Natura Pet Products expands California Natural dog food line

Natura Pet Products expanded its California Natural grain-free pet food line with the introduction of two new dog food formulas.

Natura's California Natural line now includes the Kangaroo & Red Lentils and Salmon Meal & Peas formulas for dogs.

In addition to the Venison Meal, Lamb Meal and Chicken Meal formulas in the California Natural line, a Kangaroo & Red Lentils formula and Salmon Meal & Peas formula were added for adult dogs. The two new formulas are available in 5 lb., 15 lb. and 30 lb. bags. The dog food can be purchased at independent pet specialty retailers beginning in November 2011.

Petco kicks off National Pet Food Drive on October 30

From October 30 through November 13, Petco and the Petco Foundation will host the second annual National Pet Food Drive to collect pet food and litter donations at stores in the United States.

During the two-week drive, consumers can pick up extra food or litter during their shopping trip or bring unopened cans or bags from home, and drop it into the marked pet food collection bins located in each of the more than 1,100 Petco and Unleashed by Petco stores nationwide. Throughout the drive, Hill's Science Diet will match, pound-for-pound, every bag of dog and cat food donated, up to 100,000 pounds.
"We believe no one should have to give up their pet companions due to financial distress, and our associates and customers agree," said Paul Jolly, the executive director of the Petco Foundation and a Petco vice president. "Last year's drive provided more than 90 tons – that's almost 200,000 pounds – of pet food for families in need; an incredible gift leading into the holiday season and such an easy way for people to help keep pets well-nourished and with the families who love them in tough economic times. We hope to double that this year, so we're asking the communities we serve to give a little extra and help us raise awareness for this important year-round program." 
In addition to the opportunity to donate, Petco has also partnered with VolunteerMatch to give pet lovers around the country an opportunity to volunteer during the petfood drive. Best Friends Animal Society will support the national food drive by mobilizing its nationwide network of volunteers to register for the event and help drive awareness of the program.

To register as a food drive volunteer, visit http://petco.volunteermatch.org/ and select "Petco Foundation Pet Food Drive." Volunteer opportunities are open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the pet food drive.

Pet ownership, pet care spending on the rise in Asia

Asia's aggregate pet population now exceeds 488 million, according to Euromonitor, evidence of the growing trends of pet ownership and pet care spending worldwide.

As people grow wealthier and couples have fewer children, pets become more popular, an article from Forbes says. The article points out that cultural differences affect pet ownership, such as those in Indonesia where many Muslims feel dogs are unclean, but that even in China, pet ownership is rising with 6.6% of households now owning a dog. The largest pet care market is found in Japan, where petfood, grooming and veterinary care were estimated to be worth US$18 billion in 2009. Euromonitor valued the pet market in America to be worth US$48.3 billion at that time.

Western companies like Mars and Nestle not only dominate most European and North American petfood markets, but also markets in Asia. Domestic competitors are emerging in Japan, where infant care and feminine hygiene company Unicharm now highlights its pet division on its website, and in South Korea, where food manufacturer CJ CheilJedang made Forbes' "Fab 50 companies for 2011" list.

NASC Adverse-Event Reporting System minimizes pet, human contamination risks

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a recall on October 6 for Salmonella contamination in Thumb Oilseed’s soy flour, which is used to manufacture certain animal foods. But, the National Animal Supplement Council's ability to scan thousands of products and ingredients in its NASC Adverse-Event Reporting System allowed NASC to identify 27 products containing soy flour and notify the eight companies selling these products with specific instructions on how to check the ingredient with raw material suppliers.  

“Entering products and ingredients into NAERS is required for all NASC members,” said Bill Bookout, president of NASC. “All member products are entered into the system so both products and ingredients can be specifically tracked to individual companies. If there is an issue, we can help specifically identify potential problems directly to the individual product SKUs.”
NASC says responses were received from all eight companies with updates and next steps within the same day, helping to minimize the risk to humans and animals.
“It’s a huge accomplishment for the animal health supplement industry, but it’s also one of our most important achievements,” Bookout said. “At NASC we believe we should embrace a philosophy of continuous improvement and we constantly strive to improve the quality of animal health supplements sold to consumers for the benefit of their companion animals.”  

