Author: Jordan Tyler

LONDON — Pet parenting has been proven to improve mental and physical health, so it’s only natural for pet owners to be passionate about finding the best for their pets. This trend toward humanization is manifested through products that improve the pet’s health and well-being, whether they are pet accessories, durable products, or part of the daily diet of pet.According to Mintel, prioritizing the health and well-being of pets has translated into increased demand for health-oriented pet food formulations. For example, pet food touting health benefits — including all-natural diets, organic options, or those formulated without additives or preservatives, artificial…

CLEANLINESS, COLO. — The Bear & The Rat is expanding its partnership with pet product distributor Pet Food Experts (PFX). Following a long-standing partnership between the two companies, PFX will now distribute the brand’s premium frozen dog treat products throughout the Midwest United States and Ohio Valley region.“PFX has been our primary distributor partner for 10 years; it’s exciting to expand and serve Midwest and Ohio Valley retailers with them,” said Meg Meyer, co-founder of The Bear & The Rat. “They are an exceptional distributor partner and we know from a decade of success that this will be a great…

ARLINGTON, Va. — Pet food and animal nutrition industry associations applauded a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) that prohibits an old regulatory policy regarding the approval of new feed ingredients.According to the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the current policy — dating back to 1998 — has hindered the assimilation of new and innovative feed ingredients and additives into the marketplace in both time and money. Stricter scrutiny of certain nutritive and non-nutritive ingredients, such as those supporting food safety, sustainability, and animal health and welfare, as pharmaceuticals have hindered ingredient…

PHOENIX, ARIZ. — As pet owners continue to explore online options for pet shopping, Kira Best, vice president of sales, Chewy, at Royal Canin North America, is tasked with building the brand’s presence in Chewy while strengthening its nutritional expertise in the functional and veterinary space. With two decades of CPG experience, Best is well-positioned to tackle this endeavor, but he is also committed to supporting the success of his teammates and other industry professionals as he leads Royal Canin into the future.”Be authentic and be brave. Know that you are good enough and more than worthy of a seat…

CHRÁŠŤANY, CZECH REPUBLIC — VAFO Group announced on January 31 the successful acquisition of Dagsmark Petfood, a Finnish producer of wet dog and cat food products. According to the company, the transaction firmly establishes VAFO Group as a leader in the Nordic pet nutrition space.The acquisition will benefit VAFO’s subsidiary Prima Pet Premium, which currently operates a dry pet food manufacturing plant in Finland. The new Finnish facility was officially opened in 2023 and represents a €20 million ($21.5 million USD) investment by the VAFO Group.”This is a strategic move for the VAFO group and especially for Prima Pet Premium,…

LONDON — On Jan. 31, Product of the Year announced its 2024 winners, representing product innovations in 43 CPG categories, including dog and cat food. The winners were chosen by 8,000 consumers in the United Kingdom.”This year, there was an incredible mix of new product development, creativity and ingenuity, which was really impressive,” said Helga Slater, managing director of Product of the Year. “…Product of the Year is a celebration of what we consider our everyday heroes — the products that make a difference in our lives.”Source: Mars Petcare EuropeWhiskas Pouch Reset, which won the cat food category, is a…

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. and BOULDER, COLO. — Hill’s Pet Nutrition is accelerating the development of more sustainable pet food proteins thanks to its partnership with Bond Pet Foods, a biotechnology company that uses fermentation technology to create biologically identical animal-free protein ingredients in real meat.As the latest development in their partnership, the two companies announced on Feb. 5 Bond Pet Foods has officially shipped the first 2 tons of fermented animal protein to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Center in Topeka, Kan., where the protein will be used to formulate a trial. diets for regulation and market analysis.”Production tonnage at the 45,000-liter…

St. LOUIS — The recent expansion of Post Holdings, Inc. in the pet food space seems to be paying off for the company, which on Feb. 1 shared its first quarter fiscal 2024 financial results from the three-month period ended December 31, 2023.Just days before sharing its first quarter financial performance, Post Holdings announced the return of President and Chief Executive Officer Robert V. Vitale, who left the company unexpectedly on medical leave in November 2023. interim CEO Jeff Zadoks in his position as the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.”I thank my family, my great medical team,…

STATESVILLE, NC. — A new pet retailer has entered the North Carolina market, aiming to offer specialty-level service through an online format. The platform, Miracle Pet Supply (miraclepetsupply.com), held its grand opening on Feb.Miracle Pet Supply says its mission is to “redefine the pet supply experience” by offering high-quality, innovative solutions to support pet care, health and well-being. The online platform will carry a wide range of products, including treats, accessories and health products for dogs, cats, reptiles, birds and fish, all from trusted industry brands, according to Miracle Pet Supply .”Our grand opening marks the beginning of a new…

MUNICH — Online European pet retailer zooplus SE has tapped Jonas Schultheiss to serve as chief marketing officer. He will also join the company’s executive committee.Schultheiss is tasked with leading the company’s efforts across digital marketing, marketing data, branding, content creation, design, offline marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) as zooplus aims to raise its position in the European pet retail market.”We are delighted to welcome Jonas to our team,” said Geoffroy Lefebvre, chief executive officer at zooplus. “His extensive experience will strengthen our platform, enhance our brand identity, and engage more deeply with our customer community. We are confident…