Top 10 Pet Food Companies Dominating the Global Market

pet food market

The pet food sector is considered a significant pillar of the global pet care market, which is anticipated to reach US$157.873 billion in 2025 and is going to grow at a CAGR of 8.48%, eventually coming up to a market value of US$237.376 billion in 2030. It helps to create and maintain the emotional relationships between people and their pets, and at the same time, it responds to the changing demands of nutrition. The expected global increase in pet ownership that will soar by 2030 will particularly benefit these companies, which will supply everything from the daily needs of the economic-class families to the premium lines of the brand that support therapeutic diets, functional supplements, and sustainable formulations for the picky “pet parents.” These providers are situated in areas where veterinary science is a major influence, consumer trends such as humanization and wellness are driving, and regulatory environments regarding ingredient transparency are strict.

They are handling huge supply chains that span from sustainable protein sourcing to AI-driven personalization apps. Their operations can range from small-batch artisanal treats to gigatonne production facilities, and they incorporate innovations such as microbiome-supporting probiotics, grain-free alternatives, and eco-friendly packaging in order to meet the expected 5.50% CAGR through 2030. Besides, under the scrutiny of rising carbon footprints, these firms, which are the market leaders, are moving towards zero net carbon operations, thus complying with the EU’s Green Deal and USDA sustainability guidelines, which not only help the pet nutrition ecosystem to be greener and more resilient but also keep it around.

The global pet food industry is dominated by a small number of multinational corporations, but the presence of flexible and quick responding regional players who are active in the private-label offerings and providing organic options for niches supports them. The very same companies, which did so on the side of mass-market accessibility to the luxury-wellness ambition, are now integrating the most innovative R&D into their distribution networks, such as biotech-derived proteins and 3D-printed treats.

From securing the mass-market accessibility up to the luxury wellness aspirations, these companies managed to connect world-class care and clinical research with the multi-dispersion networks that are e-commerce giants like Chewy, Amazon, besides vet and specialty stores. The big sharks below are resolutely pushing their limits through M&As, infusion of technology like predictive health analytics, and giving the full traceable sourcing commitment by 2030, which is challenging, such as inflation-driven trading down, and at the same time making the most of the premiumization trend that has become responsible for a major share of pet food sales.

  • Mars Petcare Inc.
  • Nestlé Purina PetCare
  • Colgate-Palmolive Company (Hill’s Pet Nutrition)
  • The J.M. Smucker Company
  • General Mills, Inc. (Blue Buffalo)
  • Diamond Pet Foods
  • Heristo AG
  • Tiernahrung Deuerer GmbH
  • Wellness Pet LLC
  • Post Holdings, Inc

Let’s explore each in depth.

  • Mars Petcare Inc.

Mars Petcare Inc., which is a part of the privately owned Mars, Inc., occupies an important position in the pet food market globally and controls a big part of the market with around 100,000 Petcare Associates with over 50 brands, along with its famous brands, including Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, and Iams. The company, which makes over $20 billion a year, is the leader in both wet and dry dog and cat food by focusing on premium nutrition, sustainability, and scientifically backed formulations. With pet humanization trends, the company has taken advantage of its size and the U.S. pet owners who spend about 147 billion on their pets in 2023.

In 2025, the company Mars increased its investment in U.S. manufacturing by committing $2 billion through 2026 to strengthen supply chains because of the demand for green products. One major move was the opening of a Royal Canin plant in Lewisburg, Ohio, in May at a cost of $450 million which is 450,000 square feet and will produce wet pet food at a rate of 50% more while creating more than 270 new jobs. This is part of a wider U.S.-made branding campaign that highlights the use of domestically sourced materials as the company is trying to win over consumers who prefer local products.

Mars’ new inventions are all about sustainability. The company started the 2025 Global Pet Food Innovation Program in June with partners AAK, Bühler, and Givaudan, focusing on biotech ingredients and circular feeds. By October, the process of picking startups, ALT-PRO (insect proteins), Seaqure Labs (microalgae omega-3s), and Terramatter (upcycled potato peels) was completed, and these startups are to get support since they promise to provide eco-friendly alternatives to traditional protein sources.

