Lily's Kitchen begins business with strong start

New UK organic and holistic petfood company Lily's Kitchen has gotten off to a strong start with the turnover already exceeding company expectations and listings secured with major retailers including Harrods, Whole Foods Market and over 350 independent vets and organic food outlets, according to Fresh Business Thinking.

Bil-Jac Foods releases book about company’s founder

Manufacturer of superpremium dog foods and treats Bil-Jac Foods is launching its first book, Feeding Champions: The Story of Bil-Jac, The Life and Passion of Bill Kelly in bookstores nationwide on April 1.
The new book gives a history of dog food in America and the story of founder Bill Kelly’s passion for dog nutrition.

New book about holistic petfood

Mark Poveromo, founder and owner of holistic petfood retailer Thomaston Feed, recently released his book, To Your Dog's Health! Canine Nutrition and Recent Trends Within the Pet Food Industry.
In his book, Poveromo reveals which brands he believes are lacking nutrients, what to look for when reading dog food labels, which processed dog foods he believes are OK to use, why he thinks homemade cooking is the best thing for a dog and more.

Del Monte sponsors BlogPaws 2010

Del Monte petfood brands Meow Mix and Kibbles 'n Bits will be presenting sponsors of BlogPaws 2010, a pet blogger conference.
Other sponsors of the event include PurinaCare, PetSmart, Wellness and others, according to MediaPost.

IN Pet Supplements fights against knockoffs in China

Scott Brown, president of IN Pet Supplements, recently discovered his line of pet supplements is being replicated by illegitimate businesses in China’s growing pet market.
In response, IN Pet Supplements is fighting back against the IN impersonators by partnering with Midas Pet Foods to educate the Chinese consumers and retailers about the presence of imitation products and how to tell the difference between real products and knockoffs.

Nulo gains capital, readies to sell products over summer

A new Austin, Texas, USA, petfood company, Nulo Inc., raised US$1.3 million this month through investors, although executives are offering few details about their plans, according to the Austin Business Journal.
Nulo CEO Michael Landa only revealed that it is a startup and officials are busy launching its product.
The company was founded in August 2009, and according to a job posted by Nulo, its products will include all-natural dog and cat foods.

See Petfood-Connection on your smart phone

A Web App has been released that let’s you easily view Petfood-Connection.com on your smart phone, such as a Droid or iPhone. The service is free, and quick and easy to set up. To get started, go to m.petfood-connection.com using the Web browser on your mobile device. Once there, you save the address on your device.

To add to the iPhone’s home screen:
Tap on the ‘Plus’ button located at the bottom of your Safari browser and select ‘Add to Home Screen.’

To add to the Android’s home screen:
Bookmark the page
Long-press Bookmark
Select ‘Add Shortcut to Home.’

Holistic Select shares puppy nutrition info

In recognition of National Puppy Day on March 23, Holistic Select staff veterinarian Dr. Al Townshend shared nutrition advice to new puppy owners.
Among his advice, Townshend recommended petfood supplemented with DHA to support the development of nervous tissue and visual function; advised owners to consider the nutritional needs of the pet’s breed; and discouraged the overuse of ‘people food’ as pet treats since they don’t meet pet’s nutritional needs.

Hill’s donates £30,000 to UK veterinary students

Undergraduates at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham will be able to get financial help over the next three years from a fund set up by Hill’s Pet Nutrition worth £30,000 (US$45,800). The pet industry donation will be doubled over that period through the UK Higher Education Match Funding Scheme.

Halo works with USPS to promote stamp

Halo, a producer of holistic pet care products, is working with the United States Postal Service to promote its 2010 social awareness stamp, “Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet.”
The company and its co-owner Ellen DeGeneres plan to donate 1 million meals of Halo Spot’s Stew to shelter pets awaiting adoption in celebration.

Cargill uses YouTube video to promote petfood donation

After teaming with The Pet Project to donate a truckload of petfood to an area food bank in January, Cargill Animal Nutrition is raising awareness for needy pets with a video campaign.
The company has posted a short video on YouTube of the January donation that delivered 38,000 pounds of petfood to Second Harvest Heartland. Cargill’s goal is to get 10,000 views before April 30 and celebrate by donating another load of petfood to help pet owners during tough times.

Study finds digestibility of carbohydrate sources for dogs

A digestibility study conducted by São Paulo State University scientists determined the nutritional value of various ingredients for dog foods. Eight adult dogs were housed in metabolic cages, and distributed into 8 × 8 Latin square experimental design, with eight diets and eight replicates per diet. The difference, or substitution method was used to estimate ingredient digestibility.
A reference diet was formulated based on nutritional requirements of dogs. For each test diet, 300 g/kg of the reference diet was replaced with the ingredient evaluated. All the diets were extruded.

