Charlee Bear to sponsor pet adoption tour

Charlee Bear Dog Products, maker of the original Charlee Bear Dog Treats and grain-free Bear Crunch Dog Treats, will sponsor FIDO Friendly magazine’s 7th annual Get Your Licks on Route 66 month-long pet adoption tour. The cross-country series of events begins September 11 at the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Riverside, California, USA.
Get Your Licks on Route 66 will visit animal shelters in 15 cities to support adoption events and help shed light on the plight of homeless pets. In its first six years, the tour has assisted in placing more than 3,000 animals with adoptive families. This is the third year that Charlee Bear has sponsored the tour.
 “Charlee Bear is proud to support FIDO Friendly on its annual Route 66 tour of shelters to aid in finding forever homes for pets who are in need,” says Ava Olsen, brand manager for Charlee Bear Dog Products. “Just as our simple, wholesome treats help reinforce the bond between dog and human, the tour brings attention to thousands of animals who so desperately need a loving family. Charlee Bear will continue to support shelters doing important, life-saving work.”

Petco files for initial public offering

Petco Holdings Inc. has filed for an initial public offering of stock. The company indicated it would seek to raise US$100 million, which is likely a placeholder amount that will change.
Petco is coming to the end of a standard hold period by its private backers, Leonard Green & Partners and Texas Pacific Group, which have held it since 2006 when they bought it for US$1.7 billion.
Leonard Green & Partners holds about 38% of the company’s equity, while Texas Pacific Group holds about 47%.
Terms of the offering were not provided, but Petco said proceeds would go to selling shareholders.
The funds raised from the IPO will finance its growth and strengthen its market position.
Petco operates more than 1,400 stores in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. According to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Petco had a profit of US$75.3 million on sales of US$4 billion in its 2014 fiscal year, compared with profits of US$84.8 million and sales of US$3.79 billion the previous year.
According to a recent study by Packaged Facts, Petco and its rival PetSmart together account for 20% of all pet product sales in the US. The two pet retail stores had combined sales of about US$11 billion based on Packaged Facts' estimates, with sales of natural pet products an important factor in the strong performances.

Flexible packaging companies Prolamina, Ampac merge

Wellspring Capital Management L.L.C., a New York-based private equity firm, has created a leading flexible packaging company through the merger of portfolio companies Prolamina Corp. and newly acquired Ampac Holdings L.L.C. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The combined company, which will be headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, will have a strategic geographical footprint and enhanced product offering unparalleled in the industry. Ampac’s range of adhesive lamination, rotogravure printing capabilities and innovative packaging solutions is highly complementary to Prolamina’s cost advantageous extrusion lamination and flexographic printing technology.
John E. Morningstar, a managing partner of Wellspring who leads the firm’s activities in the packaging sector, said: “We are excited about the acquisition of Ampac and the combination with Prolamina to form a clear industry leader. The merger brings together two flexible packing industry leaders both known for innovation, customer service and quality. Both companies, along with their respective management teams, have a proven track record of performance and will pursue a variety of new initiatives to further enhance their product offerings — adding value to their customers’ bottom line and increasing market opportunities.”
Matthew Harrison, a principal of Wellspring, said: “The acquisition of Ampac and its combination with Prolamina reflects the attractiveness of the global packaging industry. We believe there is increasing growth potential in the sector given the shift towards flexible packaging solutions driven by shifting consumer demands. We’ve been pleased to invest in this industry over the past several years and are excited to increase our participation through this expanded platform, which will serve broad and diverse markets.”
Greg Tucker, CEO of Prolamina, will assume the role of CEO for the merged company. Tucker said: “The combination of Prolamina and Ampac’s complementary capabilities and assets will enable the combined company to reach new levels of success, establishing it as a leader in the global packaging industry. I’m honored to lead a company with over 2,000 dedicated team members and 16 facilities worldwide with exceptional manufacturing scale to meet the growing needs of our valued customers. We are committed to providing creative packaging solutions, industry-leading customer commitment and award-winning innovation in a diverse global marketplace.”
Alvarez & Marsal Capital Partners participated in the transaction as a direct investor in the combined business. Certain members of the management team have also invested additional capital in the transaction alongside Wellspring.
William Blair acted as the lead financial adviser, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison L.L.P. and Jones Day acted as legal counsel to Wellspring.
 Lincoln International acted as the lead financial adviser to Ampac Holdings L.L.C.

