[News Today] K-PET FOOD POPULAR OVERSEAS

[LEAD]
As more people view pets as family, the "pet-fam" trend grows, boosting the pet food market. Companies are elevating quality and expanding their offerings, capturing international consumer interest.

[REPORT]
Semi-dried fish are featured on this shelf.

They appear to be wine snacks but they're actually low sodium food for pets.

They provide unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients likely to be lacking in dry feed.

These premium pet foods are made edible even for humans and exported to Hong Kong and other countries.

Kim Eun-yul/ CEO, Pet food exporter
This is made with fish bought in Goseong, Gangwon-do Prov. and has no additives. It causes less allergic reactions and is very nutritious.

This pet food company pioneered an insect food market with insects, such as soldier flies.

Insects are a good source of nutrients for animals with meat allergies.

This product is gaining attention in the Southeast Asian markets where premium pet foods have become trendy.

Kim Tae-hoon/ CEO, Pet Food Exporting Company
We exported a 40-feet container of pet food to Thailand in May. Thai importers have great trust in Korean-made products.

As more families have pets, the average growth of the global pet food market more than doubles that of the human food market.

Demand is growing for pet foods with wide price ranges and different uses. Subsequently, Korean pet food exporters catering to these needs are thriving.

Kim Hyeon-woo/ Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Domestic companies improved product quality and competitiveness through R&D and offer better prices than American and European competitors.

There are calls for Korea's safety and efficacy standards to be improved in order to enter the large markets of North America and Europe.