But Nancy Cook, vice president of the Pet Food Institute's technical and regulatory affairs, said calorie labels are unnecessary and won't prevent obesity in pets. Many petfood labels already contain serving sizes based on a pet's size. Calorie information can be obtained from food manufacturers, Cook also said.

But the AVMA said it's not the jobs of consumers and veterinarians to track down manufacturers for that information. A standard nutritional label that lists the number of calories per weight of food and per household items such as a can or a cup would prevent owners from overfeeding their pets, the AVMA said. The information also would help consumers and veterinarians compare and choose the best food product, Branam said. For example, two cups of one product could have the same calories as one cup of another product.

An estimated 70 people, mostly in the Northeast region of the US, were infected by dog food produced by Mars Petcare at its Pennsylvania, USA plant. About 40% of those infections involved infants, according to the report, published in the May 16, 2008 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, viewable here . Most of the cases occurred in Pennsylvania (29), New York (nine) and Ohio (seven). There were also reported cases in Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia. No deaths were reported, according to the report. No pets became ill. However, Salmonella was identified in feces samples from dogs that ate the dry food.

In addition, Salmonella was found in open bags of the petfood fed to the dogs and in unopened bags of dog food made in the Pennsylvania, USA plant, the CDC said. Mars Petcare voluntarily recalled some bags of the two brands of food involved, but neither of the recalled brands was related to human illness. 

Salmonella infection typically comes from undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat, but can also result from direct contact with farm animals, reptiles and pets. To prevent infection, the CDC recommends consumers wash their hands immediately after handling the food, including dry dog food. "The most important thing is to wash your hands right after you handle any dry dog food, any other petfood, pet treats, even supplements or vitamins," Barton Behravesh said. "In addition, keep infants and other young children away from petfood, because kids tend to want to see what their dogs are eating and grab at the petfood and play with it or even put it in their mouth." 

The onward march of commodity prices is to blame for most of the price hikes on petfood. The price of key ingredients such as corn and rice, for example, are up some 30% in the past year. Petfood manufacturers say they have been able to offset much, but not all, of the commodity cost increases through the price hikes. "Like the entire food sector, we're seeing sharply escalating energy, transportation and ingredient costs," says Purina spokesman Keith Schopp.

Retailers and analysts say sales of organic and natural petfood products remain relatively strong, a category that got a big boost after last year's recalls of tainted petfood. These brands, many of them manufactured by small privately held companies, such as Blue Buffalo, command high prices per pound. "People are becoming much more conscious of what's in the bag," said Dave Bolen, chief merchandising officer of Petco stores.

That doesn't mean the economy isn't taking a bite out of pet profits in other areas, however. Faced with high gasoline prices, many consumers are consolidating their shopping trips, stocking up at supermarkets or discounter retailers such as Wal-Mart or Target rather than making a separate trip to the pet store. In announcing his company's fourth-quarter earnings on March 5, 2008, PetSmart chief Phil Francis reduced his expected earnings for this year to approximately US$1.59 per share, down from the US$1.95 per share the company reported for 2007. He also said he was reducing the number of new stores he is opening by 20% next year and planning fewer new Pet Hotel boarding facilities at existing locations.

Menu Foods Income Fund says its business is on the way to recovering from the impact of last year's recalls, although on a smaller scale. The petfood maker said it lost it lost an estimated US$2.2 million or 10.8 cents per unit for the three months ended March 31, 2008 compared with a loss of US$17.5 million or 91.8 cents per unit a year ago. Quarterly revenue was US$55.6 million, down from US$64.5 million.

Investors cheered the news. "We have made considerable progress and our prospects look better today than at any other time during this past year," president and chief executive Paul Henderson said in a statement. "As we move the business forward, we do so focusing on our core competency - the manufacture of high quality wet petfood. We will continue to work to solidify our customer base and further adjust our cost structure in line with our ongoing business."

In April 2008, Menu Foods reached a "comprehensive cross-border agreement in principle" on litigation arising from its tainted petfood scandal. The mediated settlement of the case, which combined an array of class-action suits filed in the United States, came just over a year after the recalls. Dozens of cases against Menu Foods and many of the companies that own the private labels were consolidated in a federal court in Camden, New Jersey, USA. The definitive terms of the deal, together with a motion for preliminary approval thereof, are scheduled to be filed with the US District Court on May 20, 2008, with a hearing scheduled on May 30, 2008. The scheduling for Canadian court is expected to occur at roughly the same time. 

  

According to the latest research from Euromonitor International, superpremium dry cat food was the fastest growing category in France during 2007. Growth was driven by manufacturers widening the range of products, implicitly driving cat owners to re-think the well-being of their pets. Furthermore, the offering of specific products for particular needs (breed, age or certain health issues) is a way to generate repeat business and brand loyalty among consumers.

Generally speaking, cat owners spend less on average for petfood than dog owners, obviously because cats eat less than dogs (or at least less than medium and large dogs). However, because of these smaller consumption quantities, cat owners seem not to perceive superpremium products as being excessively expensive. If manufacturers can maintain this perception, then superpremium cat food is likely to continue to experience growth.

For more information about Petfood and Pet Care Product reports from Euromonitor International and to buy reports online, visit:

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

 

--National Sales Manager/Sensora^TM

Summary:  Manage, develop and maintain strategic customer relationships to maximize Company sales and profits; service existing customers and work with target customers in North America. Implement sales strategies determined by the Business Plan.

Responsibilities:
-Sell flavor and palatability products to the North America pet food industry.
-Build, develop and manage relationships between Sensora^TM and its targeted customer base.
-Identify customer requirements for new portfolio items.
-Build knowledge of the competitive landscape.
-Participate in the strategic commercial planning process. ensuring adherence to Company guidelines and standards
-Provide information towards market area forecasting. Submit data as needed to maintain optimum customer satisfaction and Company profitability.
-Maintain current knowledge of computer applications, technical knowledge of specific focus areas and other requirements to perform job functions; participate in training courses as directed.
-Communicate with management/executive personnel, keeping them informed regarding issues/changes in the assigned areas.
-Apply cooperative work skills, build consensus and contribute to Company goals and values.

Reports to: President, Simmons Feed Ingredients (a Sensora^TM member company).

Location: Midwestern U.S.

The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, will be adaptable, will demonstrate initiative and judgment, will be service oriented, will embrace a continuous improvement approach, will understand and work well in a cross-functional environment, will embrace self-development, and will work to the highest standards.

The Company offers a competitive compensation package with benefits including 401k, health insurance, vacation and holidays. To apply for this position please submit a current resume via email to james.northern@mane.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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