September 2006 Food for pets &people p. 18 Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Eatables New palatability test FDA on rosemary & raw diets Global growth trends Digital version at www.petfoodindustry-digital.com 0609PETcov.indd 1 8/25/2006 3:13:55 PM Different Tastes. Equally Finicky. But Raise Them Well and They’ll be Friends for Life. Our customer is the one on the left. And figuring what tastes best to her is as much a science as it is for her picky human pal. Fortunately, we've been doing just that – longer and better than anybody else in the business. The Industry's First Choice for Dog and Cat Food Palatants. www.nupetra.com North America: United States 330.665.2127 800.854.2400 [email protected] Latin America: Mexico 55.5611.5897 [email protected] Europe: England +44.1344.637227 [email protected] Australia: Victoria 613.59.711105 [email protected] 0609PETcovads.indd 2 8/25/2006 3:15:40 PM Digital version available online at www.petfoodindustry-digital.com. September 2006 Volume 48, Number 9 Features 18 FoodFdf for pets & people By Mike Pehanich Natural Balance makes some of the industry’s most innovative products. 22 Alternative approach to pal assessment By Joseph A. Araujo, et al. 18 Examining the cognitive method for measuring food preference. 24 Global growth trends By Elizabeth Higgins Sales in the premium segments are outpacing the mid-priced and economy segments. 28 28 The FDA on rosemary and raw diets By Tim Phillips, DVM Working with the petfood industry on claims, additives and safety issues. Department4 s Editorial Notes By Tim Phillips,DVM Improving obesity warnings: Messages emphasizing prevalence are less effective. 32 Petfood Insights By David Dzanis, DVM, PhD Global Pet Expo highlights: Bringing petfood companies and retailers together. 36 Ingredient Issues By Greg Aldrich, PhD Chondroitin in petfood: How is this ingredient most effectively managed in the diet? 50 Market Watch By Huntley Manhertz, PhD Second time around: Petco purchased and taken private (again). 8 — Industry News 44 — Meeting Planner 12 — New on the Shelves 45 — Market Place 38 — Research Notes 49 — Advertisers’ Index 42 — Product News PETFOOD INDUSTRY (ISSN 0031-6245) is published monthly by Watt Publishing Co., 122 S. Wesley Ave., Mt. Morris, Illinois 61054-1497 USA. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. PETFOOD INDUSTRY and its logos are registered trademarks of Watt Publishing Co. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: PETFOOD INDUSTRY, 122 S. Wesley Ave., Mt. Morris, Illinois 61054-1497 USA. Periodical postage paid at Mt. Morris, Illinois 61054-1497 and additional post offi ces. Canada: Canada Post International Publication Product Mail Code 1686232. September 2006 l Petfood Industry l 3 0609PETtoc.indd 3 8/28/2006 10:19:42 AM comments Editorial Notes BY TIM PHILLIPS, DVM Improving obesity warnings Messages emphasizing prevalence are less effective he following warnings are all too typical: •“The RSPCA, citing rampant pet obesity in the It is a serious error to landT down under, is warning Australians focus on the prevalence to stop overfeeding their dogs and cats,” proclaimed The Guardian. “Overweight of a negative behavior. pets are at greater risk of developing health problems such as diabetes, — Tim Phillips mobility problems, diffi culty breathing and increased pressures on the heart. Instead, messages should focus on reported that 17% of pet owners rated Overweight cats often develop skin what is approved or disapproved. their pets as overweight. Veterinarians problems from not being able to groom Cialdini gives an example from estimate 44% of their patients are properly.” Arizona’s Petrified Forest National overweight. This discrepancy illustrates •“The latest in a recent flood of Park, which suffers from the estimated pet owners’ lack of awareness of an warnings about the obesity of pets in ’ theft of more than a ton of wood per appropriate body condition for their Britain comes from pet insurer Saga month by visitors. He tested two pets. Without awareness, they do not Pet Insurance. The company is warning different signs: take the necessary steps to correct the Britain’s animal lovers to monitor their •Sign one—“Many past visitors problem. pets’ weight following research that have removed petrifi ed wood from the fi nds that a third of dogs and one in 10 Park, changing the natural state of the Industry’s role cats in the UK are clinically obese.” Petrifi ed Forest.” Veterinary nutritionist Sean What’s wrong with these warnings? •Sign two—“Please don’t remove Delaney’s advice for petfood companies Messages that point out the prevalence the petrifi ed wood from the Park, in includes: of pet obesity are likely to be less order to preserve the natural state of •Address pet owners’ lack of effective in preventing it. the Petrifi ed Forest.” awareness that their pets have a Testing messages As predicted, the fi rst sign resulted problem. •Give specific exercise rec- Psychologist Robert B. Cialdini, in in signifi cantly more theft