A new report from The Humane League highlights a shift in how consumers—both human and pet—evaluate food based on ethical sourcing, particularly animal welfare. The “U.S. Food Manufacturing Industry Eggsposé” focuses on cage-free egg sourcing in food manufacturing, but its findings extend to pet food, where demand for ethically produced ingredients is growing.
According to the report, 90% of consumers surveyed said they’d switch brands if they learned competitors used eggs from farms with better animal treatment. Companies like J.M. Smucker, which has sourced 100% cage-free eggs for its pet food since 2022, and brands like Goodness Gracious and Evermore Pet Food, transitioning to cage-free eggs, stand to benefit from this trend.
Rise of Ethical Nutrition in Human Food
This aligns with broader consumer behavior in human food, where “ethical nutrition” is emerging as a key factor. Unlike traditional nutritional priorities, ethical nutrition assesses sourcing practices, animal treatment, and environmental impact alongside health benefits. Gaynor Selby, writing for FoodIngredientsFirst, notes that consumers now demand transparency, not just about what’s in their food, but how it’s produced.
For pet owners, animal welfare is a top concern. A 2025 survey by Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor at Kansas State University, found that 83% of pet owners prioritize nutrition, but 63% also value ethical sourcing, second only to nutrition. Sustainability ranked third at 53%. When asked to rank specific claims, certified animal welfare scored highest (1.82 on an importance index), followed by environmental claims like ethically raised (1.45) and cage-free (0.9).
Pet owners are willing to pay more for these attributes too. The survey found they’d spend an average of $1.34 per pound for certified animal welfare, $1.03 for ethically raised, and $0.83 for cage-free eggs. Environmental claims like reduced carbon footprint drew far less premium willingness to pay ($0.36 per pound).
Yet consumer surveys often overstate actual purchasing behavior. Hobbs’ research dug deeper, revealing that certified animal welfare and ethically raised claims scored high in both psychological importance and economic trade-offs, meaning pet owners genuinely value these factors when making decisions. This suggests the trend isn’t just performative.
Balancing Welfare, Cost, and Sustainability
The challenge for pet food brands lies in balancing these priorities. Ethical sourcing can increase costs, complicate supply chains, and create trade-offs, like higher production expenses or environmental trade-offs. As Selby observes, “ethical nutrition” isn’t about meeting a single standard but handling these conflicts. A product might improve animal welfare while straining sustainability efforts, or boost nutritional value at the expense of affordability. The goal isn’t perfection but acknowledging the tensions and making deliberate choices.
For brands, the data offers a roadmap. Animal welfare isn’t just a niche concern, it’s a core driver for pet owners, even if sustainability lags slightly. The gap between stated preferences and real purchasing behavior is narrower here than in human food, where ethical claims often fail to translate into sales. Pet food companies that commit to verifiable welfare standards may gain a competitive edge, provided they communicate those efforts clearly.
The shift reflects a broader consumer expectation: food, whether for humans or pets, must now deliver on multiple fronts. The question for manufacturers isn’t whether to adapt, but how far, and how transparently, to go.