3 pet food updates for the week ending August 24

1. Petco files for initial public offering: Petco Holdings Inc. has filed for an initial public offering of stock. The company indicated it would seek to raise US$100 million, which is likely a placeholder amount that will change.
2. Flexible packaging companies Prolamina, Ampac merge: Wellspring Capital Management L.L.C., a New York-based private equity firm, has created a leading flexible packaging company through the merger of portfolio companies Prolamina Corp. and newly acquired Ampac Holdings L.L.C. Financial terms were not disclosed.
3. Charlee Bear to sponsor pet adoption tour: Charlee Bear Dog Products, maker of the original Charlee Bear Dog Treats and grain-free Bear Crunch Dog Treats, will sponsor FIDO Friendly magazine’s 7th annual Get Your Licks on Route 66 month-long pet adoption tour. The cross-country series of events begins September 11 at the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Riverside, California, USA. 

Survey examines US pet food spending

A recent Nielsen survey conducted by Harris Poll looked at how much money Americans spent on pet food in the past year. The English-language survey polled 2,205 US adults, 1,323 of whom have at least one pet.
Some of the survey findings:
US pet food spending

• Dog food: US$9.5 billion, US$2.6 million of which is spent on treats
• Cat food: US$4.9 billion, US$476 million of which is spent on treats
• Bird food: US$571 million
• Other pet food: US$115 million
• Fish food: US$60 million

US pet spending, non-food

• Cat litter: US$1.8 billion
• Dog control: US$250.1 million
• Litter supplies: US$136.3 million
• Bowls: US$66.8 million
• Houses and carriers: US$60.5 million
• Brushes: US$11.2 million
• Aquatic supplies: US$4.7 million

Company sheds light on stored product insects

McCloud Services, a leading pest management company servicing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio and Wisconsin, is generating awareness on stored product insects (SPIs) and the threat they cause to grain-based foods, especially pet foods. Common SPIs include indianmeal moth, warehouse beetles and cigarette beetles and they live in the food they are eating. If populations grow, they can be difficult to control.
According to McCloud Services, pet stores and the pet section of retail stores have a huge challenge on their hands as a large majority of their product is grain-based pet food, which is highly susceptible to SPIs. SPIs can be difficult to detect as they are very small, typically 1/8” to 1/4” long.
“Grain-based stored product foods, such as dog food, are vulnerable to pest populations from the moment it was created in the food processing plant, to the moment it is used. At any point along the food’s ‘life,’ it can be infested,” said Anna Getchell, operations process manager at McCloud Services.
Mitigating the risk can seem overwhelming by considering the path the food takes and all the points in which it’s vulnerable to SPIs, from the manufacturer and transporter, to the retail store and ultimately the consumer.
“Sanitation, exclusion and monitoring are all very important for prevention. SPIs don’t need much food in order to survive, just a handful of dog food trapped behind a pallet rack leg can house a population of warehouse beetles for months. Pheromone-based monitoring tools are typically the most effective, quickly letting us know if there’s a population that needs to be controlled. Looking at their environment is also important, such as the temperature and shelf life of the product as well,” added Getchell.
 McCloud Services discusses the severity of SPIs and prevention methods in its white paper “Keeping Pet Food from Becoming Pest Food,” detailing the journey pet food takes through its life, how it becomes susceptible to stored product pests and ways to mitigate the risk including sanitation, exclusion, monitoring, temperate controls, shelf life and other prevention methods.

Apply for Alltech’s Career Development Program

The world could be at the fingertips of students from around the world through the fourth annual Alltech Corporate Career Development Program. Now accepting online applications from Aug. 17 to Sept. 30, Alltech invites recent graduates of bachelor’s or master’s degree programs to apply for the program, which will begin in February for the 2016 group.
Exciting opportunities are available for 10 high-caliber university graduates hoping to work with experts in the fields of science, aquaculture, agriculture, marketing, sales, veterinary science, information technology, business and biotechnology. Alltech aims to develop future leaders in the agricultural industry and values long-term talent development through the Alltech Corporate Career Development Program, which started in 2012. The animal health and nutrition company has a presence in 128 countries globally and is set to grow into a $4 billion business within the next several years.
“This is a life-changing opportunity for recent graduates to interact with colleagues from other countries, develop both their technical and interpersonal skills, and share their fresh ideas,” said Dr. Aoife Lyons, director of educational initiatives for Alltech. “Previous Career Development Program members have worked in variety of areas, including internal auditing for Latin America, coordinating Alltech educational initiative efforts and developing the crop science market in Germany. We strive to match successful applicants’ interests with Alltech’s global needs.”
The 12-month, salaried mentorship program will begin with an intensive training period at Alltech’s global headquarters in Nicholasville, Kentucky, USA, where graduates will study topics including sustainable energy, communications, marketing and international business. After this, they will continue training and development while simultaneously managing key company projects in one of the company’s global offices, guided and mentored by senior management.
Cody Hutchins of the United States was accepted into the program last year and is now working in Beijing, China, on multiple projects. One of these is a new partnership with five leading companies to create a sustainable pork farm. He is also assisting with a business strategy for the aquaculture and algae markets in China.
“My experience in Alltech has been amazing, and I am continually impressed with the passionate culture that makes the company thrive,” Hutchins said. “Alltech does a great job of empowering individuals to act quickly on opportunities, and the result is a fast-paced, fun and exciting environment. If you want to join in solving some of the world’s most challenging issues, while traveling and learning by experience, definitely apply for this program.”
 Interested graduates are invited to apply during the application window of Aug. 17-Sept. 30 via the Alltech Career Development Program website. Applicants should be strong team players, with excellent communication skills and fluent in English, with another language as an added advantage.

