Prins wins Best Product of the Year award

Prins ProCare Super Active pressed dog food has been awarded Best Product of the Year 2015-2106.
Best Product of the Year is one of the leading competitions in The Netherlands during which consumers can vote for their favorite products.
Prins won the award in the pet food category with Prins ProCare Super Active, a 100% natural pressed kibble that is one of the best-selling products in the Prins assortment. This variety is especially recommended for growing and active dogs.
Due to the high density of pressed kibble in comparison to extruded kibble, smaller portions can be fed, thus reducing stomach load. Therefore Prins ProCare Super Active is very suitable for dogs that are active or compete in dog sports.

Petfood maker Purina, Jenny Craig help pets, owners lose weight

Dog food and cat food manufacturer Nestle Purina is teaming up with Jenny Craig in a new online program that aims to help pet owners and their pets lose weight.
The program, "Project: Pet Slim Down," lets pet owners that sign up obtain tips for exercising with their pet, record exercise performed, track weight loss and share photos with other users.
The British Pet Health Council, an association of veterinary and medical professionals, in cooperation with Mars Petcare is offering a similar health and fitness program for pets and their owners under the name "Petsercise."
"The obesity epidemic is not limited to people," said Lisa Talamini, vice president of research and program innovation at Jenny Craig, in a statement. "Two-thirds of adults in the US are overweight or obese, and more than half of all pets in the country are also battling the bulge."

Cargill completes acquisition of animal nutrition company Provimi

Cargill, a producer of food and agricultural products, completed its acquisition of animal nutrition company Provimi for around US$2.1 billion.

The company will mainly focus on feeds for cattle, poultry and swine producers, though Cargill does produce and market companion animal foods in the US, primarily through feed stores and other agricultural retailers under its Loyall petfood and River Run dog food brands. Cargill also markets bagged feed for horses, poultry, goats, rabbits and other animals under the Nutrena (US) and Purina (international) brands.
Ton van der Laan, previously chairman and group CEO of Provimi, will lead Cargill’s new animal business as corporate vice president, along with Joe Stone, Cargill’s animal nutrition business leader. The combined company will employ more than 16,000 people in 37 countries, according to Cargill.
Provimi sold its European petfood business to the private equity group Advent International earlier in 2011 for nearly US$240 million. 

Blackwood launches new petfood packaging, recipes

Blackwood Pet Foods LLC launched a new packaging system for its complete line of dog food as well as four new pet food recipes.

"Our new packaging was designed to provide the consumer with a great shopping experience, easy access to key product information and a representation of the true quality of our recipe," said Doug Sapp, vice president of marketing.
In addition to the new packaging, Blackwood introduced a series of new pet food recipes. The grain-free recipes include salmon meal and potato, and chicken meal and potato. The sensitive skin and stomach recipes include lamb meal and rice, and chicken meal and rice.

NRG pet products forms US-based NRG USA to expand North American customer base

NRG pet products, a Canada-based dog food company, has formed a US-based branch, NRG USA, to bring NRG-brand dehydrated dog food to markets in the US.
NRG has had a presence in Canada for 15 years, and recently decided to extend its reach to the US. The company manufactures its products on an NRG-owned farm in British Columbia and purchases ingredients direct from North American farmers.

Article outlines dog food manufacturing process

A recent WAFB of Louisiana news story outlined dog food manufacturing for consumers, mentioning that multiple parties are involved, including highly trained scientists, nutritionists, veterinarians and taste tasters, and the process can take years to complete from concept to consumer.

It all starts with a concept, and then research, including formula development, product and process development, analysis, palatability testing and digestibility testing. Nutritional testing also must be conducted to meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulations for petfood in the US.