Pet market worth US$49 billion in 2012, Mintel reports

According to the latest report by Mintel, the pet market is worth more than US$49 billion in 2012, up 15 percent since 2007, despite a turbulent economy. Spending on pet food and pet supplies continues to grow as pet ownership becomes more widespread, with 64 percent of Americans currently owning a pet.
Pet food accounted for the largest share of sales in 2011, 37.8 percent of the pet market, with a retail value of US$18.1 billion. Veterinary services represented the second-largest segment generating more than US$12 billion annually.
“Pets have many needs that are similar to human family members, including food and medical care,” said Bill Patterson, senior market analyst with Mintel. “Therefore, pet supplies and services are often necessities rather than discretionary purchases, which has helped shield this industry from the rocky recessionary environment. The strong bond between owners and pets offers significant marketing opportunities for manufacturers and retail outlets focusing on pet care and supplies.”

Purina launches new ad promoting nutrition

Nestlé Purina launched a new documentary-style ad for Friskies via YouTube that depicts a cat named Bobo as he runs and climbs walls in Barcelona, Spain.
The ad aims to show that Friskies delivers the nutrition that can provide agility and energy “for cats that live life to the full.”

PFI elects Bob Kelly as chairman

The Pet Food Institute (PFI) announced the election of Bob Kelly as its new chairman of the board. Kelly, president of Bil-Jac Foods Inc., was elected by the board of directors at PFI’s 52nd Annual Industry Meeting on October 15. Prior to election as chairman, Kelly served as vice chairman of PFI.
“I am honored that my colleagues in the petfood industry elected me chairman of PFI,” said Kelly. “I look forward to a productive tenure as I serve as chairman of PFI, a great organization that represents an industry dedicated to ensuring that our pet cats and dogs live long healthy lives.”
Other officers elected at the PFI meeting include Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of P&G Pet Care, as vice chairman; Rick Shields, executive vice president for technical services of Menu Foods, as treasurer; and Neil Thompson, president and chief executive officer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, as secretary.

Mutt Madness contest for animal rescue organizations

Talk-show host, celebrity cook and face of the Nutrish line of dog food, Rachael Ray, has announced a Mutt Madness Award Program, which began August 6 and aims to disburse more than 200,000 as proceeds to nonprofit animal organizations, according to a news report.
The last date for filling out the online entry forms is September 20, 2009. Only organizations that are registered 501(c)(3) charities and employ no-kill practices are eligible to compete.
The top 64 organizations will be selected to face-off in a March Madness style-competition. All finalists will receive $1,000 and a chance to win more money.
The winner is expected to be announced in early December.

AFIA comments on food safety bill

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted on H.R. 2749, a legislation designed to enhance consumer confidence in food safety. The Senate will be presented the bill later this year.
American Feed Industry Association had created “firewalls” in the House bill to distinguish between food and feed requirements, as the term “food” in federal food law means "food for humans and animals."
The areas that found special mention in the first report are the prevention of outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, increased inspection and surveillance, and enhanced responses to, and recovery from, illness outbreaks.

ASA challenges MPM leading brand claim

MPM Products has been cited by the Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom) for an advertisement pitting its Applaws cat food brand against Town & Country's HiLife, according to a news report.
Town & Country challenged MPM’s charges and asked MPM to prove its claims of Applaws being the leading brand in most UK pet stores.
In its defense, MPM provided data showing sales of Applaws from May 2008 to April 2009 and sales growth in 2008 were greater than the combined sales of three other cat food brands including HiLife, in the second and third leading specialist pet stores in the country.
ASA has rejected the ad, saying the data could not substantiate MPM's "leading brand" claims.

Purina launches food for older dogs

Purina ONE is launching a petfood intended to enhance the brain function in older dogs, according to a news report.
Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity 7+ Senior dry dog food formula contains a blend of botanical oils designed to improve brain function in older dogs and provide nutritional benefits.
The product is based on research on neuron-targeted nutrition, which provides an alternate energy for brain cells by utilizing blood glucose better, according to the company. Purina scientists claim that in a study on 24 dogs over the age of 7, feeding Vibrant Maturity to 12 dogs enhanced their cognitive abilities such as memory, learning and reasoning compared with that of the other dogs in the study.

