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August
5, 2008
Volume 8, Number
14
This newsletter is also available in an Adobe PDF format; click on the
following link to begin download:
Petfood Industry eNews.
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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.
Court
says petfood research not public
The
Iams Company's records from seven years of petfood research conducted at
Mississippi State University are not public documents, the state Supreme
Court has recently ruled. In 2006, People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) sued Mississippi State University, alleging that the
school violated the Mississippi Public Records Act by denying the animal
rights group access to records of dental experiments and other tests on
animals conducted since 1999 by Iams.
Iams
had argued that the experiments were the company's intellectual property.
The company also said it had made substantial investment at Mississippi
State to develop and protect that property. PETA responded by saying it
didn't want trade secrets and that the organization only wanted to know
what happened to the animals at Mississippi State. PETA also claimed that
the university wanted an advance fee of US$40,497 for the documents it
requested. When it reduced the number of pages asked for, PETA said MSU
told them that only 19 of the requested pages would be sent and the cost
would be US$1,000. According to court documents, the university claimed
the remaining pages contained proprietary information.
In a
2006 ruling, it was determined that the type and number of animals used
in an experiment, whether surgery will be performed and information
related to animals' pain and discomfort did not qualify as trade secrets.
In a ruling in June 2008, however, the Supreme Court rejected PETA's
arguments.
"PETA
failed to rebut the evidence presented by MSU and Iams that the data and
information requested in the subject records constituted trade secrets
and/or confidential commercial and financial information of a proprietary
nature developed by MSU under contract with Iams," Justice Michael
Randolph wrote in his majority opinion. "Therefore, this court finds
that the data and information requested by PETA is exempted from the
provisions of the Mississippi Public Records Act."
Celebrities endorsing lines of premium and organic dog food
Popular television host and home-cooking chef Rachael
Ray has launched her own dog food brand named Rachael Ray Nutrish, from
Dad's Pet Care Inc. Ray says her latest venture was inspired by her own
dogs, and proceeds are to be donated to Rachael's Rescue, an organization
the food star founded to help at-risk animals find adoptive homes.
"I love my dog Isaboo, and as a member of my family, I
need to make sure that she eats as well as the rest of us," Ray
said. "With the launch of Nutrish, I now have the opportunity to
share with other pet lovers some of her favorite meals, flavors and special
treats."
According to Ray's website, Rachael Ray
Nutrish includes two varieties of all natural dog food featuring
real meat as the first ingredient - Real Chicken & Veggies and
Real Beef & Brown Rice. There are no by-products, fillers, artificial
flavors or preservatives; and each recipe contains antioxidant nutrients
like vitamin E and selenium to support a healthy immune
system; a fiber blend including oatmeal for easy digestion;
Omega Fatty Acids, with a dash of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to support
healthy skin and a shiny coat; high quality proteins to support healthy
organs and lean muscle mass; and calcium for strong bones and healthy
teeth. Find out more at Rachael's website for Nutrish.
Cesar
Milan, well-known dog behavior specialist and star of National Geographic
Channel's Dog
Whisperer with Cesar Milan, has partnered with Petco to brand
"Dog Whisperer" merchandise for dogs, including organic dog
food, treats and other products and accessories. Among the products in
Cesar's Dog Whisperer line are organic canned and dry dog food, treats,
fortified water, liquid supplements, collars and leashes, toys, grooming
products, training pads, stain and odor removers, beds, bowls, and an
instructional series of DVDs. The line is expected to include more than
100 products. Additionally, PETCO.com will offer access to an exclusive online
dog coaching course personally designed and developed by Cesar Millan to
instruct owners on raising a happy, healthy and well-balanced dog.
Selling
petfood in Saudia Arabia may have just gotten more difficult
Walking
a dog in the park is a sure babe magnet. Saudi Arabia's Islamic religious
police, in their zeal to keep the sexes apart, want to make sure the
technique doesn't catch on. The solution: Ban selling dogs and cats as
pets, as well as walking them in public. The prohibition went into
effect last month in the capital, Riyadh, and authorities in
the city say they will strictly enforce it - unlike previous bans in the
cities of Mecca and Jiddah, which have been ignored and failed to stop
pet sales.
Violators
found outside with their pets will have their companions confiscated
by agents of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the
Prevention of Vice, the official name of the religious police, tasked
with enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic code. The commission's
general manager, Othman al-Othman, said the ban was ordered because of
what he called "the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs
to make passes at women and pester families" as well as
"violating proper behavior in public squares and malls."
"If
a man is caught with a pet, the pet will be immediately confiscated and
the man will be forced to sign a document pledging not to repeat the
act," al-Othman told the Al-Hayat newspaper. "If he does, he
will be referred to authorities." The ban does not address women.