Sam's Club launches new pet care product line

Sam's Club's new Simply Right line allows consumers to choose between wet and dry foods for their dogs.

Sam's Club recently launched a new pet care product line called Simply Right, available at its stores and online.

The pet care line includes eight petfoods, such as the Complete Nutrition cat and dog foods, and two Exceed dog food formulas, with a number of wet dog foods. The Simply Right line also includes a pet bed and a pet chaise lounger.
The new line will replace the company's Member's Mark pet care products.

Zuke's expands Dog and Cat Cancer Fund pet food retailer program

The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund, a nonprofit created by Zuke’s Performance Pet Nutrition founder, Patrick Meiering and his brother, Chris, to help make cancer treatment for pets affordable, is expanding its “Round Up at the Register” program for retailers.

The program helps increase awareness of this financial resource among pet stores and pet store customers who have encountered cancer in a pet or who may be in need of assistance in the future. “Round Up at the Register” provides pet parents with information about the fund, while also collecting donations to support the organization's work. The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund provides brochures and register displays for the promotional period free of charge.
“Partnering with nonprofits that work on behalf of pets builds a stronger, more loyal relationship with customers, resulting in lasting goodwill and increased revenues,” says Chris Meiering, president of the organization. “Customers know they are working with a retailer who supports their pet in ways beyond selling products and they are more likely to patronize that store. Retailers are also providing information about a valuable resource for their customers who may have a personal experience with pet cancer.”

Graphic design firm awarded for Lincolnbark pet treat packaging

Lincolnbark's pet treats won two American Graphic Design awards for its colorful packaging.

Bobbye Cochran, president of graphic design firm Bobbye Cochran + Associates, designed the logo and packaging for pet treat company Lincolnbark, earning two American Graphic Design awards from Graphic Design USA.

The 2011 graphic design competition had nearly 9,000 entries, and Cochran's work was among roughly 1,000 pieces selected for special recognition. Winners received an awards certificate and will be published in a printed and online design annual, scheduled for release in early winter 2011. 
“Thanks to Bobbye’s exceptional package design, our Sweet Little Butterpup dog treats are flying off the shelves,” said Lincolnbark’s director of marketing, Michelle Laing. “We receive compliments on our treats and their packaging nearly every day.”

Examiner.com says genetically engineered ingredients often found in cat food

A recent article on Examiner.com discusses the amount of genetically engineered, or genetically modified, GMO, ingredients that may be found in cat foods.

The article cites Justlabelit.org, which says that GE foods are altered at a molecular level in ways that would not otherwise happen naturally, meaning the genetic makeup of plants and animals is altered using DNA molecules from other sources to create a new set of genes that exhibit specific traits. 

Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration does not mandate that foods containing these GMO ingredients be labeled, though the article says that 88% of corn planted, 94% of soybeans planted and 90% of canola used in the US is GE. Unless the cat food is certified organic, corn, along with soy and canola, are the most commonly found GE ingredients in petfood, according to Examiner.com. Derivatives of corn, such as corn gluten, corn oil and corn starch, as well as derivatives of soy, including soybeans, soy protein, soy oil and soy meal, are included in many premium-label and bargain cat foods, the article says.

The article also says Susan Thixton of truthaboutpetfood.com contacted petfood manufacturers to ask if the foods contain GE ingredients. Of the responses she received, the following companies claimed that GE ingredients are not used: Answers Pet Food, The Honest Kitchen, Nature's Logic Pet Food, Nature's Variety Pet Food, Raw Health Pet Food, Red Moon Pet Food and Weruva Pet Food. The companies that said there may be a possibility of GE ingredients in the food were Iams and Blue Seal.

Petco offers new holistic petfood, free pet training seminars

Petco is introducing a new, holistic pet food option in addition to offering free training seminars for pet owners and their pets.

Petco is carrying Nature's Variety Instinct and Prairie diet pet food lines. Instinct offerings include both raw frozen diets and dry, grain-free foods. The company says its Prairie diet uses whole grains and has a high meat content.