University researchers test new diet for feline bladder disorders

A team of researchers from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University is hopeful that its new diet will help cats dissolve certain bladder stones and prevent future occurrences and help prevent a disorder known as feline idiopathic cystitis, in which cats suffer from bladder inflammation.
John Kruger, PhD, a professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, is leading the four separate clinical studies on the new commercial diet funded by a leading petfood manufacturer.

Wagg unveils scented advertisement for dogs

UK petfood manufacturer Wagg Foods has developed the first dog food advertisement that smells of its product’s meaty aroma.
The billboard, which depicts a bowl of dog treats, is scented with a customized aroma that Wagg researchers have developed after studying dogs’ preferences.
If it proves popular with dogs when it is unveiled at a number of London locations, the company plans to roll out the advertisements across the UK.

Study finds cat, dog obesity increasing

In the US, over 45% of dogs and 58% of cats are now estimated to be overweight or obese according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. The third annual National Pet Obesity Awareness Day Study, conducted in October 2009, found that from 2007 to 2009, the number of overweight dogs and cats increased by 2% and 5%, respectively.
“Pet obesity is now the biggest health threat to pets in the US,” said lead researcher Dr. Ernie Ward. “The costs of obesity in illness and injury make it the number one medical issue seen in today’s veterinary hospitals.”

Vet’s new book discusses commercial petfood

Veterinarian Ernie Ward’s new book Chow Hound looks at processed petfoods and urges people to learn more about what they're feeding their dogs.
In his book, Ward explains how commercial foods are produced, what they're made up of and how they're regulated, according to Paw Print Post.

Ark Naturals CEO urges owners to care for pets’ vision

In support of March as Save Your Vision Month, Susan Weiss, a national pet heath expert and CEO of Ark Naturals, is urging owners to acknowledge the importance of pet vision health.
Given the large number of family pets affected by vision issues, Weiss and vet organizations nationwide are challenging pet owners to become more proactive in helping prevent pets from developing more serious eye issues.

Everything you've ever wanted to know about pet nutrition ... don't be afraid to ask!

Nutrition, as we know, is the foundation for all the many new products and innovations developed in our industry. And many of you are involved with pet nutrition as part of your daily work, either directly or peripherally. That means you undoubtedly have questions from time to time for which you can't easily or readily find the answers.
What if you had an entire panel of nutrition experts to turn to? That will happen on April 15 during Petfood Workshop: Hands-on Nutrition in Chicago. You can ask any question you'd like of five nutritionists:
* Greg Aldrich, PhD, Pet Food & Ingredient Technology;
* Brittany Vester Boler, PhD, University of Illinois;
* Serge Boutet, Mondou Ltd.;
* Kerry Cramer, PhD, Trouw Nutrition; and
* Thomas R. Willard, PhD, TRW Consulting.
In fact, you can participate ahead of time by sending your questions now. Simply add a comment to this post or send an e-mail to dphillips@wattnet.net.
And be sure to register for Petfood Workshop. You'll receive a 20% discount if you also register for Petfood Forum 2010, April 12-14.

FDA investigating allegedly dangerous dog treat

The US Food and Drug Administration said it is looking into complaints about the Real Ham Bone for Dogs that has reportedly caused serious illness or death in dogs.
The smoked pig femur sold as a dog treat is distributed by Dynamic Pet Products, according to The Associated Press.

China aims to restrict imported petfood

China’s State Council recently released the revised draft of the Administrative Rules of Feed and Feed Additives to address the issue of melamine contamination in petfood in the country.
However, the legislation explicitly aims to restrict the direct sale of imported petfood and feed additives by foreign enterprises and individuals. This, and other restrictions included in the draft on foreign suppliers, has more to do with protecting state-owned enterprises than enhancing petfood safety, according to China Research Intelligence.

Japanese pet population increases, petfood ads decrease

In 2009, the Japan pet population grew to 13.6 million dogs and 11.3 million cats, a 9 and 29% increase respectively from 2004, according to the Japan Pet Food Association. But while the number of Japanese pets continues to rise, ATL advertising has decreased in the country.
Last year, Master Foods Japan spent one-tenth of what it spent a decade earlier on advertising, according to in-house data from McCann Erickson Japan.
Ichiro Hata, group account director at McCann Erickson Osaka, told Haymarket Media Limited the reason for the drop.
“After the [March 2004 recall of Pedigree dog food], the consumer psychology changed,” said Hata. “Makers of mid-quality petfood … cut back on advertising. Sales of petfood shifted toward the premium and low ends.”