Salesmen
at a couple of Riyadh pet stores said they did not receive any orders
from the commission banning the sale of pets. Cats and dogs were still on
display. There was no word whether commission authorities intend to
expand the dog and cat ban beyond the capital. The prohibition may be
more of an attempt to curb the owning of pets, which conservative Saudis
view as a sign of corrupting Western influence. Although it has never
been common to own pets in the Arab world, it's becoming increasingly
fashionable among the upper class in Saudi Arabia and other countries
such as Egypt.
Homeless
animals getting lots of help
Companion
animals in shelters and resucues across the US are benefiting from
various charitable functions, websites and donations in the face of
economic recession.
Take
for example, Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS) Chicago partnering with Pet
Promise natural petfood. With events to be held during the month of
August all over the Chicago-area in neighborhood festivals and 16 Petco
stores, pet owners will have a chance to support PAWS Chicago and get
tips on eco-friendly pet care and natural petfood.
The
Chicago events are part of Pet Promise's "Pets For The Planet'
campaign, which supports Pet Promise's commitment to environmental practices.
These practices include sourcing protein exclusively from natural US
farms and ranches, where the animals are raised humanely and sustainably.
PAWS Chicago helps operate a facility where cats and dogs have plenty of
room to play. The organization has saved thousands of pets from being
euthanized with its policy of doing anything possible to save a homeless
pet.
Power
of Paws, underwritten by Del Monte Pet Foods, has formed a special
website www.powerofpaws.com
that features over 100 emotional pet videos that remind everyone how much
pets really give to their owners. For each person that signs ups for more
information or shares their own pet story, US$1 will be donated to
charity partners.
New
funding opportunities are available for shelters and breed rescues across
the US through support from the newly established Pedigree Adoption Drive
Foundation (PADF). The foundation started officially accepting grant
requests in late June through an online web application process at www.PedigreeFoundation.org
. All shelters and breed rescue are encouraged to create an account.
The deadline for all grant applications is September 30, 2008.
Pet Valu
rises to highest on acquisition proposal
Pet
Valu Inc., a Canadian petfood retailer, rose to the highest price in
Toronto trading after saying it was approached about a possible
acquisition. The Pet Valu board will consider the unsolicited offer with
the advice of its financial and legal advisers, Markham, Ontario- based
Pet Valu said in a statement. The retailer didn't disclose which company
was interested in buying it or any of the financial terms.
The
owner of about 340 shops in Ontario, Manitoba and the US has a market
value of C$137.5 million (US$131.9 million). Shareholders elected a
new Pet Valu board in May 2008 after Goodwood Inc., a firm that owned
about 20% of the retailer's stock as of March 14, 2008, pressured
executives to expand its store network. Pet Valu rose C$1.24 (US$1.19),
or 9.7%, to C$13.99 (US$13.42), the highest since at least 1993, when it
sold shares to the public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The stock has
gained 7.6% this year.
The retailer is jeopardizing the ``long-term success'' of the business by
not responding to competitors' expansion after years of ``stagnant''
store growth, Toronto-based Goodwood had said in April. PetSmart
Inc. said this year that there was room for about 100 more stores in
Canada, and Global Pet Food Stores Inc. plans to add 100 new locations in
the next several years, Goodwood said.
If FDA says pentobarbital is
safe for petfood, why is it killing wildlife?
In 2002, the FDA released a report of their 2-year study finding
pentobarbital (the drug commonly used to euthanize animals) in petfoods.
With that finding, the FDA began an 8-week test to see if levels of
pentobarbital in petfood could be harmful to pets. The FDA testing -
performed on 42 12-week old Beagles - showed that the amounts of the drug
found in petfood would not harm pets
A
recent US Fish and Wildlife report states pentrobarbital is considered an
environmental hazard "responsible for the deaths of over 140 Bald
and Golden Eagles in recent years - as well as numerous other
wildlife." Other wildlife named in the report included California
Condors, vultures, hawks, storks, gulls, crows, ravens, bears, lynxes,
foxes, bobcats and cougars. This report stated the reason for the
wildlife was exposed to the drug was from access to euthanized carcasses
of farm animals and small animals in land fills.
Each month the Petfood
Industry eNewsletter will bring you the latest market data
available from several different sources including Euromonitor
International, Packaged Facts, Information Resources Inc. (IRI) and
ACNielsen.
Economy
dry dog food shows most dynamic growth for 2008
According
to the latest research from Euromonitor International, the Indian dog
food segment is expected to grow 21% in current value sales to reach
Rs1.46 billion (US$34.4 million) in 2008.
Economy
dry dog food is the most dynamic sector in 2008, growing 25% current
value terms. While this was partly due to the fact that it has a bigger
increase in average unit prices than any other category, economy dry dog
food also benefits as import restrictions limited the availability of
mid-priced and premium brands, most of which are imported.
Strong
current value growth for economy dry dog food was also attributable to
the successful introduction of more specialized or value-added products
at higher price points. For example, Effem launched new products for dogs
at different life stages, from puppies to adults, under its Pedigree
brand. This trend towards greater segmentation was evident throughout dog
food, with the premium segment witnessing the launch of new dog breed-,
age- and size-specific variants under leading brands like Royal
Canin.