  • Nestlé Purina PetCare

Nestlé Purina PetCare, the brand company of Nestlé S.A., takes the lead as the main global player in the pet food sector. Based on scientific and top-quality nutrition with more than 500 scientists and around 2,000 patents, commanding the top of innovation. Founded in St. Louis, Missouri, the firm makes and sells a varied collection of products for canines and felines—dry and wet foods, treats, and litter, with the legendary brands of Purina Pro Plan, Dog Chow, Friskies, Beneful, and Fancy Feast.

Moreover, as of 2023, Purina operates 24 manufacturing plants in North America. Consequently, Purina is the pet food of choice for over 100 million pets and is very strict about quality, performing 100,000 checks daily. According to the charts, it amassed the same revenue as Mars Petcare in 2024, marking the U.S. as the leading player in a multi-billion-dollar market.

  • Colgate-Palmolive Company (Hill’s Pet Nutrition)

The Colgate-Palmolive Company, a multinational consumer goods corporation, has made considerable progress in the growing pet food industry through Hill’s Pet Nutrition, its fully owned subsidiary. Hills was established in 1939 and mainly produces premium, science-based nutrition, especially for pets with health issues like kidney disease, obesity, and arthritis. Hills has such a stronghold in pet nutrition with its two famous brands—Science Diet and Prescription Diet.

Hill’s holds about 22% of Colgate’s total net sales as of April 2024 and produces sales that are solely through veterinarians’ suggestions, where the health of the microbiome, the support of digestion, and the curing of some diseases are the main topics. Hill’s cuts into a market that by 2024 witnessed a 4.9 percent increase in organic sales with $4,483 net sales globally through the foundation of unwavering clinical research, with presence in more than 80 countries, along with several patents and partnerships with more than 200 veterinary schools worldwide.

The company is showing resilience to the tough economic conditions and even winning the battle against Colgate in terms of growth. For the first three quarters of the year, the net sales of the pet nutrition segment of the Colgate Company increased to vale for $1,118 million. This was due to the company’s pricing tactics and, to some extent, the volume increases, even though they had exited the business at a loss in non-core private-label sales. The operating profit showed a remarkable growth, with Q1 reaching $258 million (up 30% YoY) and Q2 revenue climbing 13% to contribute a $264 million profit. The main markets for these gains were the U.S. and Canada, which were the core lines’ demand and were supported by the April purchase of Australia’s Prime100, adding to volumes and increasing the premium wet food present in the market.

Innovations such as the launch of the Science Diet and prescription diet portfolio in 2025, with ActivBiome+ prebiotics for multi-benefit health, and new Prescription Diet variants like Multi-Organ and Brain Care + j/d are for both cats and dogs some of the key ones. Hill’s inaugurated its largest dry food plant, a $450 million installation in Lewisburg, Ohio, in May, thereby augmenting the U.S. Production capacity.

  • The J.M. Smucker Company

The J.M. Smucker Company is based in Orrville, Ohio, and its Usegment has emerged as the largest category in fiscal year 2025 with $1,663.6 million in net sales, down 8.7% from the previous year due to volume declines in dog snacks and the end of manufacturing contracts from 2023 divestitures. This was the case after the company had sold brands with a value of $1.2 billion, such as Rachael Ray Nutrish, 9Lives, and others.

Smucker, with a view of future developments in the pet industry, made a decision to limit its portfolio, focusing on the premiumization of its key dog and cat products, and the company made the humanization of pets a major trend factor in the premiumization process.

The products that made the top cut were Milk-Bone, the top American dog treat brand since the year 1908, which has the crunchy Original Biscuits (a medium size for 20-50 lb dogs, enriched with 12 vitamins/minerals for dental health and meaty flavor); the baked-in-five-varieties-of-beef, turkey, chicken, bacon-and-sausage Flavors Snacks (15% min. protein coming from real meat meals); Soft & Chewy Peanut Buttery Bites (made with the Jif peanut butter for irresistible texture); and Mini Biscuits (5 cals each, teeth-whitening with real beef/pork). These wholesome treats are all about nutrition, fun, and American-made ingredients.