AFIA adds new certifying body for FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) recently added SGS North America as a certifying body for FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food. SGS is the fourth certifying body recognized by AFIA to complete FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food audits.
"We are excited to add a well-recognized company such as SGS North America as a certifying body for facilities seeking FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food certification," said Henry Turlington, AFIA director of quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs. "This addition to the certifying bodies already offered -- Eurofins, NSF International, and Validus -- provides our members and the total feed industry with a variety of choices for optimal food and feed safety."
FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food is administered by the Safe Quality Food Institute and is designed primarily for North American feed manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. The program promotes the fundamentals for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.
"FSC36 is designed to help the industry prepare for the changes accompanied by the Food Safety Modernization Act," Turlington added.
SGS also completes the other Safe Feed/Safe Food certifications: FSC34 Manufacture of Animal Feeds; FSC32 Manufacture of Pet Food; and International Safe Feed/Safe Food. The certifying body is a world leader with 130 years of experience in food safety audits and certifications around the world and supports audits and certifications in a variety of quality and food safety systems in multiple industries.
 AFIA's Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program was launched in 2004 to promote quality and feed safety within the feed industry. The program is beneficial to both feed manufacturers and feed ingredient suppliers.

Study: Pet food particle size can affect digestibility

The Association for Pet Obesity says 53% of dogs and 58% of cats in the US are overweight, and 90% of pet owners don’t know their pets are overweight.
A recent study found that pet food particle size can affect digestibility. In the study, 54 beagles were fed maize, rice or sorghum in fine, medium or coarsely ground nuggets. Size made a difference in the maize and sorghum nuggets, but not rice.
Researchers said: “if properly processed, maize and sorghum are as easily digested as rice-based food,” and that dog food companies should examine reducing particle size.
The research found rice is easily digested and the processing doesn’t matter as much. But maize and sorghum are "dependent on a proper raw material particle size and need to be appropriately extruded to produce highly digestible foods."
A problem in the extrusion process is that most pet food manufacturers “have only one grinding condition for all recipes, and do not change the extrusion size based on the type of cereal used.”

10 pet food updates for the week ending August 17

Check out what's been happening in the pet food industry in the past week:

1. Northwest Farm Food Cooperative recalls cat food: Northwest Farm Food Cooperative of Burlington, Washington, USA, is voluntarily recalling frozen raw Cat Food with the code Jul12015B due to their potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

2. Eurofins, AFIA partner to provide industry training: Eurofins Food Safety Systems and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) have signed an agreement to provide co-branded public training for the animal feed and pet food industries.

3. Register for Innovation Workshop, Pet Food Experience: Registration for this fall’s collaborative Petfood Innovation Workshop and Kansas State’s Pet Food Experience has been opened.

4. Nestle sales down from last year, meet expectations: Nestle announced lower revenue growth in the first half of 2015, compared with last year.

5. Study: Pet food particle size can affect digestibility: The Association for Pet Obesity says 53% of dogs and 58% of cats in the US are overweight, and 90% of pet owners don’t know their pets are overweight.

6. AFIA adds new certifying body for FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food: The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) recently added SGS North America as a certifying body for FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food. SGS is the fourth certifying body recognized by AFIA to complete FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food audits.

7. Apply for Alltech’s Career Development Program: The world could be at the fingertips of students from around the world through the fourth annual Alltech Corporate Career Development Program.

8. Friskies teams up with cat stars for a cause: Famous felines Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat will join cat lover and WWE star Natalya Neidhart in unveiling the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen, where cats and Friskies foods will go head-to-head in a truly unique way.

9. Company sheds light on stored product insects: McCloud Services is generating awareness on stored product insects (SPIs) and the threat they cause to grain-based foods, especially pet foods.

10. Survey examines US pet food spending: A recent Nielsen survey conducted by Harris Poll looked at how much money Americans spent on pet food in the past year. The English-language survey polled 2,205 US adults, 1,323 of whom have at least one pet.

