Merrick Pet Care Inc. will introduce a lineup of more than 60 new all-natural food and treat recipes for dogs at the 2014 Global Pet Expo being held March 12-14, at the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The products will include full lines of all-natural treats, humanized canned dog food recipes and expanded grain-free recipes, according to the company.
"Many pet parents believe their dog is the best dog ever, and to honor that relationship they seek the very best for their dog, including food choices that make every mealtime special with quality, nutrition and taste," said Mark Sapir, vice president of marketing for Merrick Pet Care. "This and other insights drove us in our development of our new items that we believe surpass many of the options currently available in the marketplace."
Natural treats are experiencing significant market growth, and to meet those expanding needs Merrick Pet Care is introducing a series of all-natural treats from both the Merrick and Castor & Pollux brands. From the Merrick brand, three new grain-free, gluten-free treat lines include:
From Castor & Pollux come two new treat lines, including:
Merrick Pet Care is also introducing four new canned recipes for dogs. "We're recognized for our high-quality, innovative and humanized canned dog food recipes, like Wingaling, Brauts N Tots and Grammy's Pot Pie," said Sapir. "We're introducing new Merrick Chunky Cans as the next evolution of that legacy; four new recipes for dogs with big chunks of carved meat, hand-stuffed real vegetables and hearty gravy for a high level of visual appeal and aroma for pet parents, and a meaty and delicious taste for dogs."
The four grain-free Chunky Can flavors include:
The company's grain-free line, which has been expanding since 2012, is growing further in 2014. "Grain-free now accounts for 40% of all natural dog food sold in pet specialty stores, which reflects an increased demand among pet parents seeking the benefits of a grain-free diet for their pet, from allergy management to easier digestibility to healthier skin and coat," said Sapir. "We've grown our grain-free options to provide even more protein choices and life stage options."
New grain-free options throughout the company portfolio include:
"The mission here is to become the leader in this natural/organic premium petfood space," said CEO Greg Shearson. "We as a company believe that we're very well positioned to make that stated objective possible, and we're committed to going after it every day, in all that we do."
Lindsay Beaton is the editor of Petfood Industry magazine and the host of "Trending: Pet Food," a biweekly pet food industry podcast (www.petfoodindustry.com/trending-pet-food-podcast). You may contact her at www.wattglobalmedia.com/contact-us by selecting "Editorial Team - Petfood Industry" from the drop-down menu.
Feature
By Lindsay Beaton
Those in the supplements space are answering consumer calls for functionality, traceability, and simple education on what’s right for their pets.
Feature
By Lindsay Beaton
Healthy M&A activity as well as expanded production capacity investments helped pet food companies continue to grow in 2021.