TraceGains to repeat Foreign Supplier Verification Program webinar April 6

TraceGains will repeat its Foreign Supplier Verification Program webinar on Wednesday, April 6, with added coverage on section 301 of the Food Safety Modernization Act, and its requirements and impact on business.
Joining TraceGains on this webinar will be Jessica Wasserman, president at Wasserman & Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy focused on the global food, beverage and agriculture sectors. Content covered in the webinar will include how to: interpret section 301 of the Food Safety Modernization Act; perform risk-based foreign supplier verification activities; monitor shipments and lot-by-lot certification of compliance; automate review of inspections, hazard analysis, testing and sampling of shipments; and automate records storage and maintenance for the mandated two-year minimum.
Interested parties can register for the webinar at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/355317766.

Local, independent petfood stores get sales boost from organic petfood

Local and independent petfood suppliers looking to stand out from their big-box competitors are turning to organic, raw and gluten-free petfood for inspiration.
Annual retail sales of organic and natural petfood are expected to grow three times as fast — 12% a year on average to $2.8 billion by 2015 — as petfood sales overall, according to a recent Packaged Facts report. "People are treating their dog food like some people are treating their baby food," said Todd Martin, vice president of marketing for Castor & Pollux Pet Works. "They want to know it's safe and they want to know it's quality." Annual organic petfood sales increased to US$84 million from 2002 to 2009, according to the Organic Trade Association, but remain a small part of the overall market, partially because it can cost up to 30% more than non-organic petfood.
Organic food is becoming popular enough that some large pet store chains are beginning to stock up, but for now the more exotic options remain plentiful only in independent shops. "My clientele are probably mostly single, more single women than not, and what I am finding is that [their pets] are their kids," said Neal Massa, co-owner of California-based My Pet Naturally. "So you are going to spend a little bit more money for petfood."

Pet gets a second chance to live

Alice, an 8-year-old domestic cat, was given up because her owners could not combat the effects of the dangerous 24 pounds she had become, according to a news report. She received the much-needed care at the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA).
The RISPCA veterinary health care team members, along with Amy Karls, DVM, practice development veterinarian at Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc., helped Alice get on a successful weight management regimen. Her caloric intake was restricted, and she was fed Hill's Prescription Diet m/d Feline petfood. Now she is down to 14 pounds and has been adopted.

Petco and TerraCycle to recycle petfood bags

Petco and TerraCycle are testing a petfood bag recycling program in Petco locations in New York and New Jersey, according to a news report.
The companies aim to launch the bags by the year’s end. The program includes bins to turn in empty petfood bags, which would then be recycled into tote bags.

Couple, company plead guilty in melamine case

Husband and wife Stephen and Sally Miller, along with their company, ChemNutra Inc., pleaded guilty June 16 to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make petfood that reportedly sickened or killed thousands of pets, according to The Associated Press.
The federal indictment alleged they knowingly brought wheat gluten tainted with melamine into the US and proceeded to sell it to petfood manufacturers.

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.

Mars Petcare to close two more plants

Mars Petcare announced the decision to close its Le Sueur, Minnesota, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, facilities in the USA by the end of 2009 in addition to the closing of the Portland, Indiana, plant.
The company cited reduced customer demand as the reason for the closures.
“The decision to close the Portland, Le Sueur and Allentown facilities was a difficult one and made only after careful review and analysis,” said Debra Fair, director of corporate affairs.

Natura requires all distributors to be AIB certified

Natura Pet Products recently announced all of its distributors will be required to pass certification with the American Institute of Baking International.
AIB Certification specifies rigorous standards for food safety. To receive certification, an organization must pass independent inspections, training and audits that demonstrate its ability to protect the safety of the food supply chain. As part of Natura’s new partnership agreements, the company is requiring all distributors to pass AIB Certification.
“The AIB certification requirement is part of Natura’s ongoing efforts to ensure our petfoods and treats meet the strictest standards for safety and quality from our manufacturing plants to our customers’ pet bowls,” said Don Scott, president of Natura.