On the feline side, Meow Mix is offering “The Only One Cats Ask For By Name” with Original Choice Dry Food (a mix of flavors chicken, turkey, salmon, and ocean fish; 31% min. protein, 11% fat, taurine added for all life stages); and Tender Favorites Wet Food (beef and poultry variety packs, 3-5 cups daily for adults under/over 10 lbs., high-moisture for hydration).

  • General Mills, Inc. (Blue Buffalo)

Multinational food company General Mills, Inc., has established itself in the fast-growing pet food segment through its $8 billion acquisition of Blue Buffalo in 2018. This was a $30 billion U.S. pet food market and a fast-growing segment of holistic natural, where the company now has the leadership. It was a strategic step for the company, as it diversified its portfolio beyond human foods like cereals into premium pet nutrition, capitalizing on the demand for human-grade, natural ingredients from families that increasingly treat their pets like family members.

Blue Buffalo’s whole product range has dogs and cats at the center, and the company is committed to providing high-quality, natural formulas devoid of artificial additives as well as poultry by-products, corn, wheat, and soy. The formulas emphasize actual meat as the main ingredient and comply with AAFCO standards for being nutritionally complete.

The most recent events highlight the creativity: in October 2025, General Mills reported that Blue Buffalo would be launching “Love Made Fresh,” a refrigerated line of humanely raised, gently cooked meals (beef or chicken recipes) designed for either toppers or standalone feeds, mixable with kibble for customization in the $3 billion fresh pet food category, thus, entering the market.

  • Diamond Pet Foods

Diamond Pet Foods, a Missouri-based family-run business founded in 1970, is among the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. pet food industry. This company has six modern plants all over the country and produces premium-quality, affordable dry and canned foods for pets, focusing on real meat ingredients such as cage-free chicken and pasture-raised lamb, wild-caught whitefish, as well as superfoods like blueberries and chia seeds. The whole production process is free of synthetic colors, flavors, and preservatives. The company’s vision is to provide nutrition, digestibility, and the application of probiotics (K9 Strain) for digestive and immune health, thus meeting various pet needs at reasonable prices.

The company has a vast assortment of products consisting of different brands that are designed for specific life stages, sizes, and lifestyles. The main Diamond brand has formulas for all life stages, including Chicken & Rice for puppies and adults, which are perfectly balanced. Diamond Naturals comes with an addition of natural superfoods and grain-free options. Small Breed Lamb Meal & Rice for seniors and Sensitive Skin Salmon & Potato for allergies are among them. Premium Taste of the Wild goes the other way as it recreates a diet of the ancestors with the roasted venison or smoked salmon variants, while Diamond Pro89 offers high-protein (up to 89% from meat) performance blends like Beef Meal & Rice for active dogs.

  • Heristo AG

Heristo AG, a Germany-based family affair of Bad Rothenfelde, entered the pet food sector in 1987 and quickly secured a leading position. Besides the premium brand Animonda Petcare and the private-label-centric Saturn Petcare, Heristo’s quality, sustainability, and nutritional science are backed by an innovation-driven startup, BugBell.

The product range includes goodies for both dogs and cats, and also varieties of all types, with the most sensitive dogs in mind. Saturn Petcare focuses mainly on private-label wet food (canned pâtés and chunks in gravy), dry kibble, snacks (jerky, biscuits), dairy treats, baked goods, and functional wellness items like joint-support formulas or life-stage diets (puppy, senior), no matter the quality of the item.