Petfood Forum Asia draws professionals from throughout region

More than 100 petfood professionals from throughout Asia-Pacific, as well as several countries in Europe, attended Petfood Forum Asia 2010 on March 3 in Bangkok, Thailand, to learn from industry experts about the market, pet nutrition and key processing and safety issues.
Attendees representing 19 countries received data and insights from Jean-Jacques Vandenheede of AC Nielsen Europe on the quickly recovering and growing consumer packaged foods market, including petfood. George C. Fahey, PhD, of the University of Illinois and David Thomas, PhD, of Massey University in New Zealand both shared research on cat nutrition (fiber sources and nutraceuticals, respectively), while Anton C. Beynen, PhD, of Vobra Special Pet Foods in the Netherlands presented his case for breed-specific vs. all-breed and all-lifestage foods for dogs.
In addition, Jim Mann of Kemin Nutrisurance explored the nutrition, palatability and safety aspects of biogenic amines in petfoods. Galey Rokey of Wenger Manufacturing explained how processing and hardware impact petfood safety, and Enzhi (Michael) Cheng, PhD, and Will Henry of Extru-Tech Inc. covered critical processing issues for saving energy and money.
Petfood Forum Asia, held for the second time, occurred in conjunction with Victam Asia, which drew key global petfood and feed suppliers and professionals to its three-day trade show. Both Petfood Forum Asia and Victam Asia are scheduled to be held again in 2012.

Column: Meat pet diets impact environment

In The Green Lantern, a weekly environmental column, author Nina Shen Rastogi debated the impact of the carnivorous diets of pets on the environment.
She contended that the process of pets consuming offal that humans would not eat recycles animal parts while on the other hand, it takes resources like feed, land, fertilizer to produce such meat.
Her suggestions to pet owners on how to cut back their pets’ carbon paw print were to reduce the pets’ consumption of meat and/or feed pets with leftover human food, like meat and vegteables that would otherwise be thrown away.

Report: Pet industry to continue growth

The U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2010-2011: Tapping into Post-Recession Pet Parent Spending from Packaged Facts predicts that the pet industry will rise from US$53 billion in 2009 to over US$70 billion in 2014.
Strong demand will be seen for products and services that both enhance pet health and pampering as demand begins to kick in during 2010.

What do executives think about petfood safety? Send your questions!

You can find out--and join the discussion--if you attend Petfood Forum 2010, where industry executives will participate in a roundtable: Why issafety the most critical issue for the petfood industry?
Starting at 10:45 on Tuesday, April 13, the panel will include:
* Lafe Bailey, VP of Wenger Manufacturing;
*Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute;
* Jill Franks, director of scientific and regulatory affairs in R&D for Mars Petcare US;
* Greg Kean, VP of product development and quality assurance for WellPet;
* Jim Marsden, PhD, regents distinguished professor, food safety and security, Kansas State University; and
* Angele Thompson, PhD, president of Thompson Pet Tech.
They will discuss petfood safety from a strategic perspective; technical sessions during the conference will address specific safety processes and protocols.
You can participate in the discussion by posting questions for the panel members in response to this discussion thread or e-mailing them to dphillips@wattnet.net.
And don't forget to register for Petfood Forum! (If you also register for the follow-up symposium, Petfood Workshop: Hands-on Nutrition, you'll save up to 20% off the Workshop registration.)

Canidae’s pet blog celebrates first anniversary

Canidae Pet Foods Inc.’s Responsible Pet Ownership blog recently celebrated its first anniversary.
The daily blog began as a way for Canidae to help dedicated owners learn everything they need to know about pet care, including proper petfood nutrition, grooming, training, exercise and health and behavioral issues.

CRN, GOED and fish oil company say nothing is wrong with product

In response to the lawsuit filed against fish oil supplement manufacturers and retailers due to alleged polychlorinated biphenyl contamination, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Global Organization for EPA and DHA omega-3s and the Omega Protein Corp. are assuring consumers that the lawsuit is unfounded.
CRN said the information disclosed during the announcement of the lawsuit “danced around the details,” and offered “a lack of specificity … about the levels of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds found in the fish oil products that were tested.”
Adam Ismail, executive director of GOED, said his organization has “complete confidence in the safety of the fish oil supplement market, which has been validated through multiple third-party reviews by industry watchdogs on thousands of products.”
Omega Protein Corp., a producer of omega-3 fish oil and specialty fish meal products, said it disagrees with the plaintiffs, including methods of measuring PCBs, the level of PCBs at which a warning would be required, testing protocols, and applicable industry standards.

FDA recalls hydrolyzed vegetable protein products

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein paste and powder after the agency confirmed the presence of Salmonella in the manufacturer’s processing equipment.
Basic Food Flavors Inc., the producer of the recalled products, posted a complete list of the items affected by the recall on its website.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said no illnesses or deaths have been reported.