Nature's Variety Prairie is also sponsoring free "Family Fun Dog Training Seminars" in October 2011. The 30-minute lessons teach positive training methods and provide participants with a free sample of the Prairie pet food and a coupon for a future purchase.
"We believe that healthier pets and happier people make a better world," says John Sturm, vice president of merchandising for Petco. "The addition of Nature's Variety into our natural food selection, as well as their generous sponsorship of our free training seminars, mean we can continue to provide exceptional products and services to our customers."

AFIA Regulatory Training Short Course concludes

More than 120 people attended the American Feed Industry Association's Regulatory Training Short Course that provided intensive training on how to work as a regulatory professional in the feed, ingredient and pet food industries.

The short course was designed for experienced regulatory directors, allowing them to interact with government officials and develop strategies to tackle the issues impacting their business, with the main focus this year being the Food Safety Modernization Act.
Opening speaker Eric Nelson of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Affairs spoke about compliance and upcoming FSMA inspections. A panel of AFIA members discussed how to prepare for the implementation, with representatives participating from Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, P&G Pet Care, Milk Specialties Global, Kemin AgriFoods North America, SPF North America, Provimi North America and law firm, Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC. 

Kent Kitade of the Association of American Feed Control Officials and FDA-CVM’s Sharon Benz discussed the evolving relationship between the two entities. The AAFCO ingredient review and approval process was also discussed by panelists.

AFIA speakers at the course included president and CEO, Joel G. Newman, vice president of nutrition and feed regulation, Richard Sellers, and director of ingredients and state legislative affairs, Leah Wilkinson. The bi-annual event is planned to next be offered in 2013. 

FDA deputy commissioner to speak at Petfood Forum 2012

Michael R. Taylor, JD, deputy commissioner of foods for the US Food and Drug Administration, has been confirmed as a main speaker for Petfood Forum 2012. With responsibility for the safety of all food in the US, Taylor is spearheading implementation of the new Food Safety Modernization Act and will address how pet food safety fits into the overall food safety picture, plus similarities and differences between human food and petfood safety.

Taylor's colleague, Daniel McChesney, PhD, director of the Office of Surveillance & Compliance for FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine and previously announced as a speaker, will provide specifics on new regulations stemming from FSMA that apply directly to petfood.

Registration is available for Petfood Forum, scheduled April 2-4, 2012, at the Renaissance Schaumburg just west of Chicago, Illinois, USA. If you register by February 1, you can save up to 15%. Save even more by also registering for Petfood Workshop: New Product Development, which will follow Petfood Forum on April 4-5, also at the Renaissance Schaumburg.

FDA delays implementing food import re-examination fees

After critical assessments from a coalition established by FDAimports.com LLC, the US Food and Drug Administration announced it will not initiate the new food import re-examination fee program until some "issues" with the program are resolved.

According to Benjamin England, founder and CEO of FDAImports.com LLC, and its newly established Food Importers and Foreign Food Manufacturer’s Coalition Task Force, these actions represent a major initial victory for small food businesses and food importers. England’s firm, FDAImports.com LLC, launched the coalition after he says he observed that food importers and manufacturers were unaware of the new fees and were unprepared to take action against them.

“This is a step in the right direction and clear evidence that we have FDA’s attention,” said England. “The language FDA is using to discuss the fees and timeline is an indication that they’re getting pushback, that the industry is serious about fighting this.”
On its website, FDA provides a question and answer section regarding the fees, which answers questions regarding what would trigger a reinspection fee, how much money FDA expects to collect from the fees and what can be expected concerning the fees.

FDA says the agency is still evaluating comments received in response to its August 1, 2011 Federal Register notice and due to the complexities involved in the issues, FDA is not in a position to assess import reinspection fees until these issues are resolved and the public is notified. The deadline for comment on this notice is still set for October 31.

“Food importers and manufacturers still have opportunity to voice their opposition to the fee structure and should make sure they do so by joining our coalition,” England said. “This isn’t over yet, but we’re moving in the right direction. The time is right for food importers and manufacturers to speak out loudly now while we have FDA’s attention.”