  • Tiernahrung Deuerer GmbH

Tiernahrung Deuerer GmbH, a family-owned German powerhouse in the pet food industry, has grown from a butcher shop in 1959 into a leading private-label manufacturer in Europe of dog and cat food. The company was founded by Helmut Deuerer, and it is now headed by his son, Hans-Jürgen. It began producing pet food in 1988, using its expertise in meat to create high-quality, innovative products. The company has 1,800 workers in Bretten and Fulda (Germany) and Villeneuve (France), and it produces 1 billion pouches, 3 billion sticks, 300 million trays of liquid snacks, and 110,000 tons of tins annually, 75% of which are exported to 20 countries. Of its output, 95% is sold under retail brands, with 30% being premium lines.

Deuerer’s product range caters to the needs of both cats and dogs in terms of variety, nutrition, and convenience. For cats, the range includes oven-dried meat snacks in Grill and Light variants (with MSC-certified fish), Fine Pâté in 50g stand-up pouches, lactose-free milk treats, and creamy milk snacks.

  • Wellness Pet LLC

Wellness Pet Company, originally identified as WellPet LLC, is a premier manufacturer of healthy pet food and treats in North America, starting its journey in 1997 with its base in Burlington, Massachusetts. It’s almost 100 years of experience in pet nutrition, combined with the company’s strong science and high-quality natural ingredients, results in the promotion of the “5 Signs of Wellbeing”: high energy levels, healthy skin and coats, good digestion, strong immunity, and oral health. In 2016, Berwind Corporation took it over and has since then been running it in an Indiana, Minnesota, and Netherlands-based facility with the ability to distribute to more than 1.2 million locations worldwide.

Amongst the main products for dogs are Wellness CORE, which has high-protein, is grain-free, and offers dry and wet food containing deboned turkey, fish, or both for muscle support and vitality; Complete Health, which gives balanced recipes with grains or grain-free options for everyday nutrition; and Simple, which are limited-ingredient formulas for sensitive stomachs using novel proteins like a kangaroo.

  • Post Holdings, Inc.

Post Holdings, Inc. is the leading company in consumer-packaged goods, and in April 2023, it made an entry into the pet food sector by acquiring the main brands of The J.M. Smucker Co. at the price of $1.2 billion. The sale contained Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature’s Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Gravy Train, plus the production plants in Pennsylvania and Kansas. Post came to be that the 3rd quarter sales of 2025 were estimated to be $2 billion.

Additionally, in December 2023, Post came up with the $235 million deal for the purchase of Perfection Pet Foods, LLC, which brought private-label and co-manufacturing capabilities through two California facilities. This not only enhanced the area of sourcing but also made it possible to enter the segments of value through the company’s comprehensive range of products. The mix covers high-end and affordable choices for cats and dogs.

Major Market Participants with Pet Food Products

Company Products
Mars Petcare Inc. SHEBA® Cat Food, Whiskas Cat Food, PEDIGREE Dog Food, Cesar Dog Food
Nestlé Purina PetCare Purina ONE Dry Dog Food, Purina ONE Wet Dog Food, Purina Pro Plan Dry Cat Food
Colgate-Palmolive Company (Hill’s Pet Nutrition) Adult Chicken & Barley Recipe Dog Food, Adult Large Breed Chicken & Barley Recipe Dog Food
The J.M. Smucker Company Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food, Milk-Bone Original Dog Biscuits, Canine Carry Outs Bacon Flavor Dog Snacks
General Mills, Inc. (Blue Buffalo) BLUE Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food, BLUE Wilderness Dry Cat Food
Diamond Pet Foods Diamond Pro89 Beef, Pork & Ancient Grains Formula for Adult Dogs, Diamond Naturals Indoor Cat Chicken & Rice Formula
Heristo AG Animonda Carny Mixed Feeding Test Package Meat-based Cat Food, INTEGRA PROTECT Adult Renal Yummy Bits for Cats
Tiernahrung Deuerer GmbH Tinned Dog Food, Cat Snacks
Wellness Pet, LLC Wellness Complete Health Chicken & Oatmeal, Wellness Simple Duck and Oatmeal
Post Holdings, Inc. 9Lives PLUS High Protein Dry Cat Food, Nutrish Everyday Immune Support Chicken, Salmon, Blueberry & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog Food

Source: Company Website