PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 12

TRENDS

"While the convenience of dry food still
makes it the most popular choice for pets,
there are numerous benefits to wet food."
Annabelle Immega, Petcurean

Right: Merrick Pet
Care's seasonal
varieties of canned
dog food are
popular with pet
owners wanting to
give their pets a
special meal.
Merrick Pet Care

Left: Fromm Family
Pet Food has
recently expanded
its pet food canning
capabilities and
introduced new
canned recipes for
dogs and cats.
Fromm Family Pet Food

Smith echoes that kind of benefit associated with canned
foods. "Canned food is also soft on a dog's teeth, easy on
the stomach and adds moisture that supports digestive system health," she says.
The can format can be attractive to consumers from a
practical perspective as well. "Wet food is also convenient
to store in the home due to the packaging size and ability to
stack," remarks Immega.
At a time when consumers are concerned about plastic
waste impacting the environment, most steel and aluminum cans can be recycled. If consumers recycle other steel
cans, such as soup and coffee cans, through their local recycling program, pet food should also be accepted.
At Merrick, Smith reports that the company's cans are
made of tin-coated steel with an organic coating on the inside of the can. "As with other steel items, they can be recycled," she says.
Brands have worked to share such recyclability messages
with their pet parent consumers. Petcurean, which has a
stated commitment of sustainable business practices and
a goal of 100% recyclable materials, explains to consumers
that its GO! Line of canned foods is totally recyclable.
St. Louis-based Nestle Purina, citing a recycling industry statistic that less than 20% of aluminum pet food cans
are recycled compared to 54% of aluminum cans for human use, launched its "Together We Can" initiative a few
years ago to educate pet parents about the recyclability of
pet food cans.
In a big picture way, cans aren't relegated to the pet food
industry's trash heap or recycling bin; canned pet foods are
part of many pet food processors' product mix. At Merrick,
Smith says that canned pet food has a role in the general

PET FOOD PROCESSING | September 2018 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

product line. "Cans, as well as pouches and individual serving dishes such as our Lil' Plates for smaller breeds, offer
convenient and right-sized portions in packaging that
is easy to open and serve. It helps pet parents control the
portion size and assists in maintaining their pets' optimal
weight," she points out.

Variety Show
Several manufacturers, including major companies, offer canned products in their respective portfolios. As
smaller, specialty and niche brands within the pet food
industry grow, they, too, produce food in cans, including
natural and organic foods.
The can is also important to some cooking methods. For
instance, Merrick's slow-cooked whole chicken wings and
thighs feature marinated tender chicken cooked on a softened bone. "The food is pressure cooked inside the can and
this process is what softens the bones. This special cooking
process makes the bone mushy and safe for dogs to enjoy
- the bones also provide the full flavor that dogs love,"
Smith adds.
Natural pet food processors continue to roll out cans of
natural and organic foods. Bravo Pet Food, Manchester,
Connecticut, recently complemented its line of frozen
raw pet food with canned foods under the Canine Café
and Feline Café label. Late last year, Fromm Family Foods,
based in Mequon, Wisconsin, introduced Fromm Pâté,
canned grain-free entrees sold in flavors like venison and
lentil and whitefish and lentil, among others.
Also generating some excitement in the canned food
segment are unique or seasonal flavors created to garner
interest among pet parents looking for premium or gourmet foods for their dogs, cats and other animals. Merrick,
for its part, offers seasonal recipes like Howl O'Ween Stew,
New Year's Eve Paw-ty and its original seasonal flavors of
Turducken and Thanksgiving Day Dinner recipes. The
company recently sponsored a "Name-the-Can" contest to
engage pet parents by giving them an opportunity to name
a limited-edition recipe, according to Smith.
Increasingly, meal time for pets is becoming about the
experience and the bonding opportunity between humans
and their pets. Mars Petcare calls this food philosophy
trend in the pet world culinary. Pet owners are focusing
on both the health benefits of the food they feed to their
pets and the enjoyable experience. In support of this trend,
more brands are encouraging pet owners to combine wet
pet food with dry kibble as toppers or special treats. A focus
on food as an experience for pets will undoubtedly keep
canned pet food in the mix.
PFP

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PET Food Processing - September 2018

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