Nature’s Variety expands raw petfood recall

Nature’s Variety expanded its voluntary recall to include all Chicken Formula and Organic Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats with any “Best If Used By” date on or before 2/5/11.

Fish oil supplement makers face lawsuit over contamination

A lawsuit recently filed in California, USA, claims some fish oil capsules sold as health supplements have illegally undisclosed and unnecessary high levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds.
The lawsuit names eight makers and sellers of fish oil, shark oil, fish liver oil and shark liver oil supplements that have PCB contamination above the so-called “safe harbor” limits set for human PCB consumption under California’s Proposition 65. That law requires consumers to be warned about such exposures.

Dogswell’s charity event raises money for pet foundation

Natural petfood company Dogswell reported that its first WAG Awards was a success, raising US$6,600 to support Four Legged Friends Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers financial support and education for animals and their guardians.
The charity event was hosted by actress/comedian Debra Skelton, and honored inspiring animals and rescuers.

Organic petfood to see more sales growth than organic human food

"Natural" and organic petfood sales are expected to hit US$2.6 billion by 2014, up from about $1.7 billion in 2009, according to the Boston Globe.
Human organic food sales are not seeing the same growth and actually declined 0.3% in 2009, market research firm Mintel International Group estimated.
One possible reason for the increased organic petfood sales is that owners are willing to scale back on their own food during the recession in order to pay a premium for their pets’ food.

Stella & Chewy’s offers extra security against petfood contamination

Raw petfood company Stella & Chewy's has developed a patent-pending SecureByNature system to guard against food contamination throughout the manufacturing plant.
A key component of this system is the hydrostatic high pressure process – a technology that eliminates harmful pathogens without cooking out vital nutrients or changing the natural taste, according to Stella & Chewy's.
To verify the efficacy of the company's food safety techniques, each batch is tested by an independent laboratory for Salmonella and E. coli before packaging.

Pet snack bars, pet beverages to be opportunities in 2010

Euromonitor International’s Emily Woon, head of global pet care research, examined how manufacturers are reinventing the very nature of their offerings to pet owners.
One product type gaining interest is pet snack bars, which have the potential to represent the future of healthier dog and cat treats.Another area of increasing focus in 2010 is pet beverages. Woon mentioned pet beverages such as K9 Water, PetRefresh and Whiskas Cat Milk and recommending turning to the human soft drinks industry for guidance and inspiration.

All American Pet launches snack bar

The All American Pet Co., maker of super-premium Grrr-nola Natural Dog Food, recently launched its Grrr-nola Food Bar – the first snack bar specifically targeted at pets.

Global spending on pet supplies pushes US$77 billion

Worldwide spending in 2009 on pet industry supplies totals to €56.8 billion (US$76.9 billion), according to Euromonitor International.
Europe’s total spending of €21.7 billion (US$29.4 billion) has allowed it to overtake North America by €400 million (US$541 million) more in sales.
Click to see the graph breakdown of spending by continents.

Take this survey and you could win free registration to Petfood Forum 2010

We've heard from petfood professionals around the globe regarding sustainability in our industry. 30% say their organizations have adopted sustainable practices "to a large extent;" 34% say "to a moderate extent." And, according to 44% of respondents say the petfood industry has gone about as far as most other consumer product industries in adopting sustainable practices. Tell us what you think! Please voice your opinion by 5 March 2010. All who submit a completed questionnaire will be eligible to win a free registration to Petfood Forum 2010 to be held in Chicago.
Click on this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QNX5WYB or copy it into your browser today.

AFIA hosts Feed Industry Institute conference

Every two years, the American Feed Industry Association’s Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Committee hosts the Feed Industry Institute, a four-day event of educational programming about all aspects of the feed industry.
Topics covered at this year’s FII include animal nutrition, ingredients, distribution and quality. The event will be at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, June 14-17. Visit AFIA’s website for more information and to register.

Proposed California petfood tax to fund animal abuser registration

The Animal Legal Defense Fund and Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez recently proposed legislation that would require California law enforcement to begin formally registering people convicted of animal cruelty or abuse.
Anyone convicted of a felony involving animal cruelty would be required to provide detailed personal information and a photograph to be posted online, according to The Monterey County Herald.
The funding for the proposed program is to come from a 2-3 cent tax on petfood, according to KFSN-TV.

Cat food controls cane toads in Australia

Cane toads, which secrete poison that kills pets and wildlife and injures humans, prompted several initially unsuccessful campaigns to wipe them out in Australia. However, scientists have discovered that just a dollop of cat food could stop the toads.
The cat food attracts Australia's carnivorous meat ants, which swarm over and eliminate baby toads, killing 70% of them, according to the Herald Sun.