Debbie Phillips-DonaldsonDebbie Phillips-Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry magazine and Petfood Forum.From the Author - Page 59Pet Food MarketDefining breakthrough innovation in petfood product developmentOnly about 10% of the 30,000 new product concepts developed in the US each year achieve success in the marketplace, according to Nielsen. So why do so many companies, including petfood and treat manufacturers, continue to pour so much R&D money into new product development?Market Trends and ReportsHuman food trends offer insights for petfoodThese days, petfood product development follows human food trends by only “half a step,” according to David Sprinkle, publisher and research director for Packaged Facts, who spoke at Petfood Forum 2013. He referred to a regular report from his company, Culinary Trends Mapping, that covers restaurant trends in addition to product ones and said large petfood manufacturers often buy it.Pet Food MarketFSMA means ‘seismic shift’ in food and petfood safetyEver since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in January 2011, we have heard that it represents the most significant change to US food safety law for decades, or variations on that theme. I’ve seen descriptions ranging from “fundamental overhaul” to “historic revolution.” For the petfood industry, one reason FSMA signals such a substantial change is that for the first time, many food safety regulations and practices that have been required of human food will now also apply to animal feed (including petfood).Pet Food MarketWhat does latest big petfood company merger mean for the industry?It's become almost a cliche to characterize the petfood and pet care markets as "recession resilient," but the fact is, these industries have weathered the strong economic headwinds of the past five years better than most consumer goods industries, with continued global annual growth of about 4%. That fact has not gone unnoticed by investment funds and the overall private equity community, as noted by Pets International magazine and Cascadia Capital, an independent investment bank that includes petfood and other pet product companies among its investments and transactions.Pet Food MarketWhat it takes to innovate with petfood product developmentAre your petfood products truly innovative? Do you have a system for product development in your company? While those two concepts might seem contradictory -- innovation and systems -- they must go hand in hand to ensure robust new product development, according to Jeff Johnston, VP of research and innovation for Champion Petfoods.Pet Food MarketPet owner behavior's influence on pet weight and obesityThe UK Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) is taking a proactive step to address the growing problem of pet obesity: The organization is reaching out directly to UK pet owners with a "Weigh in Wednesday" campaign, complete with online tools, to educate owners on identifying their pets' body condition and working toward getting the pets to ideal weight and condition.Market Trends and ReportsAre current petfood trends healthy or sustainable?It's a business axiom that to succeed, you have to meet customers' needs. But when it comes to feeding pets, is that always true?Pet Food MarketDelay in petfood safety rules leads to FDA hand slapIf a recent US federal court ruling has any impact, we might soon, finally, see new petfood preventive controls safety regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In the ruling, issued April 22, the court said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must comply with a schedule set forth by Congress under FSMA to issue new regulations in seven key areas, including risk-based preventive controls.Pet Food MarketNutritional sustainability offers opportunities for petfoodPetfood is unique in many ways. As an industry, it straddles the consumer packaged goods world as well as the feed industry from which it sprang. From a regulatory perspective, its products and processes do not fall under regulations for human foods but often do not quite fit within feed regulations, due to the fact that humans often directly handle petfood.Pet Food MarketPetfood Forum highlights positive numbers for petfood market and its futureAmong 2,000 pet owners surveyed online in March, 72% agree that their pets have a positive impact on their physical health, and 79% agree their pets have a positive impact on their mental health, according to Packaged Facts. Out of many interesting and impressive numbers emanating from Petfood Forum last week, those data, delivered by David Sprinkle, publisher and research director for Packaged Facts, stood out.Pet Food MarketPetfood safety: industry innovates with patented process, proof of extrusion kill stepThe American Veterinary Medical Association caused quite a stir last year when it issued a policy discouraging raw petfood diets. Petfood companies in that segment naturally protested, as did plenty of consumers.Pet Food MarketPet ownership benefits confirmed by researchMost of us who work in the petfood industry think of it not only as our vocation but also our passion; we all own and love pets and genuinely care about their well-being. So we know first-hand the benefits that sharing a home (or office) with a pet can bring.Previous PagePage 59 of 75Next Page