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Project 2020 challenges the design community to imagine how packaging will drive consumer purchasing decisions in a decade. Designed to bring functionality and recyclability to bulk petfood packaging, the winning container has an interlocking triangular design and uniform size and shape. Accordion-type compression reduces container height as product is dispensed and the container folds flat to be recycled when empty. For consumers, the package features built-in, pop-up handles and resealable lids. For retailers and brand owners, extraneous packaging is reduced and the container has the potential for retail-ready display.
"We named the concept Tri-tainer, and it addresses two main challenges: portability and recyclability," said Jeff Hillis, art director with Directions Marketing. "Current dog food bag packaging is difficult to transport. And, once home, equally as difficult to manage. To make storage and dispensing easier, the food is often transferred from the bag to a separate container. The laminated bag is then thrown out, which causes recycling issues because of the multiple substrates used to make the bag. Tri-tainer solves these problems."
As the grand prize winner, Directions Marketing will receive the Complete Studio Bundle from software partner EskoArtwork. The other nine finalists will receive copies of Studio Designer, EskoArtwork's 3D visualization plug-in for Adobe Illustrator.
The economic situation has worsened for many Americans, contributing to a growing need for more pet food banks in order to keep up with demands for pet food from struggling pet owners, says an article from USA Today. The number of animals at shelters and rescues has escalated along with euthanasia rates, while rescue groups struggle to take in and feed the many animals being relinquished. As a result, more pet pantries are emerging and shelters are working to temporarily provide free food to pet owners in financial need who would otherwise be forced to give up their pet. The need for pet food is so great that even some human food pantries are stocking pet food.
Petfood pantry owners, like Ann King of Save Our Pets Food Bank, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, are working more to get petfood donations and distribute those to pet owners who need it most.
"Many people out there imagine the pet crisis has passed," King says. "It most certainly has not. It was dire before, and it has gotten worse."
King is also part of an alliance, Rescue Bank, that was formed to give other pet food bank owners a chance to come together and strategize ways to get more food, primarily from petfood manufacturers who regularly throw out soon-to-expire or rebranded food. Rescue Bank has already set up 25 distribution partners in several states to allow the group to get the pet food to more places, more frequently, and the group is working toward a goal of 100 partners in the next two years.
In five months, more than 500 non-profit animal welfare and social service agencies have received petfood, and King predicts as many as 750 will receive food and supplies by the end of the year.
The Pet Food Institute elected new officers, including Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of pet care at Procter and Gamble, as chairman of PFI. Rajczak previously served as vice chairman of PFI and succeeds Bob Kelly, president of Bil-Jac Foods. Other officers include Mike Wright, president and CEO of Pro-Pet, as vice chairman; Bud Wright, president and CEO of Texas Farm Products, as treasurer; and Bill Behnken, president and CEO of American Nutrition, as secretary. All officers were elected to serve a one-year term.
Attendance increased by 19% over the previous year, with 12,197 registered attendees. Together exhibitors and attendees represented 4,715 companies, a 26% increase.
During SuperZoo, the “New Product” awards, voted on by buyers, were given out in eight categories.Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. won third place in the Overall Best in Show category and first place in the Small Animals category for its Quiko Edible Treats. In the Bird category, Kaylor of Colorado won for its Quick n Ready and Sunny Yellow foods. Central Garden & Pet Company won third place in the Miscellaneous category for the Kaytee Hummingbird ElectroNectar drink.
For the 2011 edition, available for download on the FEDIAF site, the federation collaborated with scientists in the academic world to form the Scientific Advisory Board. The board will advise FEDIAF on how to further improve its guidelines to ensure they reflect the most current scientific data and research.
The study, performed at Rutgers University, Marucci Center for Blueberry Cranberry Research, showed that Crananidin inhibited adhesion of P-fimbriated E. coli in canine urine, according to the company.
Crananidin contains proanthocyanidins, PACs, which have been shown in previous research to be the bioactive component in cranberry. Cranberry PACs contain a unique A-type linkage instead of the B-type linkage found in many other PAC-containing foods, like grapes and tea. This linkage is believed to contribute to anti-adhesion activity of the PACs. When the PACs inhibit bacterial attachment to the bladder wall, bacteria fail to colonize and are instead voided in the urine, according to Nutramax.
In this study, healthy dogs were administered Crananidin orally at approximately 1 mg/kg of body weight once daily for three weeks. Serial urine samples were collected at various time points throughout the day on days one, three, five, seven and 21, with routine blood work performed to assess product safety. Anti-adhesion activity was noted in urine of all dogs at day five and peaked at day seven with activity maintained throughout the day. Anti-adhesion activity was noted at day 21, again throughout the 24-hour time period, and was still seen three days after Crananidin administration was stopped. There were no clinically significant changes in blood work, Nutramax says.
Only Natural Pet Store CEO Martin Grosjean declined to comment at that time, saying the company will make a detailed announcement in the next few weeks.