People less likely to switch pet brands

A recent poll by ICOM found 59% of people surveyed switched from national brands to private labels for food and household products in the last six months.
However, only 23% of people surveyed switched from national brands to private labels for pet care products, suggesting there is still a lack of trust in private label goods for specific product categories, according to an article from The Retail Bulletin.
Pet owners cannot test the pet products themselves and therefore are uncertain of its quality and less likely to switch from a brand they trust, according to Aldi UK boss Paul Foley.

Hill's announces nutrition challenge winner

Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. named intern Jessica Markovich, D.V.M., of Arizona's VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center, as winner of the 2008-2009 Evidence-Based Clinical Nutrition Case Challenge.
Her submission, An Evidence-Based Review of Taurine Responsive Cardiomyopathy in a Newfoundland, outlined the case of an adult female Newfoundland with congestive heart failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy. Despite the dog being on a normal dietary regimen, Markovich found the Newfoundland had a taurine deficiency requiring supplementation.
Markovich conducted an evidence-based review of the current research regarding taurine-responsive cardiomyopathy, with the conclusion that nutritional modification of canine cardiac disease may be underutilized.
Markovic’s received registration, travel and lodging to the 2009 ACVIM Forum in Montreal, Canada, as her prize for winning the competition.

Canidae expands with five new formulas

Canidae All Natural Pet Foods announced that its line of all-natural petfood expanded to include new wet flavors: two grain-free formulas and a beef/fish formula for dogs, and two grain-free formulas for cats.
"Our nutritional experts have spent over a year developing these new wet formulas," said Jason Castillo, Canidae controller. "All five of these new formulas are designed … to be extremely palatable."
The extended line will arrive at retailers throughout North America in July.

Research: Summer best for pet industry

The Yellow Pages Association's research shows summer as the best time for the pet industry as its "Pet Supplies & Foods" heading sees peak usage in August, according to a press release from the association.
The heading sees about 23 million references annually. The consumers searching for petfood (22%) were usually looking for specialty dog food, such as biscuits or bones with no meat by-products.
"A good rule of thumb is any trend in human foods will be reflected fairly quickly in petfoods, such as natural options and vitamin supplements," said Bob Vetere, president of American Pet Products Association.

PFI responds to study of fluoride in dog foods

The Pet Food Institute issued a statement June 30 in response to the Environmental Working Group's study of the amount of fluoride in 10 national brands of dog food, saying the report "makes a scientifically invalid extrapolation on the safe consumption level of fluoride for dogs based upon the established level for the water that people drink" and that it includes no new research beyond its own test results.
According to EWG, the study showed that eight of the brands contained fluoride amounts between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than the US Environmental Protection Agency's maximum legal dose in drinking water. The EWG questioned whether the levels of fluoride found in the foods were safe for pets.
"The biology of humans is very different from the biology of dogs," the PFI said in the statement, calling the report "high on sensationalism, low on fact."
The EWG also claimed that bone meal and animal by-products were the "likely source of the fluoride contamination" and suggested that dog owners purchase petfoods that do not contain bone meal and other animal by-products to "protect pets from excessive fluoride exposures."
"Many petfood products contain bone meal and other animal by-products because they are critical sources of quality nutrition for dogs," the PFI's statement read. "Bone meal and other animal by-products are allowed for use in dog food by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture, the same agencies that regulate human foods."
To view the PFI's full statement, click here.

Reasons pets should not eat people food

A recent article from www.examiner.com outlined seven reasons why pets should not be fed food intended for humans.
Among the reasons included:
*Petfood is specially formulated for pets, so people food may cause them to miss out on nutrition;
*Table scraps are additional empty calories, leading to pet obesity and other health problems; and
*Some foods that are consumable by humans are toxic for cats and dogs, such as dairy products.
The best way to ensure animals get adequate nutrition is to find a quality petfood pets enjoy and stay consistent, the article recommended.

