Wal-Mart announced that it had stopped selling Chicken Jerky Strips from the Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co. and Chicken Jerky from Shanghai Bestro Trading in July, after customers complained of the products sickening their pets. Wal-Mart also placed a computerized block on all cash registers to prevent workers from selling the products to consumers. Deisha Galberth, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said the company was aware of other retailers that were selling the products, but declined to identify them.

Wal-Mart said 17 tests conducted by a laboratory showed trace levels of melamine in the Chinese-made dog treats. In light of the store's removal of the items, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started an investigation of their own on August 22, 2007, but did not detect any chemical or biological contamination. According to an FDA spokeswoman, Kimberly Rawlings, the agency had reviewed Wal-Mart's lab report that mentioned 20 parts per million of melamine. "This level of melamine would not be expected to result in any animal illness," she said.

The Martin E-Z Auto Scoop Filling System operates without the need for scooping or hand filling, according to the company. The Filling System meets capacities of up to 750 fills per hour, operates from a foot switch and runs without proprietary software. The system also allows for easy cleaning since the live storage hoppers lift off with no fasteners to remove. www.shake-it.com

Alcan Packaging Food Americas offers metallized ink technology for flexible packaging that creates an appearance to help impact brand awareness and consumer purchase decisions, according to the company. The metallized ink can be used on flexible film, pouches or vacuum shrink bags, since it doesn’t have the size constraints of stripe metallization methods. Alcan uses vacuum metallized powder with fine dispersion to deliver flexible package printing with a brilliant finish and a true metallic look. www.alcanpackaging.com

The Zip-Pak Slider is meant for large format bags from one to 55 pounds, and is the first of its kind to be applied without the need for package alteration or modification to the equipment, according to the company. The Slider can be used on multi-wall paper, laminate pouches and woven pouch formats. The technology is specifically designed to enable brands featured in large format bags to provide consumer-preferred convenience, while maintaining package integrity. www.zippak.com

The TKF Valu-Lift Vertical Conveyor has been improved with a redesign to the systems take-up and stub shaft assemblies to utilize internal ball bearings as opposed to bronze bushings. The vertical conveyor is a four-strand, continuous lift, light-duty conveyor designed to handle cartons and other smooth-bottom unit loads of up to 50 pounds. Standard safety features include a 24 volt DC control, a current sensing relay, which instantly shuts down the conveyor if it is overloaded, totally enclosed shroud-type tunnel guards and a smooth, clean design. www.tkf.com

This paper explores the level complexity of olfactory code combination that allows mammals with a repertoire of about 1,000 active olfactory receptors (OR) encoded in their genomes to recognize and identify a much larger repertoire of odorant molecules. Researchers cloned 38 canine OR genes belonging to the same OR gene family and transiently expressed them in a subclone of embryonic human kidney cells (HEK293) permanently expressing the G(olf) subunit. Using a Ca2+ imaging approach, it was established that as many as 26 out of the 38 cloned OR elicited a Ca2+ response when exposed to octanal, whereas 10 responded to nonanal, other aldehydes providing intermediate responses. Altogether, these results demonstrated that the combination code is quite complex, thus supporting the highly developed sense of olfaction demonstrated by dogs.

Work on hepatic enzyme activities has showed that cats lack the ability to regulate the urea cycle enzymes in response to the dietary supply of protein. It was thus hypothesized that the high protein requirement of cats is due to an inability to regulate these enzymes, limiting adaptation to a low protein diet. This study used indirect respiration calorimetry to assess the in vivo ability of cats to adapt to substrate oxidation to different levels of dietary protein, including one below their protein requirement.

In random order, eight cats consumed each of four semi-purified diets containing 7.7% (LP), 14.6% (AP), 27.3% (MP) and 51.1% (HP) of ME from protein. Cats consumed each diet for at least 14 days and then completed a five-day nitrogen balance trial and at least two 12-hour indirect calorimetry measurements. The data were analyzed by ANOVA using the mixed procedure of SAS and are expressed as mean ±SEM. There was a significant effect of diet on protein oxidations (p<0.0001), measuring 9.8±0.5%, 13.4±0.9%, 23.5±0.8% and 49.0±1.8% of total energy expenditure on the LP, AP, MP and HP diets, respectively.


The ratio of protein oxidation/protein intake was significantly higher with the LP diet (1.27±0.07) than the other three diets (AP, 0.92±0.06; MP, 0.86±0.03; HP, 0.96±0.04; p<0.0001), indicating a net loss of protein on the LP diet. Thus, cats adapted to a wide range of dietary protein concentrations, but were unable to fully adapt to the LP diet.

PhD 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. An effective combination of a technical background, developed commercial skills and the desire to provide customers with profitable products and advice is a basic requirement. 

Because of our growth scenario we are currently searching for a PhD Animal Nutritionist. Preferred candidates will be goal oriented, skilled in market research and analysis, possess excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgment, and have demonstrated skills in negotiation.  A PhD in animal nutrition or a related field is required.  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:

PhD Animal Nutritionist
Trouw Nutrition USA
P.O. Box 219
Highland, IL 62249
Fax: (618) 654-3157
susan.boostrom@nutreco.com