Food processors, who already rely on the BAX system from DuPont as a certified method for detecting salmonella in their end products and ingredients, can now use the same polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to monitor their production environments, according to a press release by DuPont.

The everything-canine Web site, www.Doggies.com, announced February 5 that its 10-year-old information site will now feature a directory that lists dog-related businesses, according to the company’s press release.

Nestle, parent company of Purina, and the Wysong Corporation, a health education and nutritional development company, have filed suits against one another in the Eastern District Federal Court in Missouri, according to a press release by the Wysong Corporation.

NaturaPet announced this month 100% of their ingredients will come from trusted, non-Chinese suppliers, according to an article by www.Examiner.com. Natura became the first petfood company in the industry to test and guarantee that all of its products are free from melamine and cyanuric acid.

If court approval is granted as expected in the United States, Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada will start to pay out $24 million (U.S.D.) in settlements to pet owners whose animals died or were hurt in last year's petfood scandal involving melamine, according to an article by The Mississauga News.

The recalls of contaminated petfood in the spring of 2007 encouraged owners to convert to higher-priced foods that were perceived to be safer. This trend to premium helped boost dollar sales for the category not only in 2007, but to a smaller extent last year, despite the dramatic downturn in the economy, according to an article by MediaPost Communications.

The Central Garden & Pet Company has announced that its net sales in the quarter have declined by 7% to $293 million, compared to $314 million in the comparable fiscal 2008 period, according to a press release by the company.

To ease public concern over possible health threats in pet food, the Taiwan Council of Agriculture said February 4 that its recent tests of the aflatoxin levels in about 100 types of dog and cat food showed that all products were safe for consumption, according to an article by the Taipei Times.

Bone Appétit Bakery, an online gourmet dog treat company, has been invited to participate in one of the premiere vendor events at the Beverly Hills Hilton Luxury Suite leading up to the 81st Academy Awards.

When it comes to buying petfood, higher cost doesn’t always mean higher quality, according to the March issue of Consumer Reports.