313 Does quantity equal quality? Source of protein influences American dog owner purchasing decisions more than quantity of protein in the absence of marketing claims.

Abstract The United States of America (USA) is the largest dog-owning country, with approximately 90 million dogs. While protein-related claims like “high protein” or “protein #1 ingredient” strongly influence dog food purchases, there is limited understanding of how dog owners perceive protein quality (PQ) and how demographics and protein knowledge impact choices. This study investigated how dietary protein characteristics influence dog food purchasing decisions. A 68-question survey was distributed across the USA via Qualtrics (Utah, USA), and 691 eligible respondents (≥18 years old, own a dog that is not on a therapeutic diet, and are responsible for choosing their dog’s food) completed the survey. Each respondent completed 12 choice task questions with dog food choices that varied by protein amount (low 20% vs. high 35%), source (peas, chicken, chicken meal), and price ($80, $95, $110). Data were analyzed using a multinomial logit model in STATA (Version BE), with choice as the outcome variable and the protein characteristics mentioned above as predictor variables. Interactions with owner demographics and PQ knowledge were also assessed. Statistical significance was declared at p< 0.05. Overall, all protein characteristics were positively associated with choice. Chicken had the greatest influence on choice, followed by chicken meal, and higher protein content, compared to a baseline diet of low protein and peas (p< 0.001). For male owners, chicken meal had a greater influence on choice (p=0.042), and chicken had a lesser influence (p=0.001) than females. High protein (p< 0.001), chicken meal (p=0.018) and peas (p=0.008) had a greater influence on choice in younger respondents (< 35 years) compared to older respondents (> 35 years). Compared to low-income respondents, chicken had a greater influence on choice (p=0.018), while peas had less influence (p=0.025) for high-income respondents. When asked which claims on dog food impact their purchasing decision, approximately 58% of respondents reported “animal meat 1st ingredient”, 59% reported “high protein”, and 72% reported that an “excellent source of protein” claim affects their decision. Interestingly, when asked to define PQ, 30% of respondents reported that more protein equated to higher quality. For those respondents, higher protein content had a greater influence on their choice than for respondents who could correctly define PQ as the ability of an ingredient to meet the amino acid requirements of an individual (p=0.002). Without the influence of marketing claims, respondent choice is influenced more by protein source than quantity, as chicken and chicken meal have a greater influence on the choice of dog food than higher protein content. This highlights consumer misinformation and the need for standardized PQ education and labelling to align with owner values and support precise formulation, reducing protein waste without compromising nutrition or product appeal for dog owners.