8/22/2019 By Jeannie SwedbergBrands can reassure pet owners of the integrity and safety of their products by using human-grade ingredients. Being more transparent about the provenance and manufacturing details of pet food can win over consumers. Read more...
7/30/2019 By Jeannie SwedbergLate last year The Economist declared 2019 to be the Year of the Vegan. In the featured article, it stated that 25% of Millennials age 25 to 34 were identified as vegetarians or vegans. While this prediction gained a lot of attention in the food industry, what I find interesting is not veganism, which is still a small percentage of the total U.S. population, but the mainstreaming of plant-forward eating - flexitarians. This is people across the age spectrum increasing their ‘plant’ or fruit/vegetable/legume/grain intake. As a result, retail sales of plant-based foods in the U.S. grew 11% in the past year, totaling $4.5 billion... Click title to read more.
7/18/2019 By Jeannie SwedbergAnother discussion topic at Petfood Forum was about updating pet food nutrition labels. My take on that is—what took so long? Apparently, the current labeling, “Guaranteed Analysis and calorie contents,” was introduced in the early 1900s. From the average consumer’s view point, Guaranteed Analysis is nearly indecipherable as a guidepost for their pet’s nutritional needs. Click title to read more...
6/30/2019 By Jeannie SwedbergInformation I picked up at the recent Pet Food Forum suggests that pet food sales remain strong. Nielsen figures for pet consumables sales across all channels in 2018 totaled $32.7 billion, which is an increase of 5%. The interesting part of the data lies in the specific channel sales. Click title to read more.
6/26/2019 By Jeannie SwedbergMust admit, I’m intrigued by hemp. At first it was just passing interest. I imagine like everyone else; it was the allure of the once forbidden. But then I read an acre of hemp is worth $60,000, compared to wheat at $600 per acre. Click title to read more.