Clif Bar, the energy snack company, is branching out into a new market with dog treats. Clif Pet, the company’s first brand of dog food, is set to debut in early 2022 with three plant-based jerky dog treats in three flavors: Sweet Potato & Blueberry, Pumpkin & Apple, and Butternut Squash & Cranberry. Clif Bar claims that each recipe contains seven ingredients and supports smooth digestion, and the company hopes to expand the line in the following months.
Clif Bar’s Trailblazers Incubator program, which strives to explore and expand on innovative and sustainable innovation ideas, has launched its first product, vegan jerky.
“Just as Clif Bar was founded on disrupting the energy bar category nearly 30 years ago, the Trailblazers Incubator is built to consistently deliver our bold innovation agenda and accelerate our growth plan… In addition to a rapid, data-driven product development and go-to-market strategy, what makes our approach different is extending the loyalty of the CLIF brand. By introducing CLIF Pet, we will bring energy to the whole family,” stated Rizal Hamdallah, Clif Bar Chief Innovation Officer.
Clif Bar Is For The Pups
Clif Bar entered the dog food category in response to a surge in companion animal adoptions during the COVID-19 lockdown, as well as a growing desire for higher-quality food for pets. Low-grade animal-based products are frequently used in dog food, posing health hazards owing to bacterial contamination and the inclusion of antibiotics. According to the company, the category represents a tremendous development opportunity because companion animals are now more than ever considered part of the family.
“With more than 11 million US households bringing a pet home during the last 18 months of COVID, the category is exploding and ripe for new offerings… What makes this launch unique is the combination of speed and discipline to bring an innovative, relevant product to market during a global pandemic. We are truly blazing new trails by applying best practices from tech start-ups to our expertise in consumer insights and packaged goods—it’s a winning combination,” said Greg Lok, Incubator Senior Director.
Clif Bar focuses on energy bars for humans under the Clif, Clif Kid, and Luna brands, many of which are vegan, such as White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Chocolate Brownie, Vanilla Almond Latte, and Peanut Toffee Buzz Clif Bars. While most of its products are made with soy protein, a handful, such as Clif Whey Protein, Luna Protein, Zbar Protein, and Clif Recovery Protein Drink Mix, contain animal-based whey.
Vegan Dog Food
Plant-based food items for companion animals have sparked significant attention and innovation in recent years. Wild Earth, a leading competitor in the category, is on a mission to develop better companion animal food that does not contain slain animals, is healthier for companion animals, and has a lower environmental impact. It provides food for companion animals made from plants and fungus, as well as goods made from cell-based meat (made from a small amount of animal cells that are grown in bioreactor).
Wild Earth released a novel dog treat made with cultured koji—a type of fungus that the company grows in a lab using a proprietary technology and contains more protein than steak—in 2019.
Source: “WHY CLIF BARS JUST LAUNCHED VEGAN JERKY FOR DOGS” by VegNews
