Euromonitor offers report on other petfood market in Norway

The market for other pet food, including bird food, fish food and small animal food, in Norway remained stable in 2011, with provisional estimates that growth will decrease in 2012 and fall through 2017, according to a new Euromonitor International report.
The report, Other Pet Food in Norway, provides data on the size and shape of the other pet food market in Norway, including retail sales data from 2008-12 and market forecasts to 2017. The report also identifies leading brands and provides a strategic analysis of factors influencing the market, such as new products, distribution and pricing.
The full report on the market for other petfood in Norway can be purchased online. 

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. 

Animal food production report includes pet food industry trends, statistics

IBISWorld recently updated its "Animal Food Production in the US: Market Research Report" to include the latest animal food production industry statistics and trends, including in the fast-growing pet food industry, which has some animal feed producers changing products from livestock feed to food for companion animals.
According to the report, steady growth in pet ownership, spikes in feed prices and increasing demand from farm supplies wholesalers have contributed to industry revenue gains at an annualized rate of 3.8 percent since 2007. "The industry's future prospects are modest, with slow but sustained growth anticipated through the next five years...a forecast increase in disposable incomes and, subsequently, pet ownership will likely drive demand for petfood, a segment typified by high profit margins and brand-loyal consumers," said IBISWorld industry analyst, Josh McBee. IBISWorld's report expects industry consolidation to continue in the future, with mergers and acquisitions primarily driven by major companies such as Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland and Mars, and economies of scale contributing to fewer animal food manufacturers servicing wider geographic markets over the next five years. 

FDA launches PETNet petfood incident tracking

The Partnership for Food Protection and the US Food and Drug Administration launched the Pet Event Tracking Network, PETNet, which is a secure, Web-based information exchange system for pet food-related incidents.
PETNet’s voluntary information exchange, surveillance and alert system provides real-time information sharing about emerging petfood-related illnesses and product defects among FDA, and other federal and state agencies. PETNet is currently made up of more than 200 representatives from four federal agencies, all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
The system will be accessible to PETNet members that are federal, state and territorial government officials responsible for the regulation of petfood products and the investigation of disease outbreaks in companion animals. Members can enter “events” into the system after they have identified a trend or a suspicious incident or defect associated with pet food products. Once entered on the standardized form, the information will be immediately available to all other PETNet members, allowing other members to track the emergence of such data and to evaluate the need for action within individual jurisdictions.

FDA wants US$1.4 billion in US budget for pet food-safety law implementation

The US Food and Drug Administration wants the US government's fiscal 2012 budget to include US$1.4 billion in funds for FDA's food-safety law that guides FDA regulation in cases of pet food contamination, according to Bloomberg.com.
In June, the US House voted to cut FDA’s fiscal 2012 food-safety budget by 10% to US$752 million, which FDA says would slow progress of Food Safety Modernization Act implementation. 
"The funding needs ultimately will grow, not in fiscal 2012 or 2013, but in subsequent years to meet inspection mandates,” said Scott Faber, vice president for federal affairs at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a trade group of members including petfood manufacturer Nestle. “If the agency doesn’t have more resources further down the road, the FDA won’t be able to retrain its inspectors and fulfill the promise of the food-safety reforms.”

VIN launches recall center for veterinarians, consumers

Veterinary Information Network (VIN) launched a recall center for veterinary medications and petfood.
VIN Recall Center is a tool that tracks food and product recalls that impact petfood and veterinary medicine. In the event of a major recall, notice will appear in a variety of locations with links to official information. VIN Recall Center provides access to government and association websites that list recalls and information on where to sign up for electronic notifications. A standing link to the recall center is posted on VIN News Service's public home page, as well as its internal folder in the online community.