PET Food Processing - September 2018 - 44

INGREDIENTS

"The improved
control of the
supply chain
leads to a
higher-quality
product for
the pet."
Jean-Francois Herve,
American Seafoods Company
How quickly fish meal
is processed after
being caught and the
ingredients used to
stabilize the fish meal
contribute to how
"clean" it's considered.
American Seafood Company

Merrick Pet Care, Amarillo, Texas, recognizes that
pet owners associate clean ingredients with transparency and sustainability. "Just as pet parents put a lot of
care and effort into what they eat, many also care deeply
about how they feed their pets - not just the quality of
ingredients, but how those ingredients are sourced or
cared for before they make it to their pet's bowl," says
Lindsey Fash, vice-president of marketing for Castor &
Pollux at Merrick.
In response, the company introduced the purposeful
pet food commitment in 2017. Part of this effort included developing an organic and responsibly sourced ingredient supply chain for pets. Many of the ingredients were
previously unavailable in an ample, consistent supply.
"We know that the majority of US households are
buying organic food on a regular basis, and this trend
is starting to influence how pet parents are buying food
for their pets," says Tim Simonds, president of Merrick.
"Our Castor & Pollux Organix USDA certified organic
pet food continues to experience growth. It's a complete
line of food for dogs and cats made with 95% or more
certified organic ingredients."
The company also now offers the Castor & Pollux
Pristine line of pet food, which is made with responsibly sourced ingredients. "The first ingredient in our
meat and poultry recipes comes from animals that are
responsibly raised with access to fresh air, natural light
and space to roam, such as free-range chicken and turkey and grass-fed lamb and beef," Simonds says. "And,
the first ingredient in our seafood recipes comes from
responsibly caught fish, like wild-caught salmon, tuna
and whitefish. We also source fruits and vegetables that
are responsibly grown without synthetic fertilizers or
chemical pesticides on farms that care for the earth."

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

The company recently renovated its popular Merrick
Limited Ingredient Diet dry and wet dog recipes to
feature fewer total ingredients. The improved recipes
provide complete and balanced nutrition from a single
source of animal protein and feature only eight key ingredients plus added vitamins and minerals.

Protein and beyond
Protein ingredient details are likely the most important
to many pet owners. Some prioritize single source without concern on form. Others prefer whole muscle or
minimally processed protein ingredients, while others
just want the protein to be sustainably raised or organic.
They are accepting of ingredients identified as by-products and meat meals.
"Rendering involves the processing of animal byproducts into fats and meals that can be used in pet
foods," says Paul Peebles, business manager, Ivanhoe
Industries Inc., Zion, Illinois. "This process generates
foam that reduces the efficiency of the production line.
Antifoam chemicals are added to the process to control
the foam, but these chemicals are typically synthetic in
nature and would not allow the rendered product to be
used in an organic pet food."
Ivanhoe Industries has developed antifoam products
made from all natural and organic certified ingredients
that can adequately control the foam in the rendering
process. This allows the rendered products to achieve an
organic certification.
American Seafoods Company LLC, Seattle, provides
pet food manufacturers with sustainable Wild Alaska
Pollock. This high-quality protein is sourced fresh from
the Bering Sea of Alaska. The fish are processed on the
boats within six hours of harvest, thus they have signifi-

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PET Food Processing - September 2018

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