Psychographic segmentation of Italian pet owners and veterinarians reveals divergent pathways in the adoption of pet food diet containing plant extracts
- 1Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin
- 2Department of Computer Sciences, COMSATS
Abstract
Global trends in pet “humanization” and sustainability are transforming the pet food industry, driving innovation in functional ingredients like bioactive plant-derived natural extracts (NE) from upcycled agri-food by-products. Despite growing interest in these sustainably sourced ingredients, perceptions by pet owners and veterinarians remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study surveyed 993 Italian pet owners (n = 485) and veterinarians (n = 508) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) regarding pet food incorporating NE. Veterinarians were more familiar (41.0%) with NE in pet food than owners (22.2%). Both preferred pomegranate (42.5%), artichoke (31.3%), and olive (29%) extracts, mainly for gut-health improvement (83.8%). Cluster analysis revealed three consumer archetypes: “Ethical carnivores” (43.9%), prioritizing transparency, ethical production and environmental sustainability; “Pet pleasers” (50.2%), pragmatic, guided by pet palatability and welfare, and sceptical of unsubstantiated claims; “Ad-followers” (5.9%), susceptible to health claims and prone to misconceptions, including “antibiotic effect” of NE. These profiles transcended demographics like age, location, and professional status, with veterinarians distributed across all segments. Our findings provide valuable insights for pet food manufacturers to innovate sustainably and develop targeted communication strategies, for veterinarians to give personalized evidence-based guidance, and for fostering a transparent, scientifically informed, environmentally conscious pet food market for optimal animal well-being.
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BibTeX
@article{hassan2026psychographic,
title = {{Psychographic segmentation of Italian pet owners and veterinarians reveals divergent pathways in the adoption of pet food diet containing plant extracts}},
author = {Talal Hassan and Stefano Bagatella and Danish Mushtaq and Alessandro Bellato and Joana Nery and Alessia Rusinà and Federico Gritti and Maria Teresa Capucchio},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-62211-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62211-0},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Psychographic segmentation of Italian pet owners and veterinarians reveals divergent pathways in the adoption of pet food diet containing plant extracts
AU - Talal Hassan
AU - Stefano Bagatella
AU - Danish Mushtaq
AU - Alessandro Bellato
AU - Joana Nery
AU - Alessia Rusinà
AU - Federico Gritti
AU - Maria Teresa Capucchio
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-62211-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62211-0
AB - Global trends in pet “humanization” and sustainability are transforming the pet food industry, driving innovation in functional ingredients like bioactive plant-derived natural extracts (NE) from upcycled agri-food by-products. Despite growing interest in these sustainably sourced ingredients, perceptions by pet owners and veterinarians remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study surveyed 993 Italian pet owners (n = 485) and veterinarians (n = 508) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) regarding pet food incorporating NE. Veterinarians were more familiar (41.0%) with NE in pet food than owners (22.2%). Both preferred pomegranate (42.5%), artichoke (31.3%), and olive (29%) extracts, mainly for gut-health improvement (83.8%). Cluster analysis revealed three consumer archetypes: “Ethical carnivores” (43.9%), prioritizing transparency, ethical production and environmental sustainability; “Pet pleasers” (50.2%), pragmatic, guided by pet palatability and welfare, and sceptical of unsubstantiated claims; “Ad-followers” (5.9%), susceptible to health claims and prone to misconceptions, including “antibiotic effect” of NE. These profiles transcended demographics like age, location, and professional status, with veterinarians distributed across all segments. Our findings provide valuable insights for pet food manufacturers to innovate sustainably and develop targeted communication strategies, for veterinarians to give personalized evidence-based guidance, and for fostering a transparent, scientifically informed, environmentally conscious pet food market for optimal animal well-being.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -