Petfood Forum China 2014 marks the third annual edition of this premier, exclusive conference for the Chinese petfood industry. This year it will focus on Nutrition, Ingredients and Formulation—the foundation for all petfood products and for new product development. Leading industry experts will provide in-depth information on the petfood product and ingredients market and the key ingredient categories for meeting companion animals’ nutritional needs—plus, how to formulate products to satisfy varied and sometimes conflicting requirements as well as how to process petfoods to best deliver nutrient and product benefits.
Scheduled for August 22, Petfood Forum China will again be held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center and will also feature leading industry supplier-sponsors and networking opportunities. Petfood Forum China will be co-located with Pet Fair Asia, one of the largest trade shows for the pet industry in China, which runs August 21-24, 2014.
Following is session information as of press time. For updates, bookmark http://petfoodforum.petfoodindustry.com/PetfoodForumChina.
Opening session: Global petfood market overview and update on new products— Paula Flores, head of pet care research for Euromonitor International, will provide an update on the petfood market worldwide, with a China focus, plus ingredient trends, usage and projections.
Workshop sessions —Each will be an in-depth discussion of an important area of petfood nutrition and product development:
- Top ingredient categories to meet canine and feline nutritional needs— Anton Beynen, PhD, head of research and development for Vobra Special Petfoods, will present the latest research on how to integrate and differentiate ingredients from nutrients. Ingredient mixtures should not only meet the nutrients requirements of dogs and cats, but also meet the preferences and aversions of different owner categories. After providing a top-line view of the nutrition of dogs and cats, Dr. Beynen will discuss individual nutrients and their functions. Then he will review common ingredients used to make petfoods today, including for popular product categories like grain free and meat first.
- Formulation tips and tricks to fulfill nutrient, marketing and regulatory requirements —Sean J. Delaney, DVM, MS, ACVN, founder of DVM Consulting Inc., will explain unique benefits of the major categories of petfood macronutrients, micronutrients and nutraceuticals, and key points to consider—including challenges—when formulating with these ingredients. This interactive session will take you through different scenarios for formulating specific types of petfood products and share a worksheet and calculator to help you ensure your formulation fulfills all nutrient requirements while also addressing important marketing and regulatory considerations.
- Processing parameters to ensure nutrient, formulation and product viability —Will Henry, director of technology and research and development for Extru-Tech Inc., will review major petfood ingredients and how they affect (and are affected by) the extrusion process, focusing on processing parameters and their impact on ingredient properties and nutritional contributions to the final product. In addition to raw materials, he will discuss the latest research on how system configurations (the equipment) and processing conditions affect how closely you are able to meet your final product specifications.