New report looks at pet treats, chew in the US

A new report from Packaged Facts shows that 87% of US dog owners and 68% of cat owners purchase one or more types of treats or chews for their pets.
The report, “Pet Treats and Chews in the US,” compiles online consumer survey data from April 2015 and examines the wide array of treat and chew options available to pet owners, as well as what motivates them to choose one treat over another from their  options.
Packaged Facts says that retail sales for treats and chews reached US$5.4 billion in 2014, and that the market is still growing. Because of the recent safety risks associated with recalled jerky treats in the US, pet owners now more closely scrutinize the treats they buy, and interest in natural, locally sourced ingredients has never been higher. Pet owners also are looking for more “bang for the buck” in the form of treats that provide side benefits such as dental care or functional ingredients.
The report breaks out treats and chews into four categories:

• Indulgent treats
• Rawhide/natural chews
• Dental chews/treats
• Nutraceutical treats

The report provides a broad overview of the market with a focus on future trends, including the importance of product safety, the encroachment of natural products in mass-market outlets, the impact of humanization on the treat market, and growth of functional and grain-free treat options. The report also provides extensive retail sales breakouts along with an examination of the competitive situation.

Survey examines US pet food spending

A recent Nielsen survey conducted by Harris Poll looked at how much money Americans spent on pet food in the past year. The English-language survey polled 2,205 US adults, 1,323 of whom have at least one pet.
Some of the survey findings:
US pet food spending

• Dog food: US$9.5 billion, US$2.6 million of which is spent on treats
• Cat food: US$4.9 billion, US$476 million of which is spent on treats
• Bird food: US$571 million
• Other pet food: US$115 million
• Fish food: US$60 million

US pet spending, non-food

• Cat litter: US$1.8 billion
• Dog control: US$250.1 million
• Litter supplies: US$136.3 million
• Bowls: US$66.8 million
• Houses and carriers: US$60.5 million
• Brushes: US$11.2 million
• Aquatic supplies: US$4.7 million

K-State Olathe Innovation Campus chosen for national Petfood Innovation Workshop

The Petfood Forum chose K-State Olathe as home to its new Petfood Innovation Workshop for 2015 — and possibly for the next three years. The workshop was sold out with more than 200 participants from across the country.
The workshop proceeded the April 28-29 forum in Kansas City on April 27. Special features at the Olathe workshop included hands-on pet treat product development with six different stations throughout the novel event.
"We were delighted that the workshop was sold out," said K-State Olathe CEO and Vice Provost Prema Arasu. "It was a great response for the Petfood Forum's inaugural innovation workshop."
At the workshop, students learned about upcoming trends and new product ideas, while the hands-on exercises included making new types of treats in the industry-grade facilities at the K-State Olathe Kitchen.
Sales of pet treats are growing 5 percent to 8 percent per year globally, with double-digit increases in some regions as pet owners around the world seek to pamper their pets yet still feed them wholesome, healthy snacks, according to Watt Global Media, the forum sponsor.
Greg Aldrich, research associate professor in grain science and industry and president of Pet Food Ingredients & Technology, led industry experts and suppliers through the creation of new baked and molded treats. "The energy and creativity of the group as they experimented on the next generation of pet treats, was really exciting."
"It was a complete immersion in the world of pet treats," said Bryan Severns, food programs and services manager at K-State Olathe. "We have a beautiful facility and everyone enjoyed using the space to learn, have fun and network.
The Petfood Forum provides the latest research and information on growth of the global pet food market, and pet food nutrition, safety, processing, packaging and much more-all from leading industry experts. Pet food manufacturers located within the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor represent 61 percent of the total pet food sold in the U.S. and 49 percent of global pet food sales, according to the K.C. Animal Health Corridor's 2014 Asset Survey.

Woof Gang Bakery to open corporate stores in Savannah, Key West

Woof Gang Bakery is opening its first corporate-owned stores, with five locations open by summer 2015. These five new corporate stores will join 20 new franchise locations opening this year. The corporate stores located in Savannah, Georgia, USA, and Key West, Florida, USA, will serve as support centers for franchises in those regions.

The first corporate store will open in March in Savannah’s historic downtown City Market. The second corporate store opening in Savannah will be a Woof Gang Bakery, Grooming & Wellness Center in the city’s downtown. In addition to pet supplies and grooming, this location will include a pet wellness center offering vaccinations, dental cleaning and other pet wellness services.
A third Savannah location and two Key West corporate stores also will open by summer of 2015. The Woof Gang Bakery store on the famous Duval Street in Key West will officially be the southernmost pet store in the United States.
“We’re thrilled to be positioned to grow the Woof Gang Bakery infrastructure by adding corporate stores to the portfolio. With a total of 75 franchise locations open by year end, this enables us to provide a higher level of support across all markets,” said Paul Allen, CEO of Woof Gang Bakery. “Our growth plan also includes hiring more than 20 new corporate employees and opening an 8,500-square-foot franchise support facility in Orlando, Florida this summer.”
Each Woof Gang Bakery corporate location will be unique to the market it serves. City Market Savannah and Duval Street Key West will be Woof Gang Private Label stores, primarily selling the Woof Gang product line. Specialty items and signature products, customized and branded for each location also will be offered.
The three additional corporate locations will be full-service stores, providing a full range of pet care goods and services – one-stop shops offering food, treats, supplies and grooming.

