Pampered Pets

Prepared Foods, April, 2000 by Deborah M. Staab

Soaring pet food introductions offered the same gourmet & health appeal as human foods.

Numerous pet food products offered the same herbs, fortifiers and all-natural ingredients as human foods in 1999. The trend spurred pet food introductions to a total of 158, up more than 50% from 105 products in 1998.

Some of the natural formulations--most of which were sold in health food stores--included items such as Showbound Naturals dog food from Integrated Pet Foods, Exton, Pa. The line contains no preservatives or additives and comes in Lamb & Brown Rice and Chicken & Brown Rice formulas.

Natural Choice, Lincoln, Neb., offered Slow Roasted Dog Treats in Turkey Jerky, Beef Liver Slices, and Beef Stix. Other treats from Doggie De Lites, McLean, Va., included Peanut Butter and Wheat Germ, Carob, and Parmesan Cheese.

Herbal-enriched pet foods included a cat and kitten food from Azmira Holistic Animal Care, Tucson, Ariz. It contains peppermint leaf, fennel seed and dandelion, among other herbs. Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, Calif., introduced Innova Lite cat food, made with chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine "to help build and maintain cartilage in joints."

A few new products addressed the specific health needs of older pets. Nestle USA, Glendale, Calif., offered Mighty Dog Senior Prime Cuts Chunks specially enriched with vitamin A in Beef and Rice in Gravy, and Chicken and Rice in Gravy varieties. Iams, a division of Procter & Gamble, Dayton, Ohio, rolled out Senior Formula Premium Cat Food, which comes in Chicken and Rice as well as Fish and Rice varieties. Nutro Pet, City of Industry, Calif., offered Max Cat Adult Cat Food, which provides taurine to help lower urinary pH levels.

Of course, not all pet products mirrored those made for humans. Both Heinz Pet Products, Pittsburgh, and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Topeka, Kan., offered hairball treatment products for cats. Hill's was a hard cat food, while Heinz's product came in the form of Treat-Ment, a cat treat.

The pet treat business, in general, is booming. One trend is the use of real meats rather than fillers in these treats. Heinz Pet Products rolled out Wagwells chewy treats made with real beef. D.C. Cuisine, Ketchikan, Ark., offered Alaska Chum Chips, made from dried Alaska chum salmon. And American Health Kennels, Pompano Beach, Fla., introduced Bark Bars made with human-grade ingredients in the shape of cats and postmen.

Oil-Dri Corp. of America, Chicago, combined both "healthy" and "natural" in its Smart Snacks Dog Treats. Each treat has a specific health benefit, such as Oral Hygiene Biscuits or High Digest Biscuits.

                                 Pet Foods
         1999 1998
Pet food  158  105
Source: New Product News/GNPD & PF