Click
here for more information on this report: http://www.euromonitor.com/Pet_Food_And_Pet_Care_Products_in_India?DCMP=AFC-petfoodemail
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
Vortex
Valves offers solution for cross contamination
The
Quick Clean Orifice Gate Valves by Vortex Valves is designed to handle
dry bulk solids in gravity-flow conveying applications. According to the
company, it can be readily disassembled, cleaned and reassembled without
tools for quick maintenance. Vortex Valves states that the blade and seal
design their Orifice Gate Valves vary from traditional equipment by
having a "self-clean" feature, which allows the valve to
maintain cleanliness and inhibit material leakage. www.vortexvalves.com
Ampac
Flexibles provides solventless laminations
Ampac
Flexibles, the flexible packaging division of Ampac Packaging LLC, has
used its Comexi laminator, a unit that utilizes low viscosity adhesives
to achieve strong interlayer lamination bonds, to provide solventless
lamination for its customers. A recent internal study for Ampac showed an
86% improvement using solventless lamination (SLL) over solvent-based
lamination (SBL). According to Ampac, advantages include improved
shelf-life, barrier and appearance as well as the elimination of concerns
relating to the removal of retained solvents and volatiles associated
with solvent laminations. www.ampaconline.com
Vane
pumps handle corrosive liquids at levels of pressure
Viking
Pump's LVP series of stainless steel vane pumps provide up to 14 Bar (200
PSI) thin liquid capability at capacities up to 36 M³/Hr (160 GPM), says
the company. Designed for thin, corrosive liquids at high pressures, the
LVP series pumps are available in a metric-standard design, with DIN
flanges, IEC motor mount and metric-standard shaft seal options. The
pumps are also available with ANSI flange ports, NEMA motor mount,
inch-standard seals and can be foot mounted. www.vikingpump.com
Cloud
Packaging offers exact pouch counts
Cloud
Packaging Solutions has developed a new technology that, according to the
company, ensures both accurate filling and exact pouch count for retail
cartons and bulk cases. Cloud Packaging states this new technology is
able to process up to 4,500 pouches per minute, allowing for higher
throughput and the ability to meet label carton counts. Currently the
technology is offered in the Performa SP, a multi-axis servo drive HFFS
pouch machine. www.cloudps.com
Endurance
in a pill
While
anabolic steroids can help build the bulky muscles that provide power and
speed, there hasn't been a targeted drug capable of building the
endurance needed to run a marathon or to ride a bike through the Alps.
Now, there just might be, suggests a new study in mice, published on
July 31, 2008, in an advance online publication of the journal Cell.
Researchers
report that they have identified two separate biochemical signaling
pathways that are turned on in response to exercise-and that artificially
turning those pathways on in mice produced rodents with much greater
endurance that were also able to use energy more efficiently. It remains
to be seen if similar results would be seen in dogs, cats or people.
Researchers
have identified two drugs that mimic many of the physiological effects of
exercise. The drugs increase the ability of cells to burn fat and are the
first compounds that have been shown to enhance exercise endurance.
Both
drugs can be given orally and work by genetically reprogramming muscle
fibers so they use energy better and contract repeatedly without fatigue.
Mice that were given AICAR, one of the two drugs, ran 44% longer than
untreated animals. The second compound, GW1516, had a more dramatic
impact on endurance, but only when combined with exercise.
Source: V.A. Narkar, et al, 2008. AMPK
and PPARδ agonists are exercise mimetics. 10.1016/j.cell.2008.06.051.
Insulin
resistance in dogs
In
humans, obesity is closely associated with insulin resistance. The
purpose of this study was to explore the effect of age on metabolic
disturbances related to obesity in dogs (n = 25). Three age-groups of
dogs (puppies, young adults and mature adults) were overfed to induce
obesity. Body composition, insulin sensitivity index (IIS) and plasma
lipids were measured.
Fat
mass was similar in the three obese groups. In mature adults, body weight
(BW) increased (+45%, p < 0.001) and IIS decreased (−60%,
p < 0.001) over 22 weeks. In young adults, BW gain was
similar but slower (60 weeks) and IIS decreased to a lesser extent
(−49%, p < 0.001). Overfed puppies weighed 30% more
(p < 0.01) than normally-fed control puppies, but there was
no change in IIS. Unlike young and mature adults, obese puppies did not
exhibit significant changes in triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acid
concentrations.
As
in humans, obese dogs develop insulin resistance that is associated with
high TG levels. However, younger animals may be better able to balance
energy needs with energy consumption.
Source:
S. Serisier, et al,
2008. Hypertriglyceridaemic insulin-resistant obese dog model: effects of
high-fat diet depending on age. J.
An. Physiology and An. Nutrition 92:419-425.
Our help wanted listings
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information on placing a listing in upcoming issues.
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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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