Virtual Petfood Forum: All you need to know about FSMA and petfood safety

The US Food and Drug Administration is working hard -- and partnering with both the human food and petfood industries -- to meet deadlines and develop regulations and policies in adherence to the Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law in January 2011. The new regulations and rules will include ones encompassing petfood, some for the first time, and the law's deadlines mean many will go into effect within the next year or so. Will your company and facility be ready?

You can find out which regulations will affect you, how you can prepare, what you need to do and when -- all by registering for and participating in Virtual Petfood Forum: Food Safety on October 26. Registration is free, and with this being a completely online event, you can participate from anywhere you and your computer might be: office, home, even a hotel room or airport. (If you can't get online October 26, you can still access archives of the event through January 26, 2012, as long as you have registered.)

Like a traditional trade show, Virtual Petfood Forum will feature exhibitors and sponsors who will have information available to download and personnel ready to chat with you and answer your questions. Plus, you can network with petfood peers from around the world in the networking lounge or via discussion threads in the conference center.

What you will find most valuable, we believe, are the five expert presentations on making safe petfood in today's rapidly changing environment:

• FSMA: a comprehensive overview -- by Jessica Wasserman, president of Wasserman & Associates, a global regulatory expert and former agricultural service executive with the US Department of Agriculture
• Get prepared! A 'how-to' on what to expect and how to deal with FSMA regulations -- by Judi Lazaro, director of customer relations for AIB International, a food safety auditor and auditing expert
• Providing petfood manufacturing safety with HPP -- by Glenn Hewson, VP of global marketing, Avure Technologies, provider of high pressure processing technology and expertise
• FSMA and petfood imports -- by Benjamin England, CEO of FDAImports.com and Benjamin L. England & Associates, a 17-year veteran of FDA 
• GRAS process for safety of petfood ingredients -- George Burdock, PhD, president and founder of the Burdock Group and expert on the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine's generally recognized as safe (GRAS) process for approving new ingredients

If you are responsible for the safety of your company's processing or products, or just need to fill in some gaps in your petfood safety knowledge, you won't want to miss this event. Register today for Virtual Petfood Forum on October 26. Remember, it's free!

PetFoodia.com provides pet food reviews for consumers

PetFoodia.com is a new website that provides reviews of dog food and cat food as well as dog food and cat food coupons. 

The website's pet food reviews come from pet owners and are updated regularly. Additionally, the site answers questions pet owners may have regarding foods that their pets can or cannot eat and pet health, as well as provides questions to ask a veterinarian and coupons for pet food.

Nestle unveils solar panels at Arizona, USA, petfood manufacturing facility

Nestle Purina PetCare unveiled the region's largest private solar panel array at its Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, pet food manufacturing facility.

The 1,900 solar panels, designed and installed by REC Solar, cover more than 70,000 square feet of the rooftop at the petfood manufacturing plant, which the company says will allow it to use Arizona's average of 300 days of sunshine per year to produce emission-free solar electricity.
"The 427-killowatt solar PV system will produce nearly 12 million kilowatt hours of clean, emission free solar electricity over its lifetime," said Cary Hayes, director of business development for REC Solar. "This production volume offsets over 16 million pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to planting more than 40,000 trees." 
To celebrate the launch of the new solar array, Nestle Purina donated a combined US$5,000 to two local two animal welfare providers, Coconino Humane Association and Second Chance Center for Animals.

Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 sets attendance records

PMMI, owner and producer of Pack Expo, reported that Pack Expo 2011 broke event records, with more than 26,000 attendees, 1,559 exhibitors and nearly 630,000 net square feet.

The Expo, which took place in September 26-28, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, reported a 14.8% jump in visitor attendance with 26,084 attendees, compared to the previous show's attendance. International attendance was up more than one-third in 2011, with 4,755 international attendees. Pack Expo also saw a 17.2% jump in exhibitor personnel to 13,186. More than 1,500 companies exhibited at 2011 Pack Expo, an increase over the previous show of 36.7%.
“Simply put, this is the most dynamic show we’ve produced in Las Vegas,” said Charles D. Yuska, PMMI president and CEO. “Record-breaking only begins to describe it. Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 brought integrated processing and packaging innovations to more than 40 vertical markets, including food, beverage, confectionery, pharmaceutical, and baking and snack.”
PMMI attributed the jump in attendance partially to new activities at the 2011 Pack Expo. This includes The Processing Zone, which featured processing innovations. In the Brand Zone, the first Project 2020: The Consumer Experience competition challenged companies to create the "package of the future," an award won by Directions Marketing for its Tri-Tainer pet food packaging concept.

