26
| PET GAZETTE
GRAIN-FREE PET FOOD
GRAIN-FREE PET
FOOD: IS PET
FOOD INSPIRED BY
HUMAN EATING
HABITS CAUSING
BIG PROBLEMS?
CASEY COOPER-FISKE looks at the ongoing FDA
investigation and whether it will bring down the rise
of the independent pet food manufacturer
www.petgazette.biz
J
ust two months ago,
with market share
reportedly shifting towards
independent manufacturers
over the major brands, it
appeared that the world of
pet food inspired by human dietary trends was
untouchable. With independent brands proudly
claiming they were “responding more quickly
to changing consumer needs” than the majors,
and one retailer that stocks only independently
produced food claiming Mars and Nestle
products contained “four percent of the named
meat in them”, it was becoming obvious that
in order to be sure of what goes into their
pet’s food, owners would have to go with
independent brands. The ‘indies’ position at
the top was only cemented when Mars Petcare
ran into serious trouble in Australia, with over
70 dogs contracting the fatal megaesophagus
disease as a result of consuming its food,
leading to the company providing funding for
euthanasia and replacement dogs for all of the
owners involved. Troubles at majors didn’t end
there with Sainsbury’s forced to recall a large
proportion of its pet food products after they
were found to contain “higher than specified
levels of vitamin D”, and Mars Petcare plunged
into more trouble after the FDA found evidence
of a roach infestation at one of the company’s
US production plants. The strength of a lot of
independent manufacturers was grain-free
food. Inspired by gluten-free trends in human
food, it was thought that despite no scientific
evidence to back it up, the grain-free food was
a great way to make more hypoallergenic pet
September 2018