HBH Pet Products taps social media for product promotion

HBH Pet Products announced a contest to kick off its Twitter and Facebook pages, along with promoting its new line, No Grainers Dog Biscuits & Treats.
By entering the “Treat Your Entire Family Contest,” dog owners who upload a picture of their pooches with a bag of No Grainers are eligible to win a first place prize of a $200 gift card to Wal-Mart and a year's supply of dog treats. Second and third place winners will receive $50 and $25 gift cards and an HBH gift basket.
In addition, the first 200 dog owners who follow HBH on Twitter will receive free training clicker/whistle and product combos.

Poll: 50% of Americans treat pets like humans

A new AP/www.petside.com poll released June 23 showed that about 50% of American pet owners consider their pets to be a family member.
The survey revealed that 66% of single women said that their pet is a full member of the family while 46% of married women shared the same viewpoint. In comparison, 52% of single men consider their pet a family member, compared to 43% of married men.

NSF, American Society for Nutrition to administer new program

NSF International and the American Society for Nutrition announced their joint roles in administering a new nutritional front-of-package labeling program, the Smart Choices Program.
The program will provide manufacturers and retailers with a front-of-pack icon plus calorie information that helps consumers recognize smarter food and beverage products within product categories.
The goal is to bring consistency and clarity to the US marketplace, while providing an opportunity for manufacturers to communicate with consumers about better-for-you products.
"NSF International’s core business is certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods in order to protect public health,” said Nancy Culotta, NSF vice president. "We look forward to working with ASN to administer the program and ultimately help educate consumers on nutritional labeling."

Free seminar on FDA regulations

East-West Logistics Inc. is hosting a free seminar on June 29 from 2-5 pm PST during which FDA officials will explain and address questions about agency regulations.
“Avoiding FDA Issues and Improving Your Bottom Line Seminar” will take place at the Holiday Inn, 14299 Firestone Boulevard, La Mirada, Calif., 90638.
For more information, e-mail Deatra Wheeler at deatraw@2eastwest.com or call +1.714.690.3700, ext. 146.

Wenger announces processing technology seminar

Wenger Manufacturing announced the company's annual three-day Pet Food Processing Technology Seminar will be held November 10-12 at the Wenger Technical Center in Sabetha, Kansas, USA. The course, which includes both classroom and hands-on training, is open to all plant management and operations personnel involved in the petfood industry.
Wenger expanded the course to include two curriculum tracks: one for operations/maintenance personnel and one for R&D/engineering personnel.
For more information or to register, click here.

Natura helps dog shelter recover from fire

Natura Pet Products announced teaming up with local businesses to help the German Shepherd Rescue in Tehachapi, California, USA, recover from a fire that destroyed its facility.
In late April, the no-kill shelter for dogs caught fire. First responders were able to retrieve the German shepherds, but the blaze destroyed the shelter’s facility and owner’s home.
Natura partnered with Gil’s Bike Shop and Canine Creek Pet Wash & Boutique to donate and raffle a mountain biker at a local farmer’s market in August. All raffle proceeds will be used to purchase petfood for the German Shepherd Rescue.

Research firm: Pet industry to grow in 2009

The pet industry is expected to generate $51.6 billion this year, an increase of 1.3%from 2008, according to US industry research firm IBISWorld.
The firm predicted petfood production, which makes up 30% of the pet industry, to generate $15.2 billion this year and grow steadily in the next five years.
Over half of all pet owners have shown concern in what their pets are eating, according to IBISWorld, causing a shift in demand for premium, natural and organic petfood.
“Americans consider their pets as members of the family, making businesses that cater to our four-legged friends a stable, growing market,” said George Van Horn, senior analyst at IBISWorld.