Nestle sales down from last year, meet expectations

Nestle announced lower revenue growth in the first half of 2015, compared with last year.
Sales for the first half were CHF42.8 billion (US$43.8 billion), with 4.5% organic growth and 1.7% internal growth.
“The first half results were in line with our expectations, broad-based across categories and geographies, solid even in difficult circumstances, and consistent with our strong performance over time. … This allows us to confirm the outlook for the full year,” said Paul Bulcke, CEO.
In North America, the company’s pet care segment showed good growth, in spite of the negative effects of the Beneful case. Among the drivers were Fancy Feast cat food, the Pro Plan platform for dog food, and cat litter.
The company said pet care continued to be a growth driver for Latin America and will benefit from new production capacity in Argentina and Mexico. Growth in Eastern Europe was strong, driven by pet care and other product lines.
For the first half of the year, Nestle’s pet care segment saw sales of CHF5,465 million (US$5,594 million).
In February 2015, a California man filed a class action lawsuit against Nestle Purina Petcare Co., alleging unsafe petfood manufacturing and distribution. The plaintiff claimed that Purina’s Beneful dog food injured his three dogs. He claimed Purina added propylene glycol, an automotive antifreeze component, to Beneful. Lucido says two of his dogs suffered and one of his dogs died after ingesting Beneful beginning January 15, 2015. Nestle has called the lawsuit baseless.

Friskies teams up with cat stars for a cause

Famous felines Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat will join cat lover and WWE star Natalya Neidhart in unveiling the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen, where cats and Friskies foods will go head-to-head in a truly unique way.
Leading #TeamSaucy and Friskies SauceSations, notorious curmudgeon Grumpy Cat will "compete" with sweet Nala Cat, who will take charge of #TeamTender and represent Friskies Grillers with Meaty Tenders. Attendees at the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen on Thursday, August 20, 2015, at 1701 Broadway in New York City will have the opportunity to meet and take photos with Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat, interact with Neidhart, and participate in fun, cat-food themed activities to help donate up to 10,000 meals to shelter cats.
"At the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen, we are having a lot of fun with the fact that cats have different personalities and unique food preferences and we're matching Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat's preferences against one another in a fun, light-hearted way," said Whitney Evans, assistant brand manager at Friskies. "Friskies' Grillers and SauceSations are two unique products and it makes sense that two very different cats have different preferences. That's what cats are all about!"
Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen attendees will have the chance to participate in games and activities for both teams that will trigger a donation of one Friskies meal to shelter cats, up to 10,000 meals. People outside New York can still help shelter cats by sharing whether their cat is on #TeamSaucy, like Grumpy Cat or on #TeamTender, like Nala Cat. Every use of the hashtags on Twitter and Instagram between now and August 24 will trigger a donation of one Friskies meal to shelter cats.
In addition to generating meal donations to shelter cats, Friskies has partnered with Petfinder to help showcase adoptable shelter cats at the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen who need to find forever homes. People who attend the event on August 20 will have the opportunity to take home an adoptable cat.
Well-known cat lover Neidhart will also be in attendance to interact with fans and cats alike.
"As an owner of four cats who are all very different, I am honored to work with a brand like Friskies that truly understands cats can have distinct personalities," said Neidhart. "Participating in the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen surrounded by Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat is a dream. And on top of that, we're having fun and working to help out shelter cats; it's just an experience I couldn't pass up!"
To build anticipation for the public opening of the Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen, the brand is offering a two-day preview of the space. On August 18 and 19, passersby can get a glimpse into the cat-controlled kitchen through peep holes in the window displays. Stop by between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on August 18 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on August 19 to see what the adorable shelter cats are cooking up.

Schedule

Thursday, August 20 – Doors open to the public
Open Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Celebrity appearance schedule:

• 9-11 a.m.: Nala Cat
• 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Grumpy Cat
• Noon-2 p.m.: Natalya Neidhart
• 2-3:30 p.m.: Nala Cat
• 4-5 p.m.: Nala Cat
• 5:30-7 p.m.: Grumpy Cat

 The Friskies Create & Taste Kitchen is located at 1701 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Register for Innovation Workshop, Pet Food Experience

