Enifer and Rovio Pet Foods introduce dog treat made with PEKILO® mycoprotein ingredient

Developed by Rovio Pet Foods using Enifer’s PEKILO®, the treat delivers a high-protein ingredient with a meat-like amino acid profile in a commercially relevant format, following Enifer’s first 4-ton production run of the ingredient. 

ESPOO, Finland (May 12, 2026) — Enifer, a Finnish biotech company developing sustainable protein ingredients, and Rovio Pet Foods, a Finnish manufacturer of dog and cat food, today announced a new semi-moist pet treat made with PEKILO®, a high-protein ingredient containing more than 60% protein and an amino acid profile resembling meat. Developed with Rovio Pet Foods as part of its work on functional treat concepts, the product is also relevant for white-label applications, giving pet food brands a new way to explore PEKILO® in a commercially viable treat format. The announcement marks a new commercial application for the ingredient and follows Enifer’s completion of its first four-ton commercial batch, enabling product development under practical manufacturing conditions.

The project, funded by Business Finland, comes as pet owners place greater emphasis on products that offer clearer health and wellness benefits. As premiumization continues across the pet care market, brands are under growing pressure to develop products that do more than simply meet baseline nutritional needs. That is creating room for more differentiated treat formats built around novel ingredients that can deliver strong palatability, reliable manufacturing performance, and clearer functional relevance.

“This collaboration with Rovio Pet Foods is an important next step for PEKILO® as we continue translating strong product development interest into concrete commercial applications,” said Simo Ellilä, CEO at Enifer. “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.”

Enifer has been developing its animal nutrition offering for several years, participating in Purina’s Unleashed accelerator, and conducting feeding studies in dogs. In a recent 60-day study involving 16 dogs, PEKILO® showed high digestibility, excellent palatability, no negative impact on stool quality, and biomarker changes linked to immune activity and oxidative balance, supporting its potential as a functional ingredient in pet nutrition.

“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. 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.”

Based in Finland, Rovio Pet Foods develops and manufactures dog and cat food products, including white-label products for international customers. The company’s work focuses on scientifically grounded pet nutrition and the development of new treat concepts that respond to growing demand for more functional, differentiated products.

Samples of the new semi-moist dog treat will be available at Interzoo 2026, offering industry visitors an opportunity to experience how PEKILO® performs in a commercially relevant pet treat format. Enifer will be present throughout the event to discuss the ingredient’s broader potential across pet nutrition applications.

About Enifer 

Enifer is a Finnish biotech company founded in 2020 as a spin-off from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to commercialize the proprietary PEKILO® mycoprotein technology. Originally developed and used at industrial scale by the Finnish forest industry in the 1970s, the process converts food and agricultural industry side streams into a highly nutritious, fungi-based ingredient.

To date, Enifer has raised almost €60M, and is scaling production with a commercial-scale facility in Kirkkonummi, Finland, set for completion in 2026. Enifer has recently gained U.S. market access for food-grade PEKILO®. Enifer has also applied for novel food approval in the EU, UK, and Singapore. The company has validated its ingredients with global partners, including Skretting (the aquafeed division of Nutreco), Purina (pet food), and Valio (consumer foods).

For more information, visit www.enifer.com.

About Rovio Pet Foods

Rovio Pet Foods is a Finland-based manufacturer of dog and cat food products, including white-label products for international customers. The company focuses on scientifically grounded pet nutrition and develops products designed to meet high standards for palatability, quality, and manufacturing consistency. Its capabilities span both established and emerging pet food formats, including functional treat concepts developed for changing market demand.