Tim Phillips, DVMFrom the Author - Page 2Safety & QualityWhole Dog Journal wants transparencyIn addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for, among other things, the absence of by-products, added sweetners and artificial coloring.ProductionObesity: New InsightsIt makes good sense for the petfood industry to help prevent and treat pet obesityProductionVitakraft loves petsAnd gives retailers a lot of merchandising supportProductionAntioxidant optionsPros and cons: Which ones are right for your products?ProductionEditorial Notes: They want to get involvedAs the status of pets continues to rise, many pet owners seem willing to put more time into preparing meals for their pets. Several companies are catering to pet owners who want to get more involved with feeding their pets. If the market continues to develop, which seems likely, we can expect to see more major marketers of traditional commercial diets adding high-involvement petfoods to their product lines.ProductionThe rise of petfood retailingIt just keeps getting better for the petfood industry. In emerging markets, the combination of income growth, increasing urbanization and better marketing is creating favorable conditions for petfood sales.ProductionFunctional fixesThe rising popularity of petfoods containing functional ingredients can be traced to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. This US legislation restricted some of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) authority to act against functional ingredients as unapproved food additives. This led to a vast influx of such products for people and influenced similar trends in petfood.ProductionDownloading the human brainIn The Singularity is Near, futurist Ray Kurzweil examines what he calls the next step in our evolutionary progress: the union of humans and computers. He believes that the knowledge and skills embedded in our brains will be combined with the vastly greater capacity, speed and knowledge-sharing ability of computersProductionInsurance: Are you covered?This past year drew massive attention to product safety issues. Several recalls, including petfood, have led to reduced public confidence in product safety. Companies struggling with product recalls have suffered from loss of reputation, damage to their brands and businesses and defense and liability costs.NutritionFunctional treats take offGrowing up, Giannini had a white German Shepherd that developed hip dysplasia. Giving her pills was difficult and they tended to upset her stomach, so Giannini began trying out ways to incorporate her pills into treats. That's how the seeds of Dogswell were planted.ProductionFinding the best suppliersThe question is not whether you've had ISO training," says Dr. David Rosenblatt, managing director of PDCA Training Solutions, "but whether you know how to do your job effectively. Some people learn very little in training." He was speaking at Petfood Focus on Safety 2008 about good purchasing practices. It's a timely topic since some in our industry have recently realized the harsh consequences of not knowing enough about their suppliers.ProductionEmbrace sustainable packagingI know you've heard it all before - and it's not sexy or exciting. I also know the idea of package sustainability (recycling) has come and gone before. But, thanks to the efforts of companies like Wal-Mart, this time it's an idea that's here to stay. It's an idea that can save you money, help your image - and help reduce government intervention.Previous PagePage 2 of 8Next Page