The multi-day event is a joint industry-academic venture to promote innovation, research and talent development focused on pet food and pet treat manufacturing, to be held October 28-30, 2015, on the university’s main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. The Pet Food Experience is hosted by the Kansas State Pet Food Program Team, and utilizes student volunteers as well as facilities within the community.
Sell-out status is expected to happen quickly as capacity is being kept to a minimum to ensure the quality of the hands-on experience as well as seating availability for the research sessions. Attendees can expect two days of networking opportunities and academic research presentations combined with the hands-on creation of new types of pet treats in the workshop sessions led by key industry suppliers including Extru-Tech Inc., AFB International and Lortscher Animal Nutrition Inc., along with some facility tours. Tentative schedule details have also been released and are available on the event website.
“The first Petfood Innovation Workshop in April sold out months in advance of the event as the opportunity to create new pet treat products hands-on is not something you get to do every day,” said Debbie Phillips Donaldson, editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry. “We’re hoping those who missed attending the first one will take advantage of the chance to come this fall, with the added benefit of our new partnership with the Kansas State Pet Food Program and the chance to hear new research presentations and interact with students from the university.”
The premiere Petfood Innovation Workshop: Next Generation Treats was the 1-day opener for the Petfood Forum 2015 conference and exhibition, the leading annual event serving the global pet food and pet treat manufacturing industry. Petfood Forum 2016 will again locate at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor.
 The Pet Food Program at Kansas State University was started in 2012 and has established degree programs, short courses, and research concerning pet food and nutrition. Kansas State University is a public teaching and research institution founded in 1863 and located in Manhattan, Kansas, USA.

Eurofins, AFIA partner to provide industry training

Eurofins Food Safety Systems and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) have signed an agreement to provide co-branded public training for the animal feed and pet food industries. The courses include a specialized Hazard Analysis and Critical Points (HACCP) course for feed manufacturers. The collaboration is a natural fit, as Eurofins and AFIA share a common interest in the feed industry’s success and safety.
AFIA, based in Arlington, Virginia, USA, is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the business, legislative, and regulatory interests of the United States animal feed industry and its suppliers. Members include more than 575 domestic and international companies and state, regional, and national associations.
Eurofins Food Safety Systems is recognized for its efforts and capabilities in the field of animal food safety by primary manufacturers, suppliers, retailer, distributors, and processors. With a full schedule of public and in-house training courses, Eurofins provides the knowledge and expertise necessary for the success of these nationwide trainings.
This collaboration further strengthens a longstanding partnership between the two leading industry supporters. Eurofins began conducting audits for AFIA’s International Safe Feed/Safe Food (FAMI-QS) program in 2010. The partnership has since expanded with the addition of AFIA’s domestic Safe Feed/Safe Food and Pet Food Manufacturing/Ingredient Facility Certification programs to Eurofins’ audit portfolio, and most recently the addition of a joint training course specific to the International Safe Feed/Safe Food/FAMI-QS scheme.
“We are thrilled to partner with AFIA to provide food safety training to the feed industry and further our relationship with AFIA,” said Eurofins’ Food Safety Systems Director, Gary Smith. “It is a great venture to join the expertise of Eurofins in food safety and public training with AFIA’s expertise in the feed industry and its tremendous member relationships. This partnership will assist the feed industry in the understanding and compliance with the new regulatory and customer requirements being placed upon them.”
“This is a great opportunity for AFIA and Eurofins to continue our relationship for the betterment of the feed industry,” said Henry Turlington, AFIA director of quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs. “These trainings will provide up-to-date information that is necessary for compliance with the law, and the how-to for running a quality animal food manufacturing facility.”
The public training courses are scheduled for November 10-11 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.

Food protection group focuses attention on pet food safety

The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) recently met for its annual meeting, and focused some of its attention on pet food safety.
Salmonella contamination in pet food was discussed by Robert Buchanan, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems at the University of Maryland, Lee Anne Palmer, VMD, MPH, supervisory veterinary medical officer at the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), and regulatory attorney Karl Nobert of The Nobert Group L.L.C.
Recently, several companies including Nature’s Variety, Bravo, Natural Dog Co. and Boulder Dog Food had to issue recalls of some of their products for possible Salmonella contamination.
In June, FDA said it is looking into ways to minimize the incidence of foodborne illness associated with pet food and treats.
And, in May, FDA published draft guidance on mandatory food recall authority as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA). The guidance gives the government authority to order a responsible party to recall food when FDA determines there is a reasonable probability that the food is adulterated or misbranded, and that the use of the food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. Dietary supplements also are included under this guidance. After the FDA decides a product should be recalled, it must give the company the opportunity to recall it voluntarily. If the company chooses not to conduct a voluntary recall, FDA can order it to stop selling the food and hold a hearing. After that, the FDA commissioner can order a recall. 

