Nutrition: Page 305

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.

Sensient Colors receives food safety, management certification

Sensient Colors LLC, provider of colorings for petfood applications, recently achieved Safe Quality Food 2000 Level 3 certification, making the company able to offer its custom color solutions manufactured under highest levels of safety and quality management standards. Sensient has received third-party certification for risk management plans, manufacturing and distribution, as well as application of comprehensive assessment, screening and analytical testing programs for raw materials and finished products.

Canidae unveils new natural petfood manufacturing facility

Canidae Natural Pet Food Company unveiled its new petfood manufacturing facility named Ethos Pet Nutrition, located in Brownwood, Texas, USA. In March 2011, the company purchased an existing extrusion plant and has spent the last year "...completely re-building the facility to be the most modern natural petfood plant of its kind," according to director of operations, Frank Hon.

SPF opens petfood palatability product manufacturing plant in Canada

SPF, a provider of petfood palatability enhancers, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Saint-Blaise, Quebec, Canada, to extend its production capabilities in North America. In 2011 the company acquired and upgraded a food processing plant in a location with good proximity to raw material suppliers and petfood manufacturers with easy access to the U.S.

Market Breakdown: A global petfood update by region

The world petfood market is worth US$65.8 billion and registered 3.9% growth over 2010, says a recent report by the Italian Pet Food and Pet Care Association (ASSALCO). The spread of a different attitude towards pets, together with increasing international urbanization, has contributed significantly to the increase in the number of pet owners, in turn driving greater demand for petfoods across various regions.

In Europe (taking into consideration Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands), sales have increased in value terms, though to a limited extent: 1.6% in 2011.

Pet Food Market

Finding useful petfood market data

If you rely on data from the US Department of Agriculture on grain crops and prices -- or data on other petfood ingredients -- you may have cause for concern. Possible US federal budget cuts may affect the agency's ability to continue to provide such timely and accurate data, according to Joe Prusacki, director of the statistics division at USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Holistic Select adds new grain-free dog, cat food formulas

Natural petfood manufacturer Holistic Select added new grain-free canine and feline formulas to its diet offerings. The new canine petfood formulas include Grain-Free Adult & Puppy Health Salmon and Anchovy & Sardine Meal Recipe; new feline formulas include Grain-Free Indoor Health/Weight Control Turkey, Chicken and Herring Meals Recipe.

AFIA applauds adoption of feed additive max residue limits

American Feed Industry Association president and CEO, Joel G. Newman, attended recent Codex Alimentarius Commission meetings in Rome, Italy, praising the adoption of scientifically-based maximum residue limits for the feed additive ractopamine as a testament to the commission's focus on food safety and science. “AFIA applauds those nations that voted to uphold the core science-based principles of Codex," said Newman.

Rice industry may benefit from pet humanization trend

The pet humanization trend provides a huge growth market for the US rice industry as pet owners, even during recessionary times, are increasingly purchasing premium and ultra-premium petfoods for their animals, said Jim Heim, president of business development for Central Garden and Pet Inc., at the 113th USA Rice Millers' Association convention. With US$1.8 billion in annual consumer spending in the pet segment, including US$60 billion in global sales of petfood and treats, Heim said that rice is an ideal petfood ingredient because it is nutritious and the least allergenic of all grains.

Online petfood retailer offers new holistic dog food

Pets Plus USA, an online retailer of natural, holistic dog food, recently launched a new selection of Natural Holistic Dog Food in new flavors with added nutrition. The new, Pets Plus Natural Holistic Dog Food uses premium petfood ingredients with no fillers or byproducts.

Petfood manufacturer executive discusses importance of USDA

In a recent webinar series, Paul Hughes, an executive with petfood manufacturer Nestle Purina PetCare, discussed the importance of the US Department of Agriculture in the petfood industry, amid concerns over budget cuts for the department. Hughes provided an analogy relating the importance of an umpire in the game of baseball to the importance of USDA in providing information to the commodity market, on such things as petfood ingredients.

Natural/Organic Pet Food

Petfood product development: good and bad for consumers

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” At the heart of that tried and true saying is the philosophy that nearly every problem can become an opportunity—a concept that businesspeople, including those in our industry, know well.

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