Cesar Canine Cuisine presents Hero Dog Awards in November

The Hero Dog Awards, hosted by Carson Kressley, will air on Hallmark Channel on November 11.

The American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, presented by Cesar Canine Cuisine, will air on Hallmark Channel on Friday, November 11. The inaugural awards event celebrates the special relationship between canines and humans, and recognizes extraordinary acts of heroism performed by ordinary dogs.

More than 400,000 ballots were cast in the search for the winning dogs in eight categories: Law Enforcement and Arson Dogs, Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Military Dogs, Guide Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Hearing Dogs and Emerging Hero Dogs.
Hosted by Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the 90-minute Hallmark Channel special will begin at at 8 p.m. ET/PT. 

Hill's petfood, petMD partner for dog nutrition quiz

In celebration of National Pet Wellness month, Hill's Science Diet Ideal Balance pet food is partnering with petMD for an interactive quiz designed to help pet owners better understand dog nutrition.

During the month of October, pet owners who participate in the survey will receive a rebate for Hill's Science Diet Ideal Balance petfood and will be entered for a chance to win one of four US$2,500 pet retailer gift cards.
"As a practicing veterinarian, I'm always talking to owners about proper dog nutrition," said petMD spokeswoman, Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM. "One of the most important pieces of information I tell them is that you have to look for a food that not only contains wholesome ingredients, but also has the right balance of high-quality carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, fats and oils."

Iams kicks off Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption program

Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption program kicked off its annual adoption drive in partnership with Helen Woodward Animal Center, with the goal of finding homes for 1.5 million orphaned pets.

Iams will also donate 5 million meals to animals in need at adoption and rescue centers through its Bags 4 Bowls program. Iams will donate meals when consumers "Like" the Iams Facebook page as well as when they create and share a holiday card or adoption announcement on the page. The company will also donate meals with the purchase of specially-marked Iams dog or cat food during the duration of the campaign, which runs though January 3, 2012.

"Each year, as many as 4 million orphaned dogs and cats are euthanized due to shelter overcrowding – that is approximately one pet every eight seconds," said Mike Arms, founder of the adoption drive and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. "Since partnering with Iams on the adoption drive 13 years ago, we have really seen the benefit of what this program can do for orphaned animals, and the families who adopt."

Charlee Bear will donate 10 treats for every new Dogbook user to Guide Dogs of America

Charlee Bear Products, a dog treat maker, has teamed up with Dogbook, a virtual and mobile social network for dog lovers, and Guide Dogs of America for the first Web-based “Dogs Helping Dogs” charity giveaway.

Charlee Bear will donate 10 treats to Guide Dogs of America for every new user that joins Dogbook at https://apps.facebook.com/dogbook, with an ultimate goal of donating 100,000 treats. 

“Charlee Bear Products is excited to work with Dogbook on its ‘Dogs Helping Dogs’ giveaway,” says Ava Olsen, brand manager for Charlee Bear. “Our company was founded on the important and wonderful relationship between people and dogs, and working with Guide Dogs of America is a fantastic opportunity to reinforce this bond.”

Eukanuba opens dog, cat event center in Ohio, USA

Eukanuba, a P&G PetCare pet food brand, opened a canine and feline event venue in Wilmington, Ohio, USA, at the Roberts Centre.

The facility has more than 80,000 square feet of unobstructed space and can be used to host both dog- and cat-related activities, such as canine agility, lure coursing, herding, conformation, tracking, flying disc, dock diving, seminars and symposiums, sporting events, grooming competitions and training seminars. The venue also has a restaurant and hotel on-site.
“Eukanuba Hall at the Roberts Centre is an example of our long-term commitment to the breeder-enthusiast community,” said Mabe Rodriguez, vice president and general manager of P&G PetCare Americas. “Eukanuba is a proud partner of the American Kennel Club and look forward to hosting even more AKC sanctioned events at Eukanuba Hall.”

