News & Newsletters: Page 771

Petfood manufacturers fined by France antitrust authority

Petfood manufacturers Nestlé SA, Mars Inc. and Colgate-Palmolive Co. were fined a collective €35.3 million (US$46.7 million) by France's antitrust authority for pressuring petfood distributors to mark up prices, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Autorité de la Concurrence in France said "vertical agreements" between the three petfood companies and their respective distributors between 2004 and 2008 "limited competition on the markets for dry food for dogs and cats."

AFIA holds Purchasing, Ingredient Suppliers Conference

The 2012 Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference, an annual two-day event of the American Feed Industry Association, was held March 14-16, in Orlando, Florida, USA, where 553 individuals working within the livestock feed and petfood industries learned about the latest issues and events. Those in the animal feed industry who attended the conference heard market analyses and speakers on current topics such as barcoding, packaging, China’s impact on agriculture production, regulatory requirements and more.

Market Trends and Reports

Del Monte launches new Meow Mix cat food, relaunches jingle

Petfood manufacturer Del Monte Foods is bringing back its "Meow Mix" brand cat food jingle after 16 years to celebrate the launch of its new Meow Mix Tenders Centers cat food. Along with the launch of the new cat food and relaunch of the jingle, Meow Mix commissioned a study of US cat owners and their cats.

2012 Iditarod dog sled race won by youngest winner ever

The 2012 Iditarod was recently completed and won by the youngest person in the 1,000-mile dog sled race's history. Dallas Seavey, age 25, and his team of dogs ran to the race's finish line in Nome, Alaska, USA, making him the youngest winner of the race ever.

Petfood packaging manufacturer Weatherchem releases yearly summary

Petfood packaging manufacturer Weatherchem recently released its yearly summary for 2011, in which Weatherchem says it had the most successful year in the company's 40-year history. During 2011, Weatherchem experienced growth of 21 percent and an employment expansion of 15 percent.

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition executive discusses petfood company's growth

Jeff Watters, who will become president of Ainsworth Pet Nutrition on March 31, recently discussed the growing petfood company's success with the Erie Times-News. In the article, Watters said the once-regional company now sells petfood in all 50 states in the US under several different brand names, with a focus on value-priced products that appeal to a wider range of customers.

JRS to host fiber seminar for petfood, pet treat manufacturers

J. Rettenmaier & Sohne will host a fiber seminar for the needs of petfood and pet treat manufacturers at its headquarters in Rosenberg, Germany, on May 16. The company will feature industry experts and petfood specialists sharing knowledge on the latest trials in pet nutrition and new EU labelling practice for petfoods.

Burgess Pet Care offers new small animal food with fiber

Small animal food manufacturer Burgess Pet Care recently introduced a new line to cater to pets' dental, digestive and emotional needs. The company says these pets, known as "fibervores," require a high amount of fiber in their diet, which is why the company says its new Excel Complete Food Cubes are a complete food to meet the needs of rabbits and guinea pigs.

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.

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