Nutrition: Page 325

Petland on petfoods

Sales of pets are half of Petland's total business. The franchise chain places over 50,000 puppies per year. But recently Petland has been focusing on increasing sales of petfoods and other consumable products. Petfood sales account for about 12% of Petland's total sales, while at Petsmart and Petco, petfood sales are 50% of the total.

Natural Balance rebounds: 3 keys

After the recalls in March 2007, Natural Balance thought it had dodged a bullet because it did not use wheat gluten. Still, the company began setting up Natural Balance Laboratories (NB Labs) to screen for melamine and cyanuric acid. In mid-April, the company was stunned to find two Natural Balance products had been contaminated via rice protein laced with melamine and cyanuric acid.

Natural Balance customers can go online to see the test results for a particular batch of product.

Dead dogs don't eat

Euthanasia is a leading cause of death for dogs. Often pet owners opt for euthanasia due to their dog's behavior problems. Add to that poor training that results in dogs being hit by cars or otherwise killed and it's clear that improper training is a major killer of dogs. Thus, it is in the petfood industry's best interests to promote good dog (and cat) training. Effective training yields a positive bond and a longer life for dogs.

Jon Katz writes a column about dogs for the online magazine Slate. He lives on Bedlam Farm in upstate New York, USA.

A functional petfood future

Consumer awareness of probiotics in human foods is currently high, with active culture dairy products the fastest growing food segment in the US. According to Simmons Market Research Bureau, nearly half of the dog- or cat-owning households in the US seek out natural or eco-friendly products for a total population of 25.1 million pet-owning households. As the natural, holistic and organic segments of petfood gain momentum, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics are becoming buzz words in our industry. But just how will they make petfood products function better?

Products like GLPH-1 from Gourmetcueticals, when used with sport animals, can help reduce the muscle breakdown caused by strenuous exercise and activity.

Pet Food Product Database

Probiotics for cats and dogs

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Pet Food Product Database

Immune booster

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Pet Food Ingredients

Benefiting from novel ingredients

Which novel ingredients can work marketing magic for your brands?

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Top 10 global petfood leaders

After a tumultuous and media-scrutinized year, our industry has seen plenty of changes. Some things, however, remain relatively consistent, like the 10 companies that lead the petfood industry in global sales.

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Fiber focus

There is increasing evidence that dietary fiber is important in maintaining the overall health of dogs and cats. Fiber in petfoods plays a significant role in the prevention and mitigation of several illnesses. Although the contribution of energy from fiber fermentation is minimal in dogs and cats, increasing evidence indicates that this fermentation contributes to their intestinal health.

Colonic villi. Increasing evidence indicates that fiber fermentation contributes to intestinal health.Â©Sebastian Kaulitzki. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

Editorial Notes: Balancing safety, profit and price

Perhaps what we need are ways to use peer pressure to increase the voluntary safety efforts of all companies. Perhaps we need a more effective regulatory presence. Perhaps, if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not get enough funding, we will be forced to rely on voluntary safety regardless of what we want.

Perhaps, if the FDA does not get enough funding from Congress, we will be forced to rely on voluntary safety regardless of what we want.

Analyzing Asian markets

Asia-Pacific contains many emerging markets- such as China, India and Thailand. These markets are characterized by relatively low levels of disposable income and a still developing distribution infrastructure. So, the highly developed Japanese market dominates regional sales. However, the region's developing markets are catching up.

Market Watch: All I want for Christmas is a treat

One of the most popular types of pet gifts is treats. As many as 90% of US dogs receive treats, followed by 82% of birds, 79% of small animals and 69% of cats. On average, dog owners spend US$66 per year on treats.

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