Nestlé Purina pet food TV ad appeals to dogs, owners

Nestlé Purina created  a TV commercial for its Beneful dog food line that uses different sounds to capture the attention of dogs as well as appeal to their owners.

The 23-second commercial was first broadcast in Germany and on the Beneful website during summer 2011 and will also air on Austrian TV.  

“Dogs’ hearing is twice as sharp as humans. They can pick up frequencies which are beyond our range and they are better at differentiating sounds,” said Dr. George Sanders, a nutrition expert and consumer consultant at Nestlé Purina PetCare in Germany.
Using this knowledge, the TV commercial includes different sounds which are likely to be picked up by dogs, such as a squeak, a high-frequency tone similar to a whistle and a "ping." The squeak and "ping" sounds can be heard by both humans and dogs, however the high-frequency whistle tone can barely be heard by humans. 
“The reaction of dogs to the sounds in the commercial depends on how the dog and owner play together, and the dog’s individual experience,” said Dr. Sanders. “Dogs who often play with a squeaky duck as they are running around with their owner will certainly react most strongly to this sound.”

Blackwood's new petfood packaging appeals to women dog owners

Blackwood's redesigned dog food packages have key product information, like the recipe and cooking process, right on the front.

Blackwood Pet Food recently worked with consultancy Ideas that Kick to update its pet food packaging so that it would be easier to for dog owners to find the right food for their dog.

The new dog food packaging is aimed at the dog "mom," with key product information, like protein, fat and fiber content, as well as the recipe and cooking process on the front of the package.
“We leveraged insights into the primary pet caregiver in the home, the ‘dog mom.’ She wants to be more informed about what she’s feeding her dog, so our designs place key nutritional information on the front of the bag in an easy-to-understand format," says Kick account director, Scott Behmer. "Now she can be smarter and feel better about her purchase decision. Plus, our ‘smart bag’ design is a key point of differentiation for the Blackwood brand.” 


In addition, the new packaging has led to a partnership between Blackwood and PetEdge, a distributor of pet-related products, to increase Blackwood's presence in specialty retail stores through out the United States.

HPM launches animal supplement line to benefit animal shelters

Humane Products Marketing Inc. recently entered the pet supplement market with the launch of its first product line, under the name Gimme Shelter.

HPM, a Miami, Florida, USA, for-profit business, was established by the non-profit Humane Society of Greater Miami Adopt-A-Pet. HPM's profits from the sale of its animal-related products are distributed to support the cause of adoption-guarantee shelters.

The Gimme Shelter brand includes three supplements for dogs: Gimme Health, a multi-vitamin; Gimme Beauty, a skin and coat nutraceutical; and Gimme Strength, a hip and joint supplement. The products may be purchased at www.gimmeshelterpet.com.

HPM says it plans to donate more than half of its after-tax profits to participating animal organizations. HPM works with companion-animal organizations that share the adoption-guarantee philosophy of saving all healthy and treatable animals in the organization's care, with euthanasia only reserved for untreatable and unadoptable animals.

VICTAM, FIAAP Asia to show new pet food equipment in February 2012

Two tradeshows for the pet food industry, FIAAP Asia 2012 and VICTAM Asia 2012, will both be held at the BITEC in Bangkok, Thailand, from February 15-17, 2012. 

During FIAAP, companies from around the world will display the latest innovations for specialist ingredients and additives used in the formulation and preparation pet foods, aquafeeds and animal feed. VICTAM complements FIAAP as an event featuring animal feed processing technology. The latest equipment and technologies, including valves, conveyors, elevators, bags and bagging systems, will be on-display for petfood manufacturers to view.

