Debbie Phillips-DonaldsonDebbie Phillips-Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry magazine and Petfood Forum.From the Author - Page 79HomeSomething to Chew On: Filling the gapHere's some good news for our industry, courtesy of a survey recently commissioned by Petco : Nearly 80% of US pet owners say they feel confident their pets' food is healthy and nutritious. The bad news? Only 43% of respondents say they understand how to evaluate the nutritional value of the food by looking at the ingredients on the label, and only 41% know which ingredients are most nutritious.HomePetfood goes greenWhen our industry looks back at 2009, we might consider it the year of the greening of petfood, at least in the US. This year has seen the opening of several new or retrofitted US facilities-plants and office buildings, for manufacturers and suppliers-designed to be more environmentally friendly.HomeTasty and healthyWhen it comes to what they put in their pets' bowls, today's consumers demand the best quality and nutrition. That means petfood manufacturers and suppliers must develop and select every ingredient and component of a formulation for maximum effect.Pet Food RegulationsSomething to Chew On: Getting ahead of food safety regulationRecently someone described to me what he sees as two basic regulatory approaches: If it's done right, all will be right-which seems to be the European Union (EU) model; or If all turns out all right, it must have been done right-the US approach.HomeSomething To Chew On: Flip side of human-pet bondHumanization. The human-animal bond. Pets as family members. For several years now we've all heard, and used, these phrases as reasons for the petfood industry's continued growth, especially in developed markets.ProductionSomething To Chew On: Let's have a debateRegardless of where you side on the grain-free debateor any other trend or issue affecting the industry—you can join the discussion, too. Just go to Petfood-Connection.comProductionRising petfood powersBrazil and Russia are claiming a spot among the world's elite, with Thailand, Romania and others showing rapid growthSafety & QualitySomething To Chew On: The safety linkPetfood manufacturers use many of the same sources and practices that human processors doProductionA breed apartIts cutting-edge processing and safety technology makes Stella & Chewy's stand out—and not just in the raw petfood sectorProductionSomething To Chew On: The R wordCan we believe what we hear about the pet industry being recession resistant?NutritionSomething To Chew On: Combating misinformationLet's face it, for some pet owners, the Internet is their main—and sometimes only—source of information. That's pretty scary, isn't it?ProductionWhere are commodity prices heading?Key indicators offer clues to future changes in petfood ingredient costsPrevious PagePage 79 of 83Next Page