More Americans consider raw pet diets amid safety issues

As Americans look to serve their pets healthier food, many are moving to raw diets.
According to GfK, retail sales of raw freeze-dried pet food were up 64% from US$25 million to US$40 million in the past year. Sales of raw frozen pet food was up 32% from US$52 million to US$69million.
Recently, Allprovide, the all-natural raw pet food company, conducted a survey of 1,826 cat and dog owners across the United States on their pet food preferences, knowledge and interests. The results show that more than 37% of pet owners are interested in a fresh, healthy raw food diet for their pets.
However, in recent months, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) warned about the safety of raw pet foods.
FDA has assigned field staff to collect samples of raw pet food to be analyzed for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli. CDC, in a blog, offered consumers ways to protect pets and people from illness due to Salmonella and Listeria. And AVMA has said it “discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs as well as humans.”
In July, Nature’s Variety announced a voluntary recall of its Instinct Raw Chicken Formula for dogs because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. 

RECALL: Northwest Farm Food Cooperative recalls cat food

Northwest Farm Food Cooperative of Burlington, Washington, USA, is voluntarily recalling frozen raw Cat Food with the code Jul12015B due to their potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The potentially affected lots of frozen raw Cat Food were sold from the company’s facility at 1370 S. Anacortes St., Burlington, WA 98233.
The affected products are sold in 50-pound blocks and cases of six 10-pound chubs packaged in a white plastic bag labeled Cat Food. The products affected by this recall have the production code Jul12015B and have no UPC code. The production code can be found on the outside of the case (box).
The recall was the result of a sampling done by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which revealed that the finished product contained the bacteria. The company has ceased the production and distribution of the product as FDA and the company continues their investigation as to what caused the problem.
Consumers who have purchased the affected lots of frozen raw Cat Food are urged to stop feeding them and return product to place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of them immediately. For further information about the recall, call +1.360.757.4225 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST.
Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, or all, of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their health care providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
No pet or consumer illnesses from this product have been reported to date. However, because of their commitment to safety and quality, Northwest Farm Food Cooperative is conducting a voluntary recall of this product.

Central Garden & Pet third quarter sales up 4.9%

Central Garden & Pet Co. has announced its third quarter sales increased to US$459.4 million compared with US$438.0 million for the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted sales for the third quarter of 2014 were US$445.0 million.
Gross margin for the third quarter improved to 30.9% compared with 27.2% for the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted gross margin for the third quarter of 2014 was 30.6%.
Operating income for the period increased to US$39.0 million compared with US$18.4 million for the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted operating income for the third quarter of 2014 was US$33.3 million. Operating margin for the third quarter improved to 8.5% compared with 4.2% for the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted operating margin for the third quarter of 2014 was 7.5%.
Net income increased to US$18.8 million compared with US$4.7 million for the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted net income for the third quarter of 2014 was US$14.1 million. Earnings per fully diluted share for the third quarter increased to US$0.38 compared to US$0.09 for the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted earnings per fully diluted share for the third quarter of 2014 was US$0.28
On an adjusted basis, net sales improved 3 percent, gross margin improved by 30 basis points, and selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) as a percentage of sales improved by 70 basis points. The combination of these improvements generated an operating margin of 8.5%, a 100 basis point improvement over the prior year.
"The positive impact of the actions we have taken over the past two years to increase revenue, lower SG&A expenses and improve operating margins are clearly reflected in our third quarter financial results, which came in significantly above last year's reported and adjusted results, as well as above our earlier expectations," said John Ranelli, president & CEO of Central Garden & Pet. "The trend in Pet revenues continues to be on the upswing, and both our Garden and Pet segments showed solid gains in operating income. We are focused on continuing to drive earnings growth in the years ahead through our initiatives to increase revenues and lower costs."
While it is still early in the quarter, and there are a number of variables that could impact the company's fourth quarter results, an improvement in earnings is expected. The company expects fiscal 2015 earnings per share of US$0.63 or higher, well ahead of adjusted earnings per share of US$0.33 in the prior year.

Pet segment

Third quarter sales for the Pet segment increased US$11.0 million, or 4.8 percent, from the same period a year ago to US$238.1 million, due in large part to higher professional revenues and higher sales of other manufacturers' products. Professional sales benefitted from increased sales of the company's active ingredient products, including higher sales from its Envincio division, which was acquired last year. Sales of other manufacturers' products also increased, primarily due to higher sales in the e-commerce channel. Partially offsetting the revenue gains were lower revenues in the flea and tick and wild bird feed categories. The Pet segment's branded product sales were US$183.3 million in the third quarter of 2015, and sales of other manufacturers' products were US$54.8 million.
 The Pet segment's operating income was US$32.9 million compared to US$28.4 million in the third quarter of 2014. The increase in operating income was largely due to the increase in sales. The Pet segment's operating margin increased 130 basis points, benefitting from increased efficiencies due to higher volume in the company's professional business, a favorable mix shift inclusive of more professional sales, lower marketing expenditures in its flea and tick business, and a higher gross margin in its dog and cat business. The aquatics and equine businesses experienced lower operating margins during the quarter, partially offsetting the gains.

