Petfood Forum 2008 connects you with the people and information you need to continue to advance. This premier event for the petfood industry features plenty of networking opportunities, and exciting sessions such as:

Every petfood company around the world is placing a renewed emphasis on safety and quality. The Petfood Focus on Safety symposium gives you an in-depth look at information you can't afford to miss:

Register online at www.petfoodindustry.com/petfoodforum.aspx. For a full listing of this year's exhibitors, visit www.petfoodindustry.com/exhibitors.aspx.

In Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, a growing class of the nouveau riche see pets - particularly dogs - as fashion items, dressing them in designer outfits, paying for spa treatments and dyeing their fur. In the days of Mao, pets were considered an unnecessary indulgence. Now cute dogs sold in pet shops are spared, while unlucky dogs continue to be sold at live animal markets as the main ingredient in dog meat stew, a traditional dish purported to have medicinal benefits.

"In Beijing, there's a huge market with pitiful dogs waiting in cages to be sold as meat, and literally a few yards away standard poodles dyed in all colors of the rainbow," says Jill Robinson, chief executive of Animals Asia Foundation, an animal welfare charity based in Hong Kong.  

There were almost 11 billion pets in China in 2007, according to Euromonitor International, up from 10.8 billion in 2006. The bulk of these animals, however, are birds, fish and reptiles. China estimates it has 150 million pet dogs in the country, although statistics are scant as many pets are unregistered. Euromonitor estimates that there are 10.7 million cats in China. According to experts, the industry's potential in China is enormous as incomes rise and more of the country's childless couples see pets as less needy substitutes for children.

Effem Foods in Beijing, a subsidiary of Mars Inc., claimed 53.8% of dog and cat food sales in 2006, according to Euromonitor data. Nestlé was in second with 17.7%, followed by Procter & Gamble with 1.7%. Nestlé has also recently set up a production site in Tianjin to be more competitive locally, a move some experts say may not be wise given the spate of food safety scandals in China.

  

Cat food in Chile
As Chilean consumers become more concerned about what they are feeding their cats, they are more willing to pay a bit more for products that promise benefits like a more attractive coat or nutrition specially designed for the needs of older cats or kittens. There was a shift from basic economy brands to mid-priced brands and as a result, an increase in the average price paid.

Consumers are expected to become more aware of differences between brands and focus more on the benefits the products offer, especially in the mid-priced and premium segments. As a result, companies producing specialized formulas for different age groups (kittens, adult and mature cats) and health concerns (weight loss/maintenance, hairballs and urinary tract health) should reap benefits from investments in research and development.

Cats are expected to grow in popularity as pets, which should lead to retail sales for cat food to grow 4% CAGR in constant value terms to reach CH$40.3 billion (US$23.2 billion) in 2012.

http://www.euromonitor.com/Pet_Food_And_Pet_Care_Products?DCMP=AFC-petfoodemail

--Animal Nutritionist

Trouw Nutrition USA is a leading manufacturer of unique feed ingredients, base mixes and premixes for the agricultural and companion animal nutrition industry. The company is part of the Trouw Nutrition International Business Group of Nutreco. Trouw Nutrition International is the leading European premix and specialty feeds supplier with extending global positions. Nutreco is based in the Netherlands and has operations in more than 25 countries. 

Due to our growth and commitment to meet our objectives in the United States, we are in constant search for talented people who aim to work in a challenging but supportive organization and be part of a global network of experts - experts with an entrepreneurial drive who put the customer first and take responsibility for the further development of our business.

Because of our growth scenario we are currently searching for an Animal Nutritionist. Main job responsibilities are to ensure all products are properly formulated, labeled and in compliance with applicable regulations, to ensure integrity and accuracy of customer formulas and to review formulas to ensure production efficiency with optimized formulation cost within customer and TNUSA guidelines.  Additional responsibilities include providing technical nutritional support for company personnel and customers.

 A minimum of a Master of Science degree is required with a PhD preferred along with experience working in a customer service environment.  Knowledge of AAFCO regulations is desired.  Preferred candidates will be goal oriented and possess excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgment.  Well developed written and oral communication skills are essential.  Appropriate computer skills in formulation software, word processing, spreadsheet applications and email programs are also essential.  Previous experience in the pet food industry would be helpful.

For consideration, please fax, mail or e-mail your resume with salary history to the attention of:

Animal Nutritionist Position

Trouw Nutrition USA P.O. Box 219

Highland, IL 62249 Fax: 618-654-3157

openpositions@nutreco.com

For our Full Calendar of Events, please click on the provided link:

EVENTS CALENDAR

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AFB International, the maker of Optimizor®, BioFlavor®, and Enticer® brand palatants, sponsors your free copy of Petfood Industry Electronic Newsletter. AFB is the petfood industry's first choice for dog and cat food palatants. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.afbinternational.com.

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