September 2009 Tasty and healthy www.petfoodindustry.com All in the family Ken Nelson, Bob Perszyk and Charlie Nelson of Tuffy’s Pet Foods, p. 26 Riding out the recession The age of convenience Digital version at www.petfoodindustry-digital.com 101-0909PETcov_C2201R5186.indd 101 8/26/2009 6:23:26 PM No passport required. Woven Poly Bags Made in the U.S.A. Accept no imitations. Avoid the hassle of service and quality problems of imported bags. Call us today and you won’t have to call us later. N Short lead times N Dependable service N Award-winning, quality product N 10-color water-based flexographic printing N FDA-approved / AIB certified N Seamless or seamed N EZ open closures Contact us at [email protected] or call 866-WVN-BAGS (866-986-2247) N Slider zipper closures super-tube.com | coating-excellence.com | Wrightstown, Wisconsin 001-0909PETcovads_C2201R5250.indd 1 8/26/2009 6:44:02 PM 001-0909PETcovads_C2201R5250.indd 1 8/27/2009 3:14:46 PM Digital version available online at www.petfoodindustry-digital.com September 2009 Volume 51, Number 9 Features26 All in the family By Debbie Phillips-Donaldson Tuffy’s Pet Foods succeeds by working family to family and doing the small things right. 3 0 Riding out the recession By Jessica Taylor 38 The tide continues to turn in favor of the petfood market thanks to natural, wellness and new products making waves. 3 8 Tasty and healthy By Debbie Phillips-Donaldson Many of today’s palatants also deliver nutritional or functional benefits to petfood. 44 The age of convenience 44 By Jessica Taylor Single-serve, pouch, resealable, easy-open and easy-carry are buzzwords pet owners are looking for in their petfood packaging. Departments6 Something to Chew On By Debbie Phillips-Donaldson 50 Petfood Insights By David Dzanis, DVM, PhD, DACVN 52 Ingredient Issues By Greg Aldrich, PhD 26 10 — Industry News 63 — Product News 24 — New on the Shelves 64 — Market Place On the cover: Ken Nelson, 58 — Market Report 68 — Advertisers’ Index president; Bob Perszyk, traffi c and warehouse manager; and 62 — Research Notes Charlie Nelson, VP of sales for Tuffy’s Pet Foods. PETFOOD INDUSTRY (ISSN 0031-6245) is published monthly by Watt Publishing Co., 303 N. Main St., Suite 500, Rockford, Illinois 61101-1018 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, 303 N. Main St., Suite 500, Rockford, Illinois 61101-1018 USA. Periodical Photo by Joel Butkowski (www.bdiphoto.com) postage paid at Rockford, IL and additional mailing offi ces. Canada: Canada Post International Publication Product Mail Code 1686232. 2 l l September 2009 002-0909PETtoc_C2201R5262.indd 2 8/27/2009 9:39:17 AM 003-0909PETtoc_C2201R5262.indd 3 8/26/2009 6:46:14 PM www.PetfoodIndustry.com Bruce Plantz, Vice President, Director of Content EDITORIAL STAFF Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, Editor-in-Chief Jessica Taylor, Associate Editor online Copy Desk Staff Ken Jennison, Managing Content Editor The online community for petfood professionals Sue Roberts, Senior Content Editor Tara Leitner, Senior Content Editor Eric Eyberger, Associate Editor Andrea Saladino, Associate Editor Kathleen McLaughlin Milella, Community Manager/SEO Editor Community Candi Teachman, Art Director EDITORIAL & SALES OFFICE Petfood-Connection: The PETFOOD INDUSTRY, 303 N. Main St., Ste. 500, Rockford, Illinois 61101-1018 USA. Tel: +1.815.966.5400, best regulatory approach? Fax: +1.815.966.6416 (Editorial), +1.815.968.0941 (Sales). www.petfood-connection. Steve Akins, Vice President, Publisher [email protected] com/profiles/blogs/the-best- Tel: +1.919.387.7961, Mobile: +1.815.209.6444 Karen Blandford-Anderson, Sales Manager regulatory-approach [email protected], Tel: +1.815.966.5571 Petfood Industry TV www.youtube. USA ADVERTISING SALES Michelle Adams, Inside Sales Manager com/user/petfoodindustrytv [email protected], Tel: +1.815.966.5503 Ginny Stadel, Sales Associate Daily Tweets [email protected], Tel: +1.815.966.5591 www.twitter.com/petfoodindustry INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES Tineke van Spanje, International Sales Manager [email protected] Never miss an update www. 