News & Newsletters: Page 755

Compy dog food wants consumers to contact them over pet illnesses

After supermarket chain Mercadona pulled Compy wet dog food off shelves in select stores in Spain due to reports of pets suffering from kidney failure, dog owners are submitting claim forms to a new website set up by those living in Spain. But, the dog food’s manufacturer is urging concerned consumers to contact them directly instead.

Bloomberg reviews 'human-grade' petfoods for appearance, taste

All-natural dog food, including foods that meet Association of American Feed Control Officials' requirements to claim “human-grade,” make up 10 percent of all sales in the US$18.9 billion petfood industry, according to Packaged Facts. To determine what this "human-grade" dog food really tastes like to humans, Lucy Postins, founder of petfood company The Honest Kitchen, says her employees sample every ingredient when formulating a new dog food recipe.

Market Trends and Reports

Cat food maker Friskies releases iPad app for cats, owners

Cat food maker Friskies recently released what it says is the first iPad app that lets cats and pet owners compete against each other. The "You vs. Cat" app is an arcade-style game in which the pet owner tries to shoot petfood into a goal box before the cat can stop the food with its paw.

FDA issues interim final record-keeping rule for petfood companies

The US Food and Drug Administration issued an interim final rule amending its regulations on record-keeping by food and petfood companies be consistent with the agency's authority for access to records, which was expanded by the Food Safety Modernization Act. The new interim final rule, effective March 1, makes the reference to records access in the food-firm record-keeping requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act consistent with the current statutory language in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Vet addresses pet nutrition myths in university lecture series

Tufts University's most-recent lecture in its weekly series featured Dr. Lisa Freeman, a professor from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, presenting and discussing her research on companion animal nutrition. The lecture, part of the "A Taste of Tufts: A Sampling of Faculty Research" series, focused on exposing pet nutrition myths and educating pet owners on how to select an optimal diet for their pet.

Chinese pet owners import American-made petfood for safety

Amid calls by American pet owners for the US Food and Drug Administration to recall chicken jerky treats from China, Chinese pet owners are importing "made in America" petfood in an effort to prevent their own pets from becoming sick by eating petfoods made in China. A number of US petfood companies currently export petfood to Hong Kong, according to a recent article, which says that petfood manufacturers Innova, Solid Gold, Pinnacle, Canidae/Felidae, Nature’s Variety, Oma’s Pride, Wellness, Castor & Pollux Pet Works, Holistic Select and Best Breed all export to distributors in Hong Kong.

Pet Food Safety

More pet owners call for China chicken jerky dog treat recall

An increasing number of pet owners are speaking out on the Internet, calling for the government to force a recall of chicken jerky dog treats from China that have been reportedly causing illness and even death in some pets that consume the treats, according to Food Safety News. The US Food and Drug Administration tested the treats but has not confirmed a link between the chicken jerky treats from China and the pet illnesses being reported by owners, yet owners and lawmakers continue to call for further investigation and FDA's recall of the product.

Pet Food Processing

GA Pet Food Partners invests in sustainable petfood manufacturing

GA Pet Food Partners, a UK superpremium private label dry petfood manufacturer, recently invested millions in the construction of a new environmental management facility as part of its 10-year sustainability plan to produce petfood using more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods. GA's facility sits on 27 hectacres of land that features water treatment works, three biofilters and the ability to clean and recycle all air and water on site. The company also has an on-site packaging recycling plant that separates paper, cardboard and plastics to reduce landfill waste.

GA Pet Food Partners' recently invested in construction of a new environmental management facility on 27 hectacres of land in the UK.

My Perfect Pet releases lower-calorie grain-free dog food

My Perfect Pet, a frozen fresh petfood company, released a lower-calorie, single protein source food for dogs called Knight’s Blend. Knight’s Blend is grain-free, formulated with fresh lean beef and vegetables like broccoli, green beans, zucchini and spinach, and is 100 percent complete and balanced based on Association of American Feed Control Officials' nutrient profiles to provide nutritious energy for adult dogs, the company says.

Market Trends and Reports

Therapeutic petfood diets aid in managing pet health condititions

New research has led petfood manufacturers to develop therapeutic diets that are created specifically to manage many different medical conditions, such as pet obesity or allergies, says a recent article from veterinarypracticenews.com. Typically discussed when a pet's lifestage changes, from puppy to adult to senior, or when the pet develops a specific medical condition, veterinarians say pet nutrition is now being more regularly incorporated into check-up visits as nutrition becomes increasingly important as a form of preventative pet care.

Iams petfood brand offers new senior cat, dog diets

P&G Pet Care's Iams petfood brand introduced a new line of Senior Plus diets, specifically designed for dogs and cats over age 11. Senior Plus diets are available in Iams' ProActive Health and Premium Protection formulas for cats and small to medium breed dogs over age 11, and ProActive Health for large breed dogs age 9 and older.

Petfood ingredient L-carnitine aids in maintaining pet health

An important petfood ingredient, L-carnitine, may provide many benefits to pets that consume it as part of a regular diet, a recent article says. Dr. Johhny Lopez, who holds a Master's degree in animal science and a PhD in monogastric nutrition, says that L-carnitine aids in transporting fatty acids inside the pet's body to the cell's mitochondria, or "furnace," where they are converted into extra energy for the pet's body to use in breathing, eating, resting, metabolism and activity.

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