NEW YORK — Product of the Year USA, a consumer-voted awards program dedicated to product innovation, announced the winners of the 2024 Product of the Year Awards in early February, recognizing 46 brands and products across the food and beverage, personal care, household products and pet care industries. Among the winners, Pets Best Life’s Yummy Combs® brand was named Dog Treat Product of the Year.
The awards are determined by a national study of 40,000 American consumers in collaboration with Kantar. Product of the Year aims to recognize innovation and support consumers as a trusted guide for the best new products on the market, both in-store and online. Winners are awarded the Product of the Year red seal, which serves as a unique mark, helping consumers find the best products and giving winning companies an important marketing tool to build consumer awareness.
“The importance of Product of the Year reaches new heights in 2024 as consumers enjoy unprecedented access to products, and the marketplace becomes more dynamic with strategic partnerships that expand reach and impact, ” said Mike Nolan, global chief executive officer of Product of the Year Management. “The Iconic Product of the Year Seal not only recognizes innovation but also signals a strong endorsement of the modern era of retail, enhancing the winners’ visibility and credibility in the marketplace.
“The 2024 award winners reflect the ever-changing trends in the American market while also highlighting unique features in function, design, packaging, or ingredients,” added Nolan. “As a company, we are passionate about maintaining our position at the forefront of recognizing and celebrating these wonderful products.”
The winners were announced at the annual Product of the Year Awards Show on Feb. 8 in New York City.
Pet’s Best Life was recognized among 45 other winners for its Yummy Combs dog dental treat product. To help support oral health in canines, Yummy Combs feature a unique, patented shape to help clean and floss dogs’ teeth from all angles. The dental treat is made in North Kansas City, Mo., and consists of 44% protein and is low in carbohydrates and starch. The treat is also formulated with functional ingredients to support overall health and well-being.
According to a recent Yummy Combs study, the treatment was proven to help remove more than 25% of hardened tartar from dog’s teeth and improve breathing by 46%. This comes as pet owners are increasingly looking for nutritional solutions that support their pets’ dental and periodontal health.
Joe Roetheli, Ph.D., co-founded Pet’s Best Life and Yummy Combs with his wife, Judy Roetheli, president of Pet’s Best Life.
“This award is particularly significant because it is heavily weighted toward innovation,” Roetheli said. “Yummy Combs® is… Hybrid Wellness™… for dogs. Its innovative foundation rests on eight issued patents, with two more pending, and delivering ten ‘firsts’ in the pet treat category.
“The innovations address four main issues of dogs specifically in dental care with a clinically proven reduction in hardened tartar of more than 25% and a 46% reduction in halitosis, four innovations to prevent ingestion, choking and intestinal obstruction, a 20-fold reversal of the traditional protein to starch ratio to address weight control issues, and 95 total benefits for your dog’s best life — healthier, safer , healthier and happier ‘best friends,'” he concluded.
Product of the Year also maintains awards programs for various global regions, including the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, two pet food products — Whiskas Pouch Reset by Mars Petcare Europe and Butcher’s Nourishing Food for Dogs Healthy Heart Tins by Butcher’s Pet Care — were recognized as winners in the Cat Food and Dog Food categories, respectively .
Read more about pet treat products.