A number of conferences will also be held alongside the exhibitions, including Pet food Forum Asia 2012. Pet food Forum Asia 2012 will be held on February 16, 2012. For more information or to register, please visit www.petfoodindustry.com/PFFAsia2012.aspx 

Stella & Chewy's donates petfood to sick rescue dog

Stella & Chewy's is donating pet food for one year to sponsor Cupid, a sick rescue dog at the ARFhouse in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Cupid, found starving in a Texas, USA, field, was transported to ARFhoouse Chicago where he was taken in by a foster family. Soon after, it was discovered that Cupid was born with two heart conditions: valvular pulmonic stenosis, meaning the valve sending blood to his lungs is deformed so he struggles to pump a healthy amount of blood, and subaortic stenosis, a deformation to the valve that sends blood to his organs. As a result of these conditions, Cupid is suffering a dangerous side effect that causes his cardiac walls to become thicker, making treatment impossible.
Cupid receives four portioned Stella & Chewy's meals per day to help him sustain blood flow to his lungs and other organs. In addition, the company says it has made nearly US$275,000 worth of pet food, treat and monetary donations to animal shelters in 2011.
“It’s important to us to help rescue animals, after all it was my adoptive dogs that inspired me to start Stella & Chewy’s," said Marie Moody, Stella & Chewy’s founder and
president. "We strive to make a difference in the quality of life of our customer’s pets as well as the lives of dogs and cats who are less fortunate.”

UK online pet food retailer launches 'Bottomless Bowl' ordering feature

Online UK pet food retailer PetShopBowl implemented a “Bottomless Bowl” feature on its websites, which is an automated repeat delivery system.

The "Bottomless Bowl" feature allows customers to make a one-time order with their product specifications and frequency requirements. Then, the company says regular pet food shipments are processed and delivered as ordered until canceled, without a contract.

Eurofins to host Environmental Monitoring Workshop for petfood manufacturers

Eurofins will host an Environmental Monitoring Workshop for pet food and feed manufacturers on Tuesday, November 8, at the Hyatt O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, USA.
The workshop will cover ways to mitigate environmental risks like pathogens through improving environmental monitoring systems. Eurofins speakers include Dr. Douglas Marshall, chief scientific officer, and Patricia Wester, director of food safety programs. The workshop will provide attendees with a free environmental monitoring guide.

For more information or to register, visit Eurofins' website.

Pet food container concept wins Project 2020 packaging design contest

At Pack Expo 2011 in Las Vegas, an innovative petfood container concept submitted by Directions Marketing was named the grand prize winner in Project 2020: The Consumer Experience.

Project 2020 challenges the design community to imagine how packaging will drive consumer purchasing decisions in a decade. Designed to bring functionality and recyclability to bulk petfood packaging, the winning container has an interlocking triangular design and uniform size and shape. Accordion-type compression reduces container height as product is dispensed and the container folds flat to be recycled when empty. For consumers, the package features built-in, pop-up handles and resealable lids. For retailers and brand owners, extraneous packaging is reduced and the container has the potential for retail-ready display.
"We named the concept Tri-tainer, and it addresses two main challenges: portability and recyclability," said Jeff Hillis, art director with Directions Marketing. "Current dog food bag packaging is difficult to transport. And, once home, equally as difficult to manage. To make storage and dispensing easier, the food is often transferred from the bag to a separate container. The laminated bag is then thrown out, which causes recycling issues because of the multiple substrates used to make the bag. Tri-tainer solves these problems."
As the grand prize winner, Directions Marketing will receive the Complete Studio Bundle from software partner EskoArtwork. The other nine finalists will receive copies of Studio Designer, EskoArtwork's 3D visualization plug-in for Adobe Illustrator. 

Petfood bank need grows as economy gets worse

The economic situation has worsened for many Americans, contributing to a growing need for more pet food banks in order to keep up with demands for pet food from struggling pet owners, says an article from USA Today. 

