15 fun and fascinating pet food flavor facts
February 1, 2023 – Debbie Phillips-Donaldson
Flavor and palatability are key components of a pet food formulation. After all, if the intended end consumer (a cat or dog) won’t eat it, all the nutrition and functionality packed within it won’t matter a bit. Most pet food professionals know enough about pet food flavor to help them understand its importance; for formulators, R&D experts or others tasked with developing a pet food product, they know and understand even more about the science and art of palatability.
Navigating the pet food supply chain in 2023
February 8, 2023 – Debbie Phillips-Donaldson
The good news is that the pet food and pet care industries keep growing. The not-so-good news is that makes them inherently vulnerable to continuing supply chain disruptions, according to Worth Turner, CEO of Custom Veterinary Services, a pet supplement manufacturer. “Supply chain changes aren’t going to stop,” he said, speaking during the American Feed Industry Association’s 2023 Pet Food Conference on January 24, 2023. “They’re inherent in a growth market,” he added, after citing the global market’s size, growth rate and “strong fundamentals” of having a 67% household penetration rate and 73% humanization level.
Smucker sale of pet food brands another sign of active M&A
February 13, 2023 – Debbie Phillips-Donaldson
With J.M. Smucker’s recent sale of most of its pet food and treat brands—including iconic names like 9Lives, Kibbles n’ Bits and Gravy Train—it sent the brands on the next turn of their roller-coaster ride and raised further questions about whether a pet food business can work within a human food conglomerate.
AI identifies 6 pet food trends for 2023, but unoriginal
February 13, 2023 – Tim Wall
Since the dawn of the industrial age, from steel-driving John Henry to Matrix-busting Neo, writers have crafted stories about heroes who rage against the machines designed to replace us. Artificial intelligence may be the next device to threaten our livelihoods, or it could be the next tool to simplify our lives. As a writer, I wondered if artificial intelligence could steal my job. Sticking with the Matrix metaphor, that makes OpenAI’s ChatGPT the Agent Smith to my Mr. Anderson. To test ChatGPT’s capacity for muscling in on my turf, I asked the program to write about pet food trends in 2023.
Ongoing pet food inflation feeds into consumer uncertainty
February 22, 2023 – Debbie Phillips-Donaldson
Will we or won’t we? End up in a recession, that is. As overall inflation begins to decline in the U.S. and other markets, and the labor market remains strong, previous fears that recession was almost inevitable seem to be waning. Or, if one happens, the current consensus is that it could end up being milder than initially forecast.