Nutro issues voluntary cat food recall

Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of Natural Choice Complete Care Dry Cat Foods and Max Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By" dates between May 12, 2010, and August 22, 2010, according to a statement on the Nutro Web site.
The cat food is being recalled in the US and 10 additional countries, but the recall does not include dog food.
The recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in Nutro’s finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Petfood market still growing

According to the recently released Pet Food Manufacturers Association annual report on the condition of the petfood industry in the UK, sales showed a 7% increase in value for 2008.
Hill's Pet Nutrition reported petood sales by unit volume were down 7% in its first quarter, but pricing increases led to sales increasing 0.5%, with particular volume growth in Russia, Germany, Turkey, the Benelux countries and Austria.
Also in the first quarter, Nestle PetCare saw 11.5% organic growth and 5% real internal growth.

Petfood sector still hot in sluggish economy

Marco Giannini's Los Angeles-based Dogswell LLC is poised to hit sales of $20 million this year, which is more than double its sales from 2007, according to a story from Reuters.
Amid the struggling US economy, the American Pet Products Association says the US pet industry grew to about $43.2 billion in 2008, up from $34.4 billion in 2004, with sales for 2009 expected to hit $45.4 billion.
The key to success in the industry? Giannini says for his company, quality control, knowing the supply chain, product testing and good customer service all factor in.

New technology to control cargo moisture

ABSORPOLE, a new line of moisture control products by Buffers USA, overcomes limitations of traditional pouch type desiccants to reduce product loss and damage from moisture damage during shipment and storage, according to the company.
According to John Hove, president of Buffers USA, the supplier of a new line of moisture control products, "Traditional pouch type desiccants do not effectively remove moisture from inside a container due to the evaporation effects that happen when the temperature increases on a daily cycle inside the container. … Our new technology incorporates built in collectors that trap the moisture as it is absorbed, preventing it's re-release."
The technology is available in a variety of product designs that meet the needs of specific container load configurations and types of cargo.
For more information, visit www.desiccant-solutions.com.

Foreign suppliers forced to exit Russian market

Foreign petfood suppliers are forced to scrap their exports to Russia due to not being able to receive a license from Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance to import the goods, according to an article on www.newsfromrussia.com.
The FSVPS began to decline licenses to many suppliers claiming that enterprises must be included on a special register of the department.
Imports make over 70% of the petfood goods in Russia’s US$1 billion market. Germany, Britain, France, China and the USA are included in the top five of the largest exporters of petfood to Russia.

All-new social networking site for petfood professionals

The Web is quickly becoming the most efficient and easy way to connect with people for business. Petfood Industry has recently launched the new social networking site - www.petfood-connection.com - designed specifically for those working in any capacity in the petfood industry. Post a picture, create a profile, join a discussion, watch a video - your options are endless. Get online and get going!

Evidence destruction claim rejected in Menu Foods case

Allegations that Menu Foods destroyed evidence are the basis of motions in several court cases, according to an article on www.consumeraffairs.com.
Menu Foods settled a $24 million lawsuit last year that grew from the largest petfood recall in US history. The case was heard in New Jersey, and parties are still wrapping up various items on the docket, but now a Washington state litigant is charging that the company illegally destroyed thousands of samples of food, potentially leaving him without evidence to pursue his claim.
During discovery for the New Jersey suit, the defendants collected thousands of cases of petfood — both recalled and non-recalled — in their warehouse. In December 2007, the defendants claimed that preserving all of these samples was an unnecessary waste of time and money. The court agreed, and allowed the defendants to destroy all but 500 units of recalled petfood.
Donald Earl, a plaintiff in a Washington state suit, filed a motion objecting to the orders in January 2008. Earl’s suit involved “cake style” cat food, which does not contain gluten and was not implicated in the March 2007 recall.
Laboratory tests of Earl’s food showed that it was contaminated with acetaminophen and cyanuric acid, nitrogen-based chemicals often used to artificially boost a food’s apparent protein content. Neither chemical was discovered in the recalled food. Despite his allegations, the court dismissed Earl’s objection without comment in February 2008.
Earl also filed a motion in Washington state court, where his own suit was pending. That court rejected his claim in February 2008.
Undeterred, Earl filed a second objection and motion to intervene in January 2009.
In a two-page order issued in February, Judge Noel Hillman denied Earl’s motion to intervene, holding that Earl “has not demonstrated that he has an interest in the ‘unorganized inventory’ requiring that this Court vacate its prior orders regarding that inventory.”

