Arovit dry petfood facility in Denmark sold to local investors

The former Arovit dry petfood factory in Vejen, Denmark, which was owned by C & D Foods, was sold to local investors and will continue production as Arovit Dry Petfood A/S. 
Buyers include Johan Hoffmann, Hoffmann Capital A/S, acting Operations Manager Kim Madsen and CEO at Ultimate Petfood, Harry Larsen.
The previous owner, Hoffmann, started Arovit 42 years ago. Madsen, who has led the factory over the past five and a half years, will also help grow the company. Larsen, who in recent years has been developing the brand Ultimate Petfood, is also helping finance the deal. He will become sales and marketing director of the new company.

Dry pet food production report available from IBISWorld

The dry pet food production industry declined at an annualized rate of just 1.9 percent to US$9.8 billion over the five years to 2012, according to a new report from IBISWorld.
The "Dry Pet Food Production in the US: Market Research Report" says that while consumers refrain from purchasing pets during times of economic hardship, pet owners typically do not sacrifice purchases of pet food during these times. As a result, the dry pet food production industry exhibits a delayed cyclical trend, with revenue declining a couple of years after consumers stop purchasing pets, according to IBISWorld industry analyst Justin Waterman. Revenue fell heavily in 2010 and 2011, due to fewer animals to feed. But, with an all-time high 173 million dogs and cats in the US in 2012, revenue growth is forecast to fall 2.2 percent in 2012, then rise from 2013 through 2017.
The industry has experienced an increasing level of concentration over the past five years, resulting from expansion through acquisitions, which are expected to continue. The major companies include Nestle SA, Mars Inc. and Colgate-Palmolive Company. However, there will remain room for niche players like organic dry pet food producers, the report says. The full report can be purchased online. 

GA Pet Food Partners creates ‘Just Fresh Meat’ dry petfood concept

GA Pet Food Partners, a super-premium dry pet food manufacturer, recently created the “Just Fresh Meat” concept, in which all of meat ingredients in the dry pet food are fresh.
GA has invested in a patented “Just Fresh Meat” extrusion technology, which the company says means that there is no need for dry rendered meat and bone meals to be used in a complete, dry petfood.
“‘Just Fresh Meat’ technology means that we no longer have to use dry meat meals, which have a greater carbon footprint than fresh meat, can add high ash levels and tainted flavors to a dry petfood through prolonged processing and storage. The result is a new generation of highly digestible and palatable dry petfood that is packed with a fresh meat content of up to 70 percent,” said James Lawson, GA’s joint managing director.

The “Just Fresh Meat” concept is available to any private-label dry pet food makers looking to offer a sustainable dry pet food, GA says. The company will display the concept at its Interzoo stand in Nuremberg, Germany.

New report on Pet Care in Slovakia expects petfood market to grow

ReportsnReports offers a new report on Pet Care in Slovakia, which forecasts that the pet care market in Slovakia will continue to grow. The Pet Care in Slovakia report found moderate growth in the pet food market from 2006-2011, with multinational pet food brands dominating the market over domestic brands. Dry petfood is preferred in this market, the report found, especially for dogs.
The report includes an overview as well as sales by category, pe tfood company market shares and market forecasts. A copy of the report may be purchased online.

Cargill granted US patent for petfood cooking process

Cargill was granted a US patent for the exclusive cooking process it developed for making its Loyall premium petfood.
Cargill's Opti-Cook process, for which the patent was granted, works by using a combined steam and pressure cooking system and Near-Infrared Reflective Spectroscopy technology. NIRS technology uses light waves to measure the chemical composition of nutrients in every cooked batch of Loyall pet food. All nine Loyall petfood formulas use the Opti-Cook process, according to Cargill.
"It is well known that in order for cats and dogs to digest the starch in dry pet food, it must be cooked properly," said Mark Newcomb, technology director for Cargill Animal Nutrition. "If it is under- or over-cooked, pets may have digestive problems. But until now, there was no quick way to measure the chemical change that occurs in starch during cooking. With this technology, Cargill does not have long waits for lab results on samples- we can rapidly determine if pet food has been properly cooked and ensure consistent quality in every batch."

GoodGuide: Rates the top 5 dog, cat food brands

GoodGuide studied 1,500 products in 50 brands of dog and cat food to rate the top products in dry and wet petfood, and Science Diet took the number one spot for both dog and cat food brand.
Ratings take into account things like concern for the environment, personal health and social responsibility to come up with scores in the categories of health, environment and society. The top-five rated brands, according to Good Guide, are:

Top 5 Cat Food Brands 
1. Science Diet
2. Eukanuba
3. Evo
4. Innova
5. Eagle Pack

Top 5 Dog Food Brands 
1. Science Diet
2. California Natural
3. Innova
4. Evo
5. Karma
In addition, GoodGuide provides consumer tips on buying the right petfood. Pet owners should look for products that show transparency by revealing such information as calories to better monitor pets' health. They should also choose foods that have undergone real-life tests, not just lab tests, which will be represented by a phrase like "Animal feeding tests using AFFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition." Finally, consumers should pay close attention to marketing claims and verify them through other sources if possible.

Del Monte reports second quarter gains for pet products division

Del Monte Foods Co. reported second quarter gains for its pet product division, while overall sales declined and overall profits rose.
Del Monte's pet division reported an increase in operating income from US$84.8 million to US$92.7 million for the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, ended October 31. The company's net sales rose from US$422.1 million to US$433.2 million for the second quarter. The company attributed the increase in pet division net sales primarily to strong unit volume growth in dry petfood and pet snacks as well as new product growth. Higher trade spend, which supported dry petfood and new products, negatively impacted sales, according to the company.
Overall, Del Monte Foods reported net income of US$81.1 million on net sales of $940.9 million for the second quarter, a decline from previous net income of US$62.6 million on net sales of US$958.9 million. Del Monte, which recently agreed to a US$4 billion buyout by a group of investors, expects net sales growth for fiscal 2011 of -1% to 1% over fiscal 2010, lower than its previous expectations of 1% to 3%.