Pet treat manufacturer Look Who's Happy debuts products

Gainesville, Georgia-based petfood and treat manufacturer Look Who's Happy has unveiled its debut products—eight SKUs under two product lines, Fetch'n Fillets and Tempt'n Tenders.

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Fetch’n Fillets are whole-muscle jerky treats made from naturally raised beef, cage-free chicken or grass-fed bison, all sourced from the USA, according to the company. The grass-fed venison used in the treats is sourced from New Zealand. Tempt’n Tenders are made with USA-raised, cage-free chicken and are available crusted with carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato or blueberry. The products are grain- and gluten-free, and they do not have by-products, hormones or artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.

Lincoln Bark treats featured on Chicago news show

Lincoln Bark's pet treats have been featured on WCIU Chicago news show "You & Me This Morning" as must-haves by Charlotte Reed, a celebrity spokesperson who has been traveling the US in search of the best products in the pet industry.

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According to Reed, she selected Lincoln Bark's treats because they are powered by the chia seed, highlighting the company's holistic approach to dog treats. The treats are made with human-grade ingredients and contain no wheat, corn, soy, preservatives or artificial color.

'Look Who's Happy' brand canine treats to debut at 2014 SuperZoo

After 28 years of specializing in the catfish and poultry processing business for petfood brands, the co-founders of Big Creek Foods will debut a new canine treat brand at 2014 SuperZoo in July. The Look Who’s Happy brand was created by brothers Jeff and Tommy Gay based on the beliefs that all dogs should be happy and that pet parents deserve to know who’s making the food and treats they feed their pets, according to the company.

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The brand will launch 12 SKUs comprised under three product lines: Fetch’n Fillets^{, Tempt’n Tenders and Happy Wraps. Look Who’s Happy privately owns their manufacturing facility and operates it according to US Food and Drug Administration food safety production guidelines, in addition to meeting far higher standards than what is required for commercial pet products.} 
Fetch’n Fillets are whole-muscle jerky treats packed with savory flavor made from naturally raised beef, cage-free chicken or grass-fed bison all sourced from the US—the grass-fed venison they use is sourced from a reputable New Zealand supplier. Tempt’n Tenders are made with US-raised, cage-free chicken and are available crusted with carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato or blueberry. Happy Wraps provide two tastes with every chomp since they’re made with US-raised, whole-muscle chicken or turkey fillets wrapped around slices of dry-roasted sweet potato or carrot.

Canada-based pet treat company seeks funding for expansion

Crocx Inc., a French-Canadian company that produces 100% natural, 70% organic treats for dogs and horses, is aiming to collect CAD$4500 by June 1, 2014, for its Kickstarter campaign.

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Funding will go toward hiring a full-time employee, improving organization, expanding output with the use of new, efficient equipment, acquiring food certifications and adding air conditioning to the production facility. With enough help, the horse and dog treats will also be made available to people in other countries, including the US, according to Crocx.
Pledge levels have been created to help generate donations. Levels extend from a CAD$5 donation which gets a big thank you, to the CAD$2500 pledge, which not only gets the thank you, but a Crocx sticker, poster, basket of Crocx cookies, two 500g cookie bags each month for a year, three 3kg buckets of cookies for the shelter of the donor’s choice, plus future products not yet launched.  

Excalibur Dehydrators launches clear-door dehydrator for homemade pet treats

Excalibur Dehydrators offers a clear-door dehydrator for homemade pet treats, which allows users to view drying progress without interrupting the process, according to the company. The doors are available in five or nine tray models with a timer, or as an add-on accessory for current owners of Excalibur dehydrators.

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Excalibur also offers recipes to make the treats, with no additives and no preservatives. Recipe options include chicken jerky strips, vegetarian and vegan treats, sunflower treats for dogs, cats and horses, and sweet potato dog chews.

New PetSafe pet treats launched at Global Pet Expo

Radio Systems Corp.’s founder and CEO, Randy Boyd, announced that the pet supplies company recently launched 31 new products at Global Pet Expo under its PetSafe brand. Among new products launched were a variety of new cat and dog treats.
The company launched five new Busy Buddy treats, including: Ultra Sub, a dog treat that features knobbed nylon “buns” sandwiching rubber spacers and two thick rawhide treats; Ultra Woofer, a rawhide treat ring for dogs; Ultra Stratos, a treat with two rawhide rings and knobbed rubber ends molded over nylon; Teeter Treater, a pet treat with a weighted base and three channels that hold treat strips in place; and Gnawbrush, a dog treat with mint-flavored Busy Sticks to encourage better smelling breath and help clean the surfaces of dogs’ teeth.
New indigo line treats include Fresh dental treats, Triple Chews to help boost dogs’ immune and digestive systems, and Smokehouse Strips for dogs. New Lickety Stik products were also introduced, such as a new Gel in five flavors and LiquiMints liquid breath-freshening dog treat.