than the ommendations. Current Directions in Psychological second (7.92% vs. 1.67%). •Supply clear feeding guidelines for Science (August 2003), offers evidence The lesson treats, including recommendations for that it is a serious error to focus on Within the statement, “many people decreasing regular meal amounts. the prevalence of a negative behavior. are doing this undesirable thing,” lurks •Encourage pet owners to adjust the powerful and undercutting message, food intake so their pets maintain “many people are doing this.” an ideal body condition. Stress that How does Cialdini’s work apply to recommended feeding amounts are pet obesity warnings? In my opinion, only starting points and will likely petfood companies should not talk need to be changed. about how common pet obesity is, In facing the daunting challenge of but rather focus on how owners can pet obesity, we need all the tools we determine if their pets are overweight can get. ● and give practical advice. Acquainting owners with how to score their pets’ Dr. Phillips is the editor of Petfood body condition is a good fi rst step. Industry magazine. He can be reached The American Animal Hospital at Tel: +1.815.734.5644, E-mail: Association 2000 Pet Owner Survey [email protected]. 4 l Petfood Industry l September 2006 0609PETedit.indd 4 8/28/2006 11:21:53 AM © UNLIMITED PARTNERSHIP BRINGING SOLUTIONS TO OUR CUSTOMERS IS OUR WAY TO ENHANCE A PET’S LIFE ■ FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION ■ MANUFACTURING Our product portfolio and innovation Supplementation guidelines Bulk ingredients capabilities allow us to deliver functional Nutritional concepts Premixes nutrition concepts and technical solutions to our customers. We are interested in ■ PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ■ TECHNICAL SUPPORT working together with you for increasing Novel ingredients Quality assurance your brand equity, helping differentiate Tailored product forms Regulatory support your products and provide optimum nutrition to companion animals. DSM Nutritional Products Ltd. P.O. Box 3255, CH-4002 Basel [email protected] Switzerland www.dsmnutritionalproducts.com 0609PETedit.indd 5 8/28/2006 11:22:00 AM KOEN MEYNEN, B.S. IN BIOLOGY, M.S. IN BOTANY/BIOTECHNOLOGY Palatability/Efficiency Expert Kemin Nutrisurance Europe Part of the team that developed the PALASURANCE ™ brand digests that help petfood companies meet the demand for greater palatability. 0609PETedit.indd 6 8/28/2006 11:22:09 AM TO WIN THE BATTLE OF THE TASTEBUDS, JUST ADD OUR SECRET INGREDIENT: FRESH BRAINS, HIGHLY SEASONED IN THE SCIENCE OF PALATABILITY. In 1998, the palatability battle in pet food heated WHAT’S CURRENTLY ON HIS PLATE. up a few hundred degrees. Pet owners began After 1998, Koen re-focused his efforts. These demanding fi ve-star taste for their cherished days, Koen is working hard to cook up a new mold dogs and cats. Koen Meynen and his fellow Kemin inhibitor that won’t affect the palatability of the scientists ate up the challenge. They were deter- digest. He and his team are busy screening a mined to develop new digests that would broad range of candidate molecules for anti- satisfy the new insistence on fl avor. With their fungal activity, and looking for combinations with advanced chemistry degrees as their utensils, a synergistic effect. Is your mouth watering yet? they became the iron chefs of digests. They sifted through a wide range of raw mate- MAY WE SERVE YOU? When your specifi cations demand superior palat- rials, analyzed the enzymes for hydrolysis in each ability, Koen and his Nutrisurance team have protein, mixed in antioxidants for fresh fl avor, and concocted some excellent off-the-shelf solutions. folded in stabilizers to prevent separation. After Our food scientists also have the expertise to numerous cooker trials, hundreds of taste tests in design a customized digest made specifi cally for kennels and 12 months of concentrated effort, they your petfood diets. So call us. Our brain cells are hatched PALASURANCE digests that gave Kemin pre-heated and ready to cook. customers a delicious edge in preference tests. CALL 877-890-1462, PALATABILITY BRAINS ARE STANDING BY. WWW.KEMIN.COM WHERE SCIENCE BECOMES FRESH SOLUTIONS™ 0609PETedit.indd 7 8/28/2006 11:22:18 AM Industry News Mars anticipates Romanian market where she held the successive positions of editor of Cat Fancy Masterfoods Romania, an arm of Mars, Inc., has reportedly magazine, manager of new product development and vice expressed interest in opening a production facility in Romania president of editorial and manufacturing. once the petfood market has suffi ciently developed to guarantee the profi tability of the business. The segment is expected to Petco agrees to US$1.8 billion buyout witness considerable growth the next few years. Petco Animal Supplies has agreed to be taken over by Leonard The petfood market in Romania is made up of imports for Green & Partners and Texas Pacifi c Group for US$1.8 billion the very reason that it’s under development.