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Tel: www.petfoodindustry.com/ +1.815.966.5400; Fax: +1.815.968.0513; E-mail: jwessel@ wattnet.net. Subscription print edition prices: USA $84.00/ GlenroyVideo.aspx yr, Canada $102.00/yr, Outside USA & Canada via Airmail $144.00/yr; $14.00 per copy unless marked. Digital edition sent by email: $36.00/yr. Prices in US dollars. Business or occupation information must accompany each subscription Q&A: Tuffy’s in-depth order. For change of address, contact the circulation department listed above and give BOTH old and new address. Check out the full interview with Tuffy’s Photocopy Permission: Permission is granted by the copyright owner, Watt Publishing Co., provided the Pet Food. appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance www.petfoodindustry.com/ Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA, tel +1.978.750.8400, fax +1.978.750.4470. Tuffys.aspx Bulk Reprints: Contact FosteReprints, +1.866.879.9144 or www.fostereprints.com. © Copyright 2009, Watt Publishing Co. All rights reserved 4 l l September 2009 004-0909PETtoc_C2201R5262.indd 4 8/26/2009 6:47:00 PM Palatability for wellness - 80298 © ce Black RCS Paris - B 337 934 483 Photo : Image Sour SPF, worldwide leader, innovates and invents the Palatability New Generation combining its best performing palatants with exclusive solutions for the well-being of cats and dogs. With 12 plants in the world, SPF is the only one able to offer a true local approach providing you differentiation and competitiveness. www.spf-diana.com A Diana Ingredients company 005-0909PETtoc_C2201R5262.indd 5 8/26/2009 6:47:48 PM comments Something to Chew On BY DEBBIE PHILLIPS-DONALDSON Getting ahead of food safety regulation ecently someone described to me what he sees as You can benefit in two basic regulatory approaches: the marketplace, R➤ If it’s done right, all will be right— no matter what which seems to be the European Union (EU) model; or legislation is in effect. ➤ If all turns out all right, it must have been done right—the US approach. — Debbie Phillips-Donaldson Granted, this is a very simplistic view of a very complicated issue. But it reso- mandatory recall authority. The bill would By consumer demand nated with me in light of the food safety also require more frequent inspection With health care reform and climate legislation pending in the US Congress. of processing plants and for companies change taking priority for the US govern- to keep better safety records. Part of the ment this fall, the Senate bill is unlikely to Inspired by recalls financing for all this would come from a move forward very quickly. But eventu- Though just passed by the US House US$500 annual fee for food producers. ally some form of legislation will probably of Representatives at the end of July, pass and be signed into law by Obama. H.R. 2749 could be said to have been Move to influence That law will be neither as sweeping inspired at least partially by the petfood While nothing will happen until the as its proponents want nor as onerous as recalls of 2007. That string of events— US Senate tackles its own version of a its critics fear. And it will likely not do and consumer reaction to them—along food safety bill, criticism of the House bill everything right, as EU rules attempt, nor with a series of human food safety crises has included concerns that the producer will it guarantee everything turns out all such as E. Coli-contaminated produce, fees and other new fees such as for rein- right, as US laws aim to do. led Congress to enact the Food and Drug spection will be passed on to consumers But the importance for petfood Administration (FDA) Amendments Act in the form of higher food prices. companies is that consumers, including of 2007, imposing new responsibilities on The American Feed Industry Associ- pet owners, have been demanding more FDA. That included establishing a registry ation (AFIA, www.afia.org), which said oversight and attention to this issue, and I for food and feed companies to report it had input on the House bill—and a seat believe they will react well to any petfood incidents of adulteration (see p. 50). in the Food Safety Working Group— manufacturer who demonstrates it gets Shortly after the act’s passage, an Inter- claimed success in “creating a series of the intent of food safety measures. agency Working Group on Import Safety firewalls between food and feed require- If you can show, as transparently as appointed by then US President George ments, so any requirements specific possible, how your ingredient selection, W.