Sweden is celebrated for its untouched, beautiful countryside and outstanding natural environment. In order to protect this national asset, Sweden has imposed some of the toughest environmental legislation in the world. Lantmännen Doggy AB is proud of this Swedish legacy, which it translates in its product line, marketed under the brand Bozita.

Swedish quality guarantees safety and purity

"Quality is a prerequisite for our business, for us there is simply no other alternative," says export director Niklas Siwersjö. "All raw materials that can be grown in Sweden are sourced locally from farms in the vicinity of our factory. Here farmers use fewer chemicals than in other parts of the world, since the use of preventative antibiotics is prohibited and no growth promotion hormones are used, our raw materials are of the highest quality.

"Belonging to the farmer's cooperation Lantmännen enables us to be in stricter control of the quality of the raw ingredients," continues Siwersjö. "The Swedish origin of ingredients assures cat and dog owners a pure, healthy product according to Swedish legislation and the Lantmännen Doggy policy of supply."

Some examples of the very stringent legislation and ethical restrictions in Sweden are:

• Carcass meal prohibition since 1985;
• Antibiotics forbidden in livestock production since 1986;
• Salmonella -free meat production;
• Traditional battery farming and beak clippings of chickens is prohibited; and
• All meat and grain used is GMO-free.

Producing a clean and nutritious product is the main guiding principle for production and development of the company's manufacturing line, which is located exclusively in Sweden. "These attributes allow the company to be competitive in the European markets, where the main focus is emphasizing superior quality, purity, safety and being innovative," says Siwersjö.

All-around innovation

Innovation is indeed the other strength that the relatively small and flexible company Lantmännen Doggy relies on to attract consumers. The petfood company runs its own R&D facilities, and bases all product development on the latest published research in food nutrition for dogs and cats. Next to the R&D facilities, it has set up its own cattery and kennel for palatability and acceptance testing of every new product before it is introduced to the market.

An interesting result of Lantmännen Doggy's continuing research is Macrogard, a natural betaglucan that works as an immunostimulant, strengthening the pet's immune system, assisting endogastric function and promoting general well-being. The addition of Macrogard to a pet's diet especially supports pets experiencing strains, growth, lactation and outer stress, according to the company.

Moreover, Lantmännen Doggy is the first petfood manufacturer to implement a technology that enables the sterilization of food in cartons rather than the traditional cans or pouches; the company successfully launched a Bozita wet food line in Tetra Recart. Tetra Recart is a square carton package made out of a special paperboard laminate material that allows the same quality and safety as the traditional canning process, but offers the chance to differentiate and present the product in an innovative way. More importantly, the new packaging concept provides a variety of benefits to consumers compared to traditional packaging:

• Portability. Tetra Recart is light, compact and easy to carry;
• Easy opening and pouring. The package incorporates a specially developed laser perforated opening system, so consumers need no special openers for the package;
• Convenience. The material is designed for space-saving stackability in kitchen cupboards;
• Safety . No sharp, cutting edges to worry about, so safe to use with children; and
• Reclosable. The packaging is recosable by folding the opening flaps back down to keep the food fresh for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Environmentally, the Tetra Recart is also a winner. One pallet contains 35,000 Tetra Recart empty cartons, meaning that one truck is equal to approximately 15 trucks of empty cans. This results in cost-effective transport and storage with minimal environmental impact, since the Tetra Recart cartons also able to be recycled with traditional beverage cartons.

Currently, 55% of Bozita cat and dog wet food in Tetra Recarts is exported Europe-wide, sold in more than 5,700 pet shops, of which 950 are located in Germany. Due to the encouraging results, more effort will be put into further product development and variations in the same packaging (different recipes, flavors, chunks in different sauce or gravy etc.). Next is the possibility of offering selected cooperation in private label for the entire product range.

Environment for a healthy business

In 2002, Lantmännen Doggy AB obtained ISO 14001 certification - the voluntary, internationally recognized environmental management systems (EMS) standard.

"Our personal beliefs and concerns toward the industry's effects on the environment are mirrored in our company policy," Siwersjö says. "Our achievement of this important certification aims to demonstrate our environmental commitment to our community and our customers, and also helps us improve our overall performance in terms of efficiency and productivity."

According to Siwersjö, the company's environmental credibility and commitment to quality increase the opportunities for further market penetration. Lower energy operations, optimized use of raw materials, reductions in waste and pollution, and mitigated risks of accidents and emergency situations translate into greater profitability and productivity.