Pet Food News: Page 488

Market Trends and Reports

Petfood brand launches rewards program at pet specialty stores

DNA Pet Food Inc. has launched “Real Rewards,” an online points program that rewards independent pet specialty store employees and their customers with free petfood. Each employee can earn up to US$120 in free dog or cat food every month by giving away offers to try a free bag of DNA pet food to consumers.

PetSmart reports total sales of US$1.6 billion in second-quarter 2012

Petfood and pet supplies retailer PetSmart Inc. reported earnings of US$0.71 per share, up 31 percent compared to US$0.54 per share in the second quarter of 2011. Net income totaled US$79 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to US$61 million in the second quarter of 2011.

FDA responds to letter from US animal feed, ingredient, grain groups

Three major US grain, animal feed and feed ingredient processing organizations commended the Food and Drug Administration for clarifying its enforcement policy for implementing several key sections of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law in January 2011. Among other things, the Food Safety Modernization Act specifies a July 3 effective date for requirements that grain, feed, feed ingredient, grain processing, milling and other sectors of the commercial food and animal feed industry conduct hazard analyses and implement preventive controls.

Central Garden & Pet reports 10 percent third-quarter net sales increase

Central Garden & Pet Company announced the financial results for its fiscal third quarter of 2012, reporting net sales of US$533.8 million, a 10 percent increase from the same period a year ago. Third-quarter operating income was US$49 million, up 34 percent from US$36.6 million in the third quarter of 2011.

Market Trends and Reports

Mexico Pet Expo draws more than 1,300 visitors from 10 countries

NürnbergMesse North America announced that its first Mexico Pet Expo & Conference was a success with 123 exhibitors from eight countries and a total of 1,352 visitors from 10 countries. Mexico Pet Expo also cooperates with the Mexican association of food manufacturers, La Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Alimentos A.C., which organized the “2nd Mexican Forum on Pet Food” that was held in conjunction with the show and aimed at petfood manufacturers.

Horizon Pet Nutrition, Pet Planet donate petfood to homeless dogs

Pet Planet health stores and Horizon Pet Nutrition provided more than 1,000 pounds of petfood to Dogs With No Names. Established in 2011, Dogs With No Names is a scientific pilot program working to combat the number of homeless dogs on First Nations reserves in southern Alberta, Canada, through the use of contraceptive implants.

Market Trends and Reports

Tractor Supply Co. to give away year's supply of Purina petfood

Tractor Supply Company will giving away prizes and gift cards to lucky winners as part of its second annual Pet Appreciation Week, August 15-19. At each store, customers will have the chance to win prizes including a one-year supply of Nestle-Purina petfood or a veterinary services rebate from Hills Science Diet petfood brand.

FDA announces inspection fees for petfood companies under FSMA

The US Food and Drug Administration announced a reduction in the hourly FDA inspector fees it will levy against petfood companies for the upcoming fiscal year under the Food Safety Modernization Act. FDA will charge US$221 per hour if no foreign travel is required and US$289 per hour if foreign travel is required.

Walmart launches new ultra-premium dry dog food line

Walmart is launching its own line of ultra-premium dry dog food to compete directly with specialty pet product retailers such as PetSmart and Petco. The new brand, Pure Balance, is an expansion of Walmart's Ol' Roy brand of dog food that is currently sold and is expected to appear on store shelves in the coming weeks.

New online dog food company to donate to shelter animals

A new online dog food company recently launched its business with the goal of providing petfood to shelter animals across the US. BOGO Bowl, based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, intends to donate one bag of dog food to a shelter of the customer's choice for every bag of dog food purchased through the website.

BOGO Bowl intends to donate one bag of petfood to an animal shelter of the customer's choice for each bag of dog food purchased online.

Global petfood market to reach US$74.8 billion in 2017

The global petfood market will grow by 4.2 percent annually over the next six years, increasing from US$58.6 billion in 2011 to US$74.8 billion by 2017, according to a report published by Transparency Market Research of Albany, New York, USA. The report projects the US market for petfood sales will increase 3.2 percent in 2012, growing at an annual rate of 3.5 percent over the next six years, from US$21.7 billion in 2011 to US$26.6 billion in 2017.

Petco recalls petfood bowls for potential contamination

Pet product retailer Petco is recalling certain stainless steel petfood bowls sold at its store due to the potential that the bowls may contain Cobalt-60, a radioactive material commonly used in industrial gauging equipment and other uses. Petco says it doesn't know how the radioactive material got into the petfood bowls, but believes that it may have come from scrap metal used by foreign suppliers that had Cobalt-60 accidentally mixed in, and which was found to emit low levels of radiation.

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