News & Newsletters: Page 772

Netherlands-based Scholtus Special Products acquires dog treat maker

European semi-moist cat and dog treat maker Scholtus Special Products B.V. acquired GH Prins & Zonen B.V. from its Proline Petfood business unit, a dog treat maker. Beginning in January 2012, Proline will operate from Scholtus' production facilities in Renswoude, the Netherlands.

Pet ownership, pet care spending on the rise in Asia

Asia's aggregate pet population now exceeds 488 million, according to Euromonitor, evidence of the growing trends of pet ownership and pet care spending worldwide. As people grow wealthier and couples have fewer children, pets become more popular, an article from Forbes says.

NASC Adverse-Event Reporting System minimizes pet, human contamination risks

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a recall on October 6 for Salmonella contamination in Thumb Oilseed’s soy flour, which is used to manufacture certain animal foods. But, the National Animal Supplement Council's ability to scan thousands of products and ingredients in its NASC Adverse-Event Reporting System allowed NASC to identify 27 products containing soy flour and notify the eight companies selling these products with specific instructions on how to check the ingredient with raw material suppliers.

Market Trends and Reports

Sam's Club launches new pet care product line

Sam's Club recently launched a new pet care product line called Simply Right, available at its stores and online. The pet care line includes eight petfoods, such as the Complete Nutrition cat and dog foods, and two Exceed dog food formulas, with a number of wet dog foods.

Sam's Club's new Simply Right line allows consumers to choose between wet and dry foods for their dogs.

Zuke's expands Dog and Cat Cancer Fund petfood retailer program

The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund, a nonprofit created by Zuke’s Performance Pet Nutrition founder, Patrick Meiering and his brother, Chris, to help make cancer treatment for pets affordable, is expanding its “Round Up at the Register” program for retailers. The program helps increase awareness of this financial resource among pet stores and pet store customers who have encountered cancer in a pet or who may be in need of assistance in the future.

Market Trends and Reports

Graphic design firm awarded for Lincolnbark pet treat packaging

Bobbye Cochran, president of graphic design firm Bobbye Cochran + Associates, designed the logo and packaging for pet treat company Lincolnbark, earning two American Graphic Design awards from Graphic Design USA. The 2011 graphic design competition had nearly 9,000 entries, and Cochran's work was among roughly 1,000 pieces selected for special recognition.

Lincolnbark's pet treats won two American Graphic Design awards for its colorful packaging.

Market Trends and Reports

Examiner.com says genetically engineered ingredients often found in cat food

A recent article on Examiner.com discusses the amount of genetically engineered, or genetically modified, GMO, ingredients that may be found in cat foods. The article cites Justlabelit.org, which says that GE foods are altered at a molecular level in ways that would not otherwise happen naturally, meaning the genetic makeup of plants and animals is altered using DNA molecules from other sources to create a new set of genes that exhibit specific traits.

Petco offers new holistic petfood, free pet training seminars

Petco is introducing a new, holistic petfood option in addition to offering free training seminars for pet owners and their pets. Petco is carrying Nature's Variety Instinct and Prairie diet petfood lines. Instinct offerings include both raw frozen diets and dry, grain-free foods.

AFIA Regulatory Training Short Course concludes

More than 120 people attended the American Feed Industry Association's Regulatory Training Short Course that provided intensive training on how to work as a regulatory professional in the feed, ingredient and petfood industries. The short course was designed for experienced regulatory directors, allowing them to interact with government officials and develop strategies to tackle the issues impacting their business, with the main focus this year being the Food Safety Modernization Act.

FDA deputy commissioner to speak at Petfood Forum 2012

Michael R. Taylor, JD, deputy commissioner of foods for the US Food and Drug Administration, has been confirmed as a main speaker for Petfood Forum 2012. With responsibility for the safety of all food in the US, Taylor is spearheading implementation of the new Food Safety Modernization Act and will address how petfood safety fits into the overall food safety picture, plus similarities and differences between human food and petfood safety.

Market Trends and Reports

FDA delays implementing food import re-examination fees

After critical assessments from a coalition established by FDAimports.com LLC, the US Food and Drug Administration announced it will not initiate the new food import re-examination fee program until some "issues" with the program are resolved. According to Benjamin England, founder and CEO of FDAImports.com LLC, and its newly established Food Importers and Foreign Food Manufacturer’s Coalition Task Force, these actions represent a major initial victory for small food businesses and food importers.

Market Trends and Reports

PetFoodia.com provides petfood reviews for consumers

PetFoodia.com is a new website that provides reviews of dog food and cat food as well as dog food and cat food coupons. Additionally, the site answers questions pet owners may have regarding foods that their pets can or cannot eat and pet health, as well as provides questions to ask a veterinarian and coupons for petfood.

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