Web-based company offers fresher petfood

Petfood distributors Jeff and Sandy Opachick at www.HealthyPetFoodForlife.com are taking a new approach to providing fresher food, according to a press release by the company.
According to Jeff, petfoods that start out high in nutrient density can lose nutrient value because of distribution practices. Generally petfood bought off the store shelves can be anywhere from six to 12 months old due to up front inventory requirements for future sales, according to his company’s press release.
HealthyPetFoodForlife.com provides a solution by micro-batching - manufacturing smaller batches of petfood every couple days, then shipping the product direct to the customer. The food is APHIS certified for the European market and defined as human grade, according to the release.

Pet Valu reports 2008 financials

Pet Valu Inc. recently announced un-audited fourth-quarter financial results, including net income for the quarter ending Jan. 3, 2009, of US $4.3 million, compared to net income of US $4.7 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, according to Fox Business.
Excluding non-comparable items and losses or gains on foreign exchange, net income was US $5.6 million compared to net income of US $4.7 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.
Net income for the fiscal year ending Jan. 3, 2009, was US $14.7 million compared to US $12.4 million for fiscal 2007.
Net income excluding non-comparable items and losses on foreign exchange for the fiscal year ending Jan. 3, 2009, was US $17.4 million, whereas net income excluding non-comparable items and gains on foreign exchange for the year ending Dec. 29, 2007, was US $11.8 million.
The story reports petfood manufacturer Pet Valu earnings were impacted in the fourth quarter of 2008 and for fiscal year 2008 by losses related to the change in the Canadian/US exchange rate.

Supplement helps pets’ health

For pets with persistent skin, coat, inflammation or arthritis issues that can't be managed with premium petfoods, vets tend to recommend essential fatty acids and glucosamine supplements to their clients, according to an article by The Signal.
Veterinarian Dr. Robert Collett created The Missing Link, an essential fatty acid supplement manufactured by Designing Health, in 1994 after realizing that skin, coat and geriatric issues made up close to 80% of his business. The culprit: lack of nutrition, according to the article.
"Dr. Collett started comparing all the dog foods to see what was missing in the modern pet diet. … He began to develop these oil seeds and nutrients that would help to replace what was missing," said Nate Armstrong, vice president of Designing Health.
"Missing Link is only about 3% of a pet's diet. Petfood is kind of like the meat and potatoes, so we're the salad,” he said.

Non-Chinese nutrients now available

NaturaPet announced this month 100% of their ingredients will come from trusted, non-Chinese suppliers, according to an article by Examiner.com. Natura became the first petfood company in the industry to test and guarantee that all of its products are free from melamine and cyanuric acid. Supplements are needed to ensure that pets receive optimum nutrition, and among the necessary supplements - certain B vitamins and taurine - have been unavailable from anywhere other than China.
After working with its suppliers, Natura has found alternative sources and has been using them exclusively.
"We will not compromise on food safety and nutrition because both are so critical to the health of pets," said Don Scott, president of Natura.
The Natura product line includes Innova, California Natural, EVO, HealthWise, Mother Nature, and Karma.

Free food for Obama dog

Anthony Holloway, owner of K9Cuisine, is willing to deliver free dog food to the White House doorstep for the new First Dog.
"I want to reach out to my former Illinoisans' future pooch," says Holloway."First we have to figure out how free shipping and delivery is handled at the secure White House."
President-elect Barack Obama reportedly is looking for a hypoallergenic dog for his daughters.The Obama family has narrowed its choices for the new First Dog and is looking in Washington-area shelters. Daughters Sasha and Malia soon will own a Labradoodle or a Portuguese water dog.
Holloway’s online pet store is based in Paris, Illinois, and offers petfood without gluten, soy, corn or wheat, according to the Web site.