Fast growing and dynamic, the Chinese pet food market is ripe for even more innovation. To provide information and innovative ideas to pet food professionals in China, Petfood Forum China 2016 brings the latest research and insights from industry experts on nutrition, pet food ingredients, processing, the market, business strategy, and safety and quality.
Scheduled for August 17 at the World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, the fifth edition of this exclusive conference also features several networking opportunities, including with leading industry supplier companies.
Petfood Forum China is again co-located with Pet Fair Asia, one of the largest pet trade shows in China (www.petfairasia.com/en), which takes place August 18-21.
Following is the agenda for Petfood Forum China 2016 as of press time.
9:45-10:30 Pet food quality and safety in China—An executive with Royal Canin China provides a pet food manufacturer’s perspective on making safe, high-quality products in China, with information and tips to help the Chinese pet food industry produce products that meet the demands of the local pet food market as well as export markets.
10:30-11:00 Progress report on Chinese pet food regulations—Wang Jinquan, PhD, associate professor with the Feed Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, reports on progress to date with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Quality and Safety Standards of Pet Food (Feed) Project and what pet food manufacturers can expect in the coming months.
11:00-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:00 Canned versus kibble: what are the implications for pet nutrition?—Emma Bermingham, PhD, senior scientist for AgResearch Ltd., explains long-term research on whether pet food formats, which differ in their nutrient profiles due to manufacturing requirements, affect the nutrition and health of cats, including their body fat, expression of key genes in glucose and insulin pathways, composition and metabolic function of fecal microbiota.
12:00-12:30 Ensuring reliable palatability measurement—Franck Peron, DVM, PhD, ethologist for Diana Pet Food, shares good practices to avoid measurement biases on two-bowl preference testing methodology and single-bowl methods, highlighting the main criteria for ensuring reliable palatability measurement of pet food. In addition, he explains new methodologies to measure emotional palatability.
12:30-13:00 Trace mineral nutrition: people, pets and planet—Juan Gomez-Basauri, PhD, global director of the companion animal business of Alltech, reviews the role of mineral nutrition in pets, benefits of proper supplementation and current trace mineral requirements. He also presents survey data of different mineral sources, how these relate to safety and sustainability, and if they are drivers to consider in addressing current consumers for balance among people, pets, animals and planet.
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-14:30 Growth drivers for the Chinese pet food market—Pushan Tagore, vice president of global marketing-pet care for GfK, explores the factors spurring ongoing growth of the Chinese pet food market, including various retail channels (online, mass market or pet shops), categories of products (natural, grain free), expansion of existing products versus new product launches and domestic versus global manufacturers.
14:30-15:00 Applications of microalgal fatty acids in pet foods—Shiguang Yu, PhD, global technical manager-pet nutrition for DSM Nutritional Products, explains why microalgae offer a sustainable source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for pet food. PUFAs are essential nutrients for growth and reproduction and have been shown to provide other health benefits. Microalgae are easily applied in pet foods, bioavailable to pets and approved as a feed ingredient in many markets, including China.
15:00-15:30 Extrusion innovations: exotic pet diets and novelty treats—Will Henry, director of technology and R&D for Extru-Tech Inc., shares case studies on the development of formulations, process profile and equipment design, and food safety for producing new and innovative products. The studies encompass more than 20 trials on products such as limited-ingredient diets, ultra-high fresh-meat pet food and treats, grain-free pet food, multicolor food and treats, and co-extruded treats.
15:30-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-16:30 Culture, creativity and strategy—John Adams, president of Adams Development, explains why a business strategy should encompass a mix of thoughts, ideas, insights, experiences, goals, memories, perceptions, emotions and expectations that provide a context for specific actions in pursuit of a specific goal—often influenced by social and company culture. He covers cultural differences among China, the US, UK and Germany, and why strategy has not been seen as creative.
16:30-17:00 Using plant extracts for health and marketing claims in pet food—Teresa M. Agulles, owner of PlusVet Animal Health in China, describes how using plant extracts matches up with pet food trends such as humanization and “back to nature.” With examples of premium and superpremium pet food products in Europe, she explains how plant extracts can promote pet health, differentiate a brand from its competitors, replace synthetic antioxidants, control fecal odor and support label claims.
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