Nutrition: Page 304

Natural/Organic Pet Food
Rush Direct treats pets right
Since 2003, Rush Direct has manufactured pet treats, jerkies and other products—some under its own brands and some in partnership with other petfood companies, including in Brazil. Now the company has launched a new all-natural premium brand, Ferrera Farms Naturals, that includes dog chews, freeze-dried treats and products from red propolis, which comes from beehives.
'We understand that we are competing with talented teams in Fortune 500 companies, so we need to differentiate ourselves by being nimble and by accepting risks,' says executive director Charles Ferreira of Rush Direct.
Pet Food Ingredients
The scarcity of affordable petfood ingredients
The US Department of Agriculture’s August supply-and-demand report provided another sign of what some people in our industry fear is an impending apocalypse: the ever-increasing decline of available, affordable ingredients. This latest report centered on the US corn crop, for which USDA cut production another 15.4% after a devastating drought decimated much of it, along with other grains grown in the US Midwest. This is having a profound impact on the prices and availability of other ingredients, particularly protein sources.
Pet Food Market
Get forecasts for feed grain costs and availability
The US Department of Agriculture will issue its latest supply-and-demand report tomorrow (Friday, August 10), and all expectations are that the agency will again reduce its corn production forecast, according to a Dow Jones Newswires poll of analysts. These analysts project USDA will cut production another 15.4% after a devastating drought has decimated much of the US corn crop.
Nutrition
Petfood palatability research from the experts
From combining good taste for pets with pleasant smells for owners to complementing palatants with other functional ingredients and technologies to research on the biology of how animals experience the food they eat—the industry's leading suppliers continually conduct research to develop knowledge and new products to help manufacturers make highly palatable petfood.
Market Trends and Reports
The latest research on petfood palatability
Palatability, according to Royal Canin US, “characterizes the appeal of food for the animal and the ease with which it is eaten.” While this definition seems simple and straightforward, every petfood manufacturer, including this company, knows that making food highly palatable to dogs and cats is a very complex process requiring expertise and research to build knowledge and continue improvement.
New research on petfood palatability is incorporating all of a pet’s senses—and even those of the pet owner. Willee Cole, Bigstockphoto.com
Market Trends and Reports
Why private label petfood matters
Economic sluggishness notwithstanding, petfood remains private label resistant in the US mass channels tracked by SymphonyIRI (supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandisers excluding Walmart). During 2011, total US sales of petfood rose 1.8%, while private-label sales of petfood fell 4.4%.
In Packaged Facts’ March 2012 survey, 35% of US pet product buyers indicated they’re buying more store-brand pet products, up from 28% in February 2011. (Percentages indicate level of agreement with the statement, “I am buying more store-brand pet products these days.”)
Pet Food Market
Trending natural ingredients that sell and upgrade your petfood
We hear a lot about what pet parents don't like to see in petfood, from chemical preservatives to fillers. It's not enough to only remove the most objectionable ingredients, however; we need to add ingredients that pet parents DO want.
Pet Food News
Halo offers new vegan dog food option
Halo, a petfood company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres, recently released a new vegan formula dog food, Vegan Garden Medley for Dogs. This plant-based dog food contains no preservatives or meats found in other petfoods.
Pet Food Market
The global scramble over corn, meat and other petfood ingredients
If you hear anyone still expressing doubt that today's economy is global, just point them to all the recent news about the price of corn, soybeans and other commodities. As recently as early to mid June, the US Department of Agriculture and others were crowing about the record US corn crop expected this year, potentially 9% larger than the 2011 crop, which itself set a record.
Nutrition
Petfood safety: Fortify weak links in your supply chain
As the former director of both the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, I have seen my share of pet and human food outbreaks caused by defective supply chains. In 2007, the largest petfood recall in history resulted from a single ingredient—wheat gluten—that had been intentionally adulterated with melamine for economic gains.
Even if you are fully confident in your supply chain to provide safe and wholesome products, how certain are you that there will not be disruptions when the new Food Safety Modernization Act takes effect?
Nutrition
Guide to Petfood Forum China 2012
The Chinese pet market is growing, and fast. As China has become the second-largest economy in the world, the standard of living and spending power of Chinese consumers, including pet owners, have soared. One-sixth of Chinese families now own pets, according to Pet Fair Asia, representing 25% annual growth in demand for pet products.
Petfood Forum China, scheduled for October 12 in Shanghai, will shed light on this dynamic, growing Chinese pet market.
Pet Food News
SPF West begins shipping palatability enhancers for petfood
SPF, a developer of palatability enhancers for petfood, officially began commercial operations in its new Guymon, Oklahoma, USA, facility. After several rounds of qualification trials, the company began shipping from Guymon in April.
SPF West opened in Guymon, Oklahoma, USA.
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