Victam International 2011 will host three tradeshows, including Petfood Forum Europe, in one location

Victam International announced its 2011 event, planned for May 3-5, 2011 in Cologne, Germany.
The event will feature three tradeshows and several conferences all at one location. The Victam International tradeshow will display new technology and equipment used in the manufacturing and production of animal feeds, dry petfood, and aquafeed. Alongside the Victam event, Petfood Forum Europe will be held for the petfood industry.
The two other tradeshows are FIAAP International tradeshow for the feed processing industry and GRAPAS International, for the flour milling, grain and rice processing, and pasta production industries.

AVMA offers answers about dry petfood and Salmonella

The American Veterinary Medical Association recently posted on its website an FAQ section related to dry petfood and Salmonella.
The content addresses questions the association has received given the recent petfood recalls due to possible or confirmed Salmonella contamination and a manuscript recently published that reported 79 cases of human Salmonella infection from 2006-2008 associated with contaminated dry dog and cat food.

CDC reports on petfood link to 2008 human Salmonella outbreaks

Human Salmonellosis outbreaks in 2008 have been potentially traced to dry petfood, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in the journal of Pediatrics.
The Salmonellosis outbreak took place between 2006 and 2008, involving 79 cases across 21 states, most among young children. The outbreak was blamed on Salmonella bacteria found in several brands of dry dog and cat food produced at a Mars Petcare US plant in Everson, Pennsylvania USA. The human cases of Salmonellosis were the result of cross-contamination from feeding pets the dry petfood in the kitchen, according to the report's lead author, Casey Barton Behravesh, DVM, DrPH of CDC.
The discovery of the petfood link to human Salmonellosis led to recalls of several brands of petfood, as well as the closing of the Mars Petcare plant.

RECALL: Iams dry food recall expanded

Proctor & Gamble is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported.

The following products are recalled:

*Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas
All dry sizes and varieties
01Jul10 - 01Dec11
All UPC Codes

*Eukanuba Naturally Wild
All dry sizes and varieties
01Jul10 - 01Dec11
All UPC Codes

*Eukanuba Pure
All dry sizes and varieties
01Jul10 - 01Dec11
All UPC Codes

*Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin
All dry sizes
01Jul10 - 01Dec11
All UPC Codes

The affected products are sold in veterinary clinics and specialty pet retailers throughout the United States and Canada. No canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement. A full listing of UPC codes can be found at www.iams.com

These products are made in a single, specialized facility. In cooperation with FDA, P&G determined that some products made at this facility have the potential for salmonella contamination. As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling all products made at this facility.

Click here to see the Iams press release on the recall.

Hill's reduces bag size of Science Plan Canine brand

In May, Hill’s reduced the bag size of its Science Plan Canine petfood from 15 kg to 12 kg.
The price reduction announced in April was applied proportionately to the smaller bag size, so customers will still see a reduction in price, according to the company.
In May of last year, the company reduced the bag size of its Science Plan Canine Adult Light from 15 Kg to 12 Kg, which resulted in volume growth of 11% for the brand and 38% more units sold. As a result of the smaller 12 kg packages, the company's 7.5 kg large breed canine products will be delisted.
Science Plan is the brand of petfood sold by Hill's outside of the US, where it is called Science Diet.

Pet owners debate dry or wet food

Many pet owners debate issues such as nutrition, dental health and cost when deciding whether to select a dry or wet petfood, according to an article on zootoo.com.
Dry and wet foods possess much of the same nutrients. Dry food, however, was found to result in less calculus buildup and less gingivitis, according to Colin Harvey, professor of surgery and dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. In dogs, these results were seen in the first upper molar teeth; in cats, calculus buildup was slightly less likely on eight major teeth and gingivitis was less likely on two teeth.
Cost is another factor when choosing a dry or wet food. According to Consumer Reports, wet food, which contains about 75% water, is more expensive per serving than dry food because more of it is required for the pet to receive the same amount of nutrients and calories.

Evanger’s hosts annual pet photo calendar contest

Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Co. has opened up its 2011 Annual Calendar Photo Contest for entries.
There will be 12 pets chosen as the pet of the month, but this year entrants will be competing for a feature spread under one of the calendar’s four themes of sport exhibitors, service dogs, rescued pets and most creative pet photo.
Winners will receive their choice of Evanger’s super premium canned or dry petfood.
The calendar will be available in October and be offered free at select pet stores with a purchase of an Evanger’s product.

Consumers award Halo's products

Halo’s Liv-a-Littles Protein Treats is the Buzzillions Reviewers' Choice Award Winner for dog treats while their Spot’s Stew Dry Dog Food is a Buzzillions Reviewers' Choice Award Finalist for dog food as voted by pet owners.

Kitchenware for serving petfood now available

Australian designer Belinda Jennings has released her line of exclusive kitchenware for serving petfood – Muttlery & Catlery.
The range currently includes a pet spoon and pet cup designed to make serving wet and dry food easier for the pet owner.

Dog food saves family in Haiti earthquake

A woman and her twin sons were saved during the recent Haiti earthquake by bags of dog food, according to her interview with CNN.
The family was shopping for cat food in a supermarket when the quake struck. The woman said that when she felt the supermarket falling down on her, she thought they were going to die. However, bags of dog food in the supermarket created what the woman described as a cave, which prevented the roof from crushing her and her sons.