Debbie Phillips-DonaldsonDebbie Phillips-Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry magazine and Petfood Forum.From the Author - Page 75Market Trends and ReportsGrain market: here we go againNearly every petfood producer I have talked with this year, including in Europe, has expressed concern about the continually escalating cost of ingredients, especially commodities. As of this writing, corn futures for this month (July 2011) were trading on the Chicago Board of Trade at US$7.59 a bushel, according to Agriculture.com.Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: How quickly is petfood following human food?A professional with 35-plus years’ experience in companion animal nutrition and petfood remarked recently that trends in our industry are now only three months behind human food trends. Petfood used to follow human food by at least six months, he said.HomeSomething to Chew On: New keys to growth?Though the 2011-2012 APPA National Pet Owners Survey shows an all-time high for pet ownership in the US—72.9 million in 2010, a 2.1% rise since the last survey in 2009-2010—only dogs and cats have enjoyed increases and those are small: 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively. Nearly all other US pets, including birds, small animals, reptiles, horses and freshwater fish, have declined.Pet Food LabelingSomething to Chew On: Fighting pet obesityThe fourth annual National Pet Obesity Awareness Day Study from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (www.petobesityprevention.com) shows more than 50% of US dogs and cats are now overweight or obese. Specifically, the survey highlights these preliminary data.Pet Food IngredientsNestlé Purina: building on a tradition of trustWhen a company has been making petfood for 90 years and has an iconic name and unprecedented trust in the marketplace, you might think it has no new heights to scale. Yet Nestlé Purina PetCare is not content to rest on history or reputation. In November 2010, the company reached a new milestone by earning the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Food for thoughtIn January I was privileged to attend Global Pets Forum, an annual conference organized by Pets International magazine (www.petsinfo.net). This year’s event was in Barcelona, Spain, and drew about 200 pet industry professionals, mainly from Europe but also from all other continents.HomeSomething to Chew On: Doing well by doing good for petsRecently a newspaper reporter called seeking information for an article he was researching on corporate social responsibility in the pet industry. One of his questions was whether petfood companies participate in community programs and charitable causes.Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Presaging consumer behavior for 2011For better or worse, I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, and I find most lists predicting what will happen in the coming year to be fairly trite and, well, predictable. (Sorry, bad pun.) But I do pay attention to ones from market research firms like Packaged Facts and Mintel, because I think they identify consumer trends that have important implications for our industry.Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Making the case for petsThose of us who love, live with and/or work with pets know intuitively the many benefits they bring to people. But can those benefits be quantified and backed by sound, scientific research?Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Joining the App revolutionOnce upon a time, not all that long ago, a mobile phone did what its name said: It let users talk on the phone while on the move, away from the house or office. Soon most of these phones gained the capability to also send text messages, take photos and play music. And now more and more people around the world have so-called smart phones.HomeOverby Farm takes pet treats to the next levelA growing body of research shows that in humans, tart cherries can act as an antioxidant and help people suffering from various conditions and forms of inflammation. “Our family found relief from arthritis and gout through cherry concentrate, and that got the ball rolling,” says Carol Jones-Adams, describing how her functional treat company, Overby Farm, was born.Pet Food PalatabilityUpdate: measuring petfood palatabilityPalatability has become as important to petfood formulation as the core ingredients. After all, those ingredients can’t provide nutritional benefits if pets won’t eat the food or, perhaps more importantly, their owners don’t perceive the pets are enjoying the food. Thus, leading organizations invest heavily in research and work to ensure they can accurately measure the palatability of various formulations and flavor enhancers.Previous PagePage 75 of 81Next Page
