Finnish biotech company Enifer and pet food manufacturer Rovio Pet Foods have jointly developed a semi-moist dog treat using PEKILO®, Enifer’s mycoprotein ingredient, marking the ingredient’s first application in a finished pet treat format.
PEKILO® contains more than 60% protein and an amino acid profile comparable to meat. The product was developed with white-label applications in mind, giving pet food brands a commercially viable route to evaluate the ingredient in a treat format.
The project was funded by Business Finland and follows Enifer’s completion of its first four-ton commercial production batch of PEKILO®, which enabled development under realistic manufacturing conditions.
A functional ingredient with study data behind it
Enifer has spent several years building out the case for PEKILO® in animal nutrition. The company participated in Purina’s Unleashed accelerator and has conducted canine feeding studies to support its ingredient positioning.
A recent 60-day study involving 16 dogs found PEKILO® demonstrated high digestibility, strong palatability, no adverse effects on stool quality, and biomarker changes associated with immune activity and oxidative balance.
“Functional treats are a growing area in pet nutrition, but to succeed in that category, the product still has to perform where it matters most, especially in palatability and consistency,” said Piritta Koistinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Rovio Pet Foods.
“PEKILO® stood out as an interesting ingredient because it offered both a novel profile and the reliable raw material performance needed for product development.”
Pet food as a proving ground for novel proteins
For Rovio Pet Foods, which develops and manufactures dog and cat food, including white-label products for international customers, the collaboration offered an opportunity to work with a locally sourced novel ingredient. “It was also especially meaningful to build this product together with another Finnish company, combining local ingredient innovation with Finnish pet food development and manufacturing expertise,” Koistinen added.
Enifer CEO Simo Ellilä framed the collaboration as part of the company’s efforts to move beyond early-stage interest toward concrete product outcomes. “Pet food is a highly relevant category for sustainable protein innovation, and we’re pleased to be working with Rovio Pet Foods to bring a new product to market that reflects where the industry is heading on both functionality and ingredient quality.”
Samples of the semi-moist dog treat will be available at Interzoo 2026, where Enifer will also be present to discuss PEKILO®’s potential across additional pet nutrition applications.
