pets influenced pet parents to expect more from the food and treats they gave their pets. 

Gaines Family Farms has been drawing focus to the benefits of feeding pets sweet potatoes on a nutrition and sourcing scale. “The reason we chose sweet potato and the limited ingredient market in general is sweet potatoes are great for dogs,” Founder and CEO Dewar Gaines explained. “And they’re abundantly grown in the US. And they’re very healthy ingredients, and we knew that we could scale it. There’s plenty of folks that do sweet potatoes but we like to think that the fact they’re sourced in the US, grown in the US, we know the farmers that are growing these sweet potatoes, we feel very confident about the quality and the supply chain. And I think that’s really one of the things that’s propelled us is that we’re known for having really high-quality products, whether it’s our sweet potatoes or anything else.”

In fact, sweet potatoes was purely a jumping off point for Gaines. “We’re using upcycled products, things that are typically thrown away,” Gaines said. “The silver carp is an invasive species. They’re catching thousands of those a week and they’re typically throwing those away. We found some cool and innovative ways to use the byproduct from those fish, and by byproduct, I mean skin, bladders, stuff like that. We’re doing the same thing with ducks. We’re launching single ingredient dehydrated duck heads—duck jerky, duck feet—all American supply chain of those as well. We know the farmers, we know the people out catching the fish. We’re giving back to Mother Nature a bit by not wasting stuff.”

Roam is driven to introduce pet parents to a swath of non-traditional proteins, including caribou, python and nutria. Roam’s commitment to responsible and sustainably sourced proteins aligns with pet owners’ growing appreciation and understanding of how products are sourced and resonates with consumers who want alternatives to industrially farmed products. “With decades of experience in the pet industry, our team has witnessed the emergence of low-quality, environmentally irresponsible treats and chews,” said CEO Dean Triandafellos. “We recognized early on that pet parents were underserved, with few high-quality options available to support their pets’ health and well-being. Throughout the years, we observed a troubling rise in obesity and allergies among pets—problems largely linked to a monotonous diet dominated by mass-produced, industrially manipulated proteins. Identifying this gap in the market, we set out to create a superior alternative. In pursuit of this goal, we forged partnerships around the world to develop premium protein treats. Our products are not only of the highest quality but are also free from pesticides, antibiotics, GMOs and hormones. We source free-range proteins that remain untampered by human intervention, ensuring they are naturally lean and allergy-friendly. At Roam, we coined the term ‘novel proteins’ to encapsulate our mission of redefining pet chews and treats to create a whole new category. A category that offers pet parents savory treats and chews that are environmentally friendly, healthier and ethically sourced.”

Whether it’s a sweet potato-based innovation or an upcycled protein source, these high standards are also governing how Gaines is approaching the category. “Gaines will be a household name in the pet space, synonymous with clean, healthy ingredient panels coming from a trustworthy family,” he said.

“At Roam, we began using the term ‘novel proteins’ rather than ‘exotics’ because it more accurately reflects the uniqueness and benefits of these ingredients,” Triandafellos said. “It took us three rigorous years of sourcing, vetting suppliers and refining our processes before we sold our first products.”