Wellness partners with TerraCycle for recycling program

Wellness, producer of quality natural pet foods, is the first U.S.-based pet food brand to make its packaging nationally recyclable through a partnership with TerraCycle.
Wellness consumers earn money for the TruFood packaging they recycle through TerraCycle’s Wellness Pet Food Brigade. For each pre-paid shipment of TruFood bags weighing at least two pounds, Wellness Brigade members earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to charities of their choice. The collected packaging will be recycled into a variety of new consumer products such as park benches, bike racks, pet food bowls and recycling bins.
“We’re very excited for our partnership with TerraCycle,” said Chanda Leary-Coutu, Wellness senior manager, marketing communications. “Many of our consumers embrace a green lifestyle, and we’re happy to offer an easy way for them to recycle their pet food packaging, something we know is important to them.”
Wellness is bringing the TruFood experience to local pets with the Wellness TruFood Wagon. The national sampling tour kicked off in June and runs through October 2015. The wagon will visit New York, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, St. Paul, Chicago, Toronto and Boston with free samples, activities and further information on their recycling program with TerraCycle.
 Once a registered Wellness Pet Food Brigade member, individuals and organizations can collect their pet food bags in any cardboard box. Collectors download a UPS pre-paid shipping label directly from their accounts and drop boxes off at any UPS store or pick-up site. Wellness is also partnering with TerraCycle Canada to operate a similar program.

Mars Pet Care taking steps toward sustainability

Mars Pet Care is leading the way when it comes to sustainability issues, according to a report.
In 2010, the company pledged to only buy fish from fisheries or fish farms that are certified as sustainable by third parties, and said it would replace all wild catch whole fish and fish fillet with byproducts or farmed fish. This is in effort to keep pet food sources from competing directly with sources for human food.
The challenge here is that pet owners increasingly are seeking to feed their pets the same way they feed themselves, with premium ingredients and food that resemble what humans eat.
“We are going to have to educate our consumers,” said Isabelle Alvoet, global sustainability director for Mars Pet Care. “It’s not easy.”
In the US, Mars has replaced all of its wild-caught fish supply with sources approved by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.
Other big pet food companies, like Nestle Purina and J.M. Smucker, also are taking steps toward sustainability.
Nestle Purina has published a 20-page report that said the company is reducing its energy and water use at selected plants. It says it also has “a traceability program … (that) focuses on issues such as deforestation, overfishing, human rights, child labor, water scarcity and animal welfare.”
J.M. Smucker says it regularly reviews its sustainability initiatives, but has not formalized its focus for its Big Heart Pet Brands.

Signature Pet Products enters dog, cat food market

Signature Pet Products Inc. has begun operations as a formulator and distributor of premium dog and cat foods. The new company will sell and distribute several existing Hi-Tek brands including Leonard Powell Signature Series Dog Foods, Perfectly Natural Dog, Hi-Tek Naturals Dog and Cat Foods, Hi-Tek Naturals Treats, Premium Blend Dog Food, and Hi-Tek Rations Dog Food.
Signature Pet Products foods are available as extruded kibble, canned moist foods, and baked products in a variety of formulations and at price points designed to attract a wide variety of customers.
The foods sold by Signature Pet Products are known for their high palatability and attention to safety and quality. Signature follows in the 27-year tradition of Hi-Tek by never having had a recall. Many Signature products have received national attention including being listed as among the 27 best dog food brands in the United States by Reviews.com.
Signature Pet Products is located in Dublin, Georgia, USA, strategic to major highways and close to the Port of Savannah, enabling excellent support of international sales. Signature Pet Products are distributed throughout the nation by some of the country’s most highly regarded distributors.
The company shareholders and founders are Carron Powell and Connie Scott, daughters of Hi-Tek Rations founder Leonard Powell, and Sue Powell, his wife.

