Author: Nicole Kerwin

MÜNSTER, GERMANY — Westfleisch, Germany’s second largest meat marketer, has announced its acquisition of The Petfood Company GmbH, further expanding into the pet food industry.”With this acquisition, we have taken a further step towards expanding our own value chain,” said Wilhelm Uffelmann, PhD and chief executive officer of Westfleisch. “Looking at the strong demand from our retail partners, we see high growth potential for The Petfood Company’s premium products. We want to take advantage of it together.”The Petfood Company is based in Bocholt, Germany, and specializes in private label products. According to Westfleisch, the company filed for insolvency at the…

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — SynergyLabs, a producer of science-based pet care products, recently transformed its manufacturing facility into a modern, open workplace to foster collaboration. Because of this change, the company has been recognized as part of Great Paces to Work, an authority on workplace culture.Based in North Carolina, SynergyLabs’ manufacturing facility is home to a laboratory and chemical batching equipment, as well as packaging and product development. It also includes a supplement production area complete with two twin-screw extruders for soft chew supplements, and seven liquid filling lines.Recent renovations to the facility include more space for its employees to…

CHAMPAIGN ILL. and WASHINGTON — On February 8, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) announced that it received unanimous support from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) for revised Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food. NASDA members voted on whether to support the model regulations during its Winter Policy Conference on Feb. 7.The Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food is an eight-year project by AAFCO, which aims to improve the transparency of pet food labels and provide consumers with clearer information about pet food formulas. Often referred to as…

MÜNSTER, GERMANY — Westfleisch, Germany’s second largest meat marketer, has announced its acquisition of The Petfood Company GmbH, which is expanding further into the pet food industry.”With this acquisition, we have taken a further step towards expanding our own value chain,” said Wilhelm Uffelmann, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Westfleisch. “Due to strong demand from our retail partners, we see high growth potential for The Petfood Company’s premium products. We want to take advantage of it together.”The Petfood Company is based in Bocholt, Germany, and specializes in private label products. According to Westfleisch, the company filed for insolvency at the…

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — Announced by ZIWI USA, Inc. the addition of two new staff in Feb. 6. According to the air-dried pet food company, the new hires are part of its strategic expansion, and will help grow its brand identity and presence in the North American market.Bailey Mutschelknaus joined as graphic designer. Originally from Topeka, Kan., Mutschelknaus has a bachelor of fine arts in visual communication with a focus in marketing from the University of Kansas. He has graphic design experience from the animal health and craft beer industries.Jon Adams joins the company as territory manager. Adams has more…

LOS ANGELES — LFG Product Solutions has partnered with Paramount Consumer Products to launch a new dog treat brand inspired by the Paramount show “Yellowstone”. Dutton Ranch Dog Treat Co. aims to to provide a “wild and authentic” experience to canines through a variety of premium treats.”We’re thrilled to bring the little-known spirit of ‘Yellowstone’ to the pet aisle, capturing this classic American story in a way that’s both fun and authentic for pets and their parents,” said Christian Verhoeven, co-founder of LFG.According to LFG and Paramount Consumer Products, Dutton Ranch Dog Treat Co. will “break new ground” in the…

HONG KONG — Health & Happiness (H&H) Group, parent company of pet nutrition brands Solid Gold and Zesty Paws, has announced that five of its business divisions in China, France, Australia and New Zealand, the United States, and United Kingdom becomes B Corp Certified. According to H&H Group, the certifications are a testament to the group’s commitment to making a positive impact on people, society and the planet by addressing climate change, supporting its communities, driving product innovation and developing diverse and inclusive workforce.The certifications represent a very important achievement towards H&H’s group-wide certification, as only two business units remain…

MILFORD, MASS. — Waters Corporation, a leading provider of analytical instruments and software for food safety, has debuted its new VICAM™ Fumo-V™ ONE Strip Test that detects harmful toxins in finished animal food and pet foods. The test can test for the three most common mycotoxins — aflatoxin, fumonisin and DON (also known as deoxynivalenol or vomitoxin) — in less than 10 minutes, saving processors time and increasing food safety.VICAM’s Smoke-V ONE The Strip Test is a quantitative lateral flow strip that can test for fumonisin mycotoxins in finished products at ranges as low as 0.5 parts per million (ppm)…

ATLANTA — The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) announced that Angele Thompson, Ph.D., has received its 2024 Friend of Pet Food award. Jerry May, vice president of government and trade affairs at Freshpet, presented Thompson with the award at the 2024 Pet Food Conference on January 30, held in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta.Thompson received the award for his long-term contributions to the pet and pet food industry. He originally began his career as a nutritionist at Heinz Pet Products and rose to the role of technical services manager of nutrition, analytical laboratory and…

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS. — Family-owned company WF Young has announced two new staff appointments to help drive its growth. Jessica Lincoln was named product manager of pet, and Casey Basta was named global product manager of equine.Lincoln has prior experience in the pet industry, having served as director of merchandising at Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. Additionally, he brings product development experience to his new role, having served as senior product development manager at R2P Pet Group, Inc., and director of product development at Pioneer Pet, LLC.Basta is a passionate horseman with over 10 years of experience in the horse industry.…