The number of animals at shelters and rescues has escalated along with euthanasia rates, while rescue groups struggle to take in and feed the many animals being relinquished. As a result, more pet pantries are emerging and shelters are working to temporarily provide free food to pet owners in financial need who would otherwise be forced to give up their pet. The need for pet food is so great that even some human food pantries are stocking pet food.
Petfood pantry owners, like Ann King of Save Our Pets Food Bank, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, are working more to get petfood donations and distribute those to pet owners who need it most.
"Many people out there imagine the pet crisis has passed," King says. "It most certainly has not. It was dire before, and it has gotten worse."  
King is also part of an alliance, Rescue Bank, that was formed to give other pet food bank owners a chance to come together and strategize ways to get more food, primarily from petfood manufacturers who regularly throw out soon-to-expire or rebranded food. Rescue Bank has already set up 25 distribution partners in several states to allow the group to get the pet food to more places, more frequently, and the group is working toward a goal of 100 partners in the next two years.
In five months, more than 500 non-profit animal welfare and social service agencies have received petfood, and King predicts as many as 750 will receive food and supplies by the end of the year.

Pet Food Institute elects new officers

The Pet Food Institute elected new officers, including Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of pet care at Procter and Gamble, as chairman of PFI.

Rajczak previously served as vice chairman of PFI and succeeds Bob Kelly, president of Bil-Jac Foods. Other officers include Mike Wright, president and CEO of Pro-Pet, as vice chairman; Bud Wright, president and CEO of Texas Farm Products, as treasurer; and Bill Behnken, president and CEO of American Nutrition, as secretary. All officers were elected to serve a one-year term.

SuperZoo 2011 draws record number of exhibitors, attendees

SuperZoo, hosted by the World Pet Association, drew 795 exhibiting companies to the September 2011 pet industry trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, a 15% increase over the previous year's show.

Attendance increased by 19% over the previous year, with 12,197 registered attendees. Together exhibitors and attendees represented 4,715 companies, a 26% increase.
During SuperZoo, the “New Product” awards, voted on by buyers, were given out in eight categories.Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. won third place in the Overall Best in Show category and first place in the Small Animals category for its Quiko Edible Treats. In the Bird category, Kaylor of Colorado won for its Quick n Ready and Sunny Yellow foods. Central Garden & Pet Company won third place in the Miscellaneous category for the Kaytee Hummingbird ElectroNectar drink.

European Pet Food Industry Federation revises pet nutrient guidelines

The European Pet Food Industry Federation, FEDIAF, has revised its nutrient guidelines for dogs and cats. These nutrient guidelines are often used by pet food manufacturers when formulating recipes.  

For the 2011 edition, available for download on the FEDIAF site, the federation collaborated with scientists in the academic world to form the Scientific Advisory Board. The board will advise FEDIAF on how to further improve its guidelines to ensure they reflect the most current scientific data and research.

Crananidin aids in dog health urinary tract maintenance, Nutramax study finds

Nutramax Laboratories Inc. announced results of research that the company says supports the use of its Crananidin chewable tablet product in the maintenance of urinary tract health in dogs.

The study, performed at Rutgers University, Marucci Center for Blueberry Cranberry Research, showed that Crananidin inhibited adhesion of P-fimbriated E. coli in canine urine, according to the company. 
Crananidin contains proanthocyanidins, PACs, which have been shown in previous research to be the bioactive component in cranberry. Cranberry PACs contain a unique A-type linkage instead of the B-type linkage found in many other PAC-containing foods, like grapes and tea. This linkage is believed to contribute to anti-adhesion activity of the PACs. When the PACs inhibit bacterial attachment to the bladder wall, bacteria fail to colonize and are instead voided in the urine, according to Nutramax.
In this study, healthy dogs were administered Crananidin orally at approximately 1 mg/kg of body weight once daily for three weeks. Serial urine samples were collected at various time points throughout the day on days one, three, five, seven and 21, with routine blood work performed to assess product safety. Anti-adhesion activity was noted in urine of all dogs at day five and peaked at day seven with activity maintained throughout the day. Anti-adhesion activity was noted at day 21, again throughout the 24-hour time period, and was still seen three days after Crananidin administration was stopped. There were no clinically significant changes in blood work, Nutramax says.

Colorado, USA natural pet food maker raises US$3.5 million

Only Natural Pet Store LLC, a Boulder, Colorado, USA natural pet food maker and distributor, raised US$3.5 million, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made on September 16, the Boulder County Business Report said.

Only Natural Pet Store CEO Martin Grosjean declined to comment at that time, saying the company will make a detailed announcement in the next few weeks.