7/21/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergA recent analysis of the pet industry suggested it was recession proof. The reasoning given was that overall sales remained robust despite the economic recession caused by the pandemic last year. Take for instance dog food sales in the U.S last year. Retail sales of dog food had their strongest growth (6.8%) in more than two decades, according to Sundale Research. Last year total retail sales rose to $19.3 billion, following a solid 4.2% increase in 2019. Sundale attributed the category growth to the COVID-19 pandemic, which boosted dog adoptions and had more people spending time at home forging bonds with their four-footed friends...READ MORE
6/16/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergIt’s not often that I get to write about breaking news in this blog, so I’m delighted to be able to share with you that Tree Top is adding dried pumpkin flake powder to its fruit ingredient lineup. You heard it here first. As I write this, our growers are planting this year’s pumpkin crop in the fertile soil of Washington just a few hours from Tree Top headquarters in Selah. When the crop is harvested this fall, it will be pureed and drum dried in our nearby processing facility in Woodburn, Oregon. So, it will be grown, harvested, and processed in a fairly compact geographic footprint... READ MORE
4/12/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergThe pet food topper and mix-in segment are gaining momentum fueled by new product activity and consumer interest. Toppers and mix-ins give pet parents the ability to add that something extra to their everyday kibble. While I honestly don’t think most dogs and cats look at their food and think, “oh no, not kibble again.” I do believe pet parents are concerned about feeding their pets the same thing day in and day out, and this is part of the reason why the topper/mix-in market is starting to gain traction...READ MORE
2/25/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergA recent blog in Petfood Industry had editor-in-chief, Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, pondering whether plants and plant protein would be the next big thing in petfood. Naturally, as an advocate for adding fruit in petfood and treats, this caught my attention. Ms. Donaldson gave examples of existing brands offering plant-based pet food (V-Planet, Natural Balance), startups with plant-based and vegan products (sweet potato/peanut butter), alternative proteins (microalgae, insects) and more. READ ON...
2/3/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergDuring all the grim economic news caused by the pandemic in 2020, the petfood segment managed not only to hold its own but actually continued its 10-year growth trend – a welcome silver lining. Despite everything, petfood innovation activity and sales rose during the past year. Through July of 2020, petfood and treat sales were up 4.3% compared to the same period in 2019, according to Nielsen data. And in 2020, new petfood and treat launches increased...READ MORE