There is an increased awareness about the importance of package integrity across many industries, and with the scrutiny heightening on ours, the pressure is on to invest in better quality inspection technologies that can be applied for both off-line testing and in-line automated inspection. Companies that keep using destructive test methods that were developed and approved for use decades ago should re-evaluate their process and investigate technologies that provide valuable data that will improve manufacturing processes, helping reduce overall costs.

Consumer awareness of probiotics in human foods is currently high, with active culture dairy products the fastest growing food segment in the US. According to Simmons Market Research Bureau, nearly half of the dog- or cat-owning households in the US seek out natural or eco-friendly products for a total population of 25.1 million pet-owning households. As the natural, holistic and organic segments of petfood gain momentum, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics are becoming buzz words in our industry. But just how will they make petfood products function better?

After a tumultuous and media-scrutinized year, our industry has seen plenty of changes. Some things, however, remain relatively consistent, like the 10 companies that lead the petfood industry in global sales.

Focusing on processing developments is often the key to a successful investment that leads to a good return and a higher standard of quality in the end product. New extrusion products and processing technologies are the fastest ways to reach these goals.