Freshpet Kitchens to add 32,000-square-foot addition

Freshpet Inc. will expand its Freshpet Kitchens in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. The expansion comes just two years after Freshpet first opened its 60,000-square-foot facility in the Lehigh Valley and is designed to support the company's rapid growth and continued expansion.
The 32,000-square-foot addition will allow Freshpet to double its capacity by the middle of 2016, and is expected to create up to 60 new jobs in Bethlehem, in addition to the hundreds of construction jobs held during the building period.
Freshpet will complete the expansion in two phases. The first phase, recently completed, was focused on repositioning the inbound docks to optimize the flow of fresh ingredients through the Freshpet Kitchens. The second phase, in progress now, focuses on the infrastructure, including two additional state-of-the-art production lines custom built to prepare Freshpet's proprietary recipes.
Because Freshpet's No. 1 priority is pet safety, the extension will also include an advanced quality assurance lab, where microbiology testing for food safety and quality will be conducted. This new facility will be registered with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and earn a Safe Quality Food Level 3 Certification, the highest honor of its kind.
"We are proud to be in the Lehigh Valley and are always looking for talented people to join the Freshpet family," says Richard Thompson, CEO of Freshpet, Inc. "We appreciate all of the support the community has given us, and we look forward to working further with the community to help strengthen the local economy and serve more pets 'fresh' healthy food."
 Freshpet dog and cat food can be found in more than 14,000 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the Freshpet Kitchens on Friday, August 7, 2015.

Organix earns Non-GMO Project Verified status

Organic pet food leader Organix has earned Non-GMO Project Verified status for its canned pet food recipes made with organic chicken. Organix, the most complete line of certified organic natural food for pets made under the USDA’s National Organic Program, received this status for undergoing a stringent verification process that recognizes best practices for GMO avoidance in recipe ingredients.
“Just as people want to know what’s in their own food, we believe pet parents should care about what’s in their pet’s food as well,” said Mark Sapir, vice president of marketing for Merrick Pet Care, the maker of the Castor & Pollux Organix brand. “We chose to pursue Non-GMO Project Verified status for our popular Organix chicken canned recipes for cats and dogs so pet parents can easily choose pet foods that avoid GMOs and be further assured that what they’re feeding their pets is safe.”
The Non-GMO Project verification was achieved after in-depth audit of both Organix ingredients and the company’s manufacturing facilities to ensure the company is meeting the highest possible standards for GMO avoidance. As part of the verification, 10 Organix canned food recipes containing organic chicken will bear the Non-GMO Project Verified seal. Recipes include:

• Organix Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (for dogs)
• Organix Chicken & Potato Recipe (for dogs)
• Organix Grain Free Chicken & Potato Recipe (for dogs)
• Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Vegetable Recipe (for dogs)
• Organix Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Shredded Chicken Dinner with Fresh-Cut Potatoes in Gravy Recipe (for dogs)
• Organix Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Tender Chicken Dinner with Fresh-Cut White Potatoes & Apples in Gravy Recipe (for dogs)
• Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Chicken Liver Pate Recipe (for cats)
• Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken Pate Recipe (for cats)
• Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken Recipe Shredded in Gravy (for cats)
• Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Shredded in Gravy (for cats)

Pet parents can expect to see the new cans bearing the Non-GMO Project Verified seal nationwide starting in Summer 2015 everywhere Organix recipes are sold, including PetSmart, natural grocery stores like Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Markets, and online.
In addition to receiving this verification, Organix canned recipes are also USDA-certified organic and made with 95 percent organic ingredients. Recipes include organic ingredients such as organic chicken, organic fruits and organic vegetables, with no added growth hormones, antibiotics or synthetic fertilizers. All Organix recipes are made in the US in an organically certified facility, and contain no ingredients from China.

Slave labor used to catch some fish used in pet food

A recent article in the New York Times chronicled the lives of several men forced into labor on fishing boats in the South China Sea, off the coast of Thailand. These boats catch fish that are later shipped to the US and other places to be used in pet food and livestock feed.
Some of the fish caught on these boats is sent to a cannery called the Songkla Canning Public Company, which is a subsidiary of Thai Union Frozen Products, Thailand’s largest seafood company. According to US customs documents, more than 28 million pounds of seafood-based cat and dog food in the past year for brands sold in the US, including Iams, Meow Mix and Fancy Feast.
Thai Union Frozen Products says it “will not tolerate any human trafficking or any human rights violation of any kind,” and that it regularly audits its canneries and boats in port to ensure against forced and child labor.
Nestle, which makes Fancy Feast, says it is working hard to ensure that forced labor is not used to produce its pet food.
“This is neither an easy nor a quick endeavor,” a spokeswoman said, because the fish it purchases comes from multiple ports and fishing vessels operating in international waters.
CLICK TO TWEET THIS: .@Nestle says it's working hard to ensure #forcedlabor isn't used to produce its #petfood.
Mars Inc. has replaced fishmeal in some of its pet food in an effort to use less fish. By 2020, the company plans to use only non-threatened fish caught legally or raised on farms and certified by third-party auditors as not being linked to forced labor. However, the company says the fishing industry has “real traceability issues” and that it struggles to ensure proper working conditions.
According to customs documents, in the past year, Mars received more than 90,000 cartons of dog and cat food from a cannery supplied by one of the boats mentioned in the NYT article.
The Thai government says it has increased its number of investigations and prosecutions and plans to continue doing so.