Kibble - an origin story

An origin story, not an opinion piece. 

The origins of kibble existing as a food for dogs go way back to the mid 1800's when James Spratt, an American electrician living in London saw stray dogs scavenging for food by the quayside. Inspired by what he saw, he decided to create a nutritious and convenient food product specifically for dogs. In 1860, he started selling "Spratt's Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes".

Spratt's Dog Cake played a huge role in the development of the commercial dog food we see today, including the creation of kibble.

'Spratt's Dog Cakes' were made from a combination of wheat, vegetables, beetroot, and meat by-products, baked into a hard, biscuit-like form. The cakes were marketed as a complete and balanced dog food, 'claiming' to provide dogs with all the essential nutrients they need.

The product quickly gained popularity, and James Spratt's company grew fast. In 1870, he established a factory in New York City, expanding his operations to the United States. The brand continued to flourish and gain recognition in the pet food industry.

While Spratt's Dog Cakes were a breakthrough in commercial dog food, this wasn't the first time an attempt was made to create a pet food product but they did play arguably the biggest role in making the concept of 'dog food' popular and establishing a base for future products to be developed.

The concept of dry dog food 'kibble', evolved over time from Spratt's original dog cakes.

As pet food manufacturing advanced, Kibble was created. It was made from leftover grain and protein sources, such as meat by-products, that were ground up mixed, cooked under high pressure, and then extruded through a die to form the familiar small, dry pellets we've all seen and perhaps even fed to our dogs.  This type of dog food was convenient and could be stored for long periods of time. 

The invention and development of kibble allowed for improved convenience, storage, and transportability of dog food. It also enabled manufacturers to produce a wide variety of formulations tailored to different breeds, life stages, and dietary needs, and indeed increase business profits.

Kibble as a mass produced product was then first created in 1956 and by 1964 The Pet Food Institute (a lobbying group for the pet food industry) launched a series of marketing ad campaign to convince consumers that commercially prepared dog food was the only option to feed.  When I was a kid this was all I knew and we did indeed feed our dogs these biscuits (and some tinned wet food) as their only source of nutrition.

Today, kibble is one of the most popular types of dog food globally, offering convenience to millions of dog owners worldwide.

While the specific recipes, production & ingredient standards, and manufacturing processes have evolved, the legacy of Spratt's Dog Cake as a pioneering commercial dog food product remains significant in the history of 'dog food'.