A vicious circle

Last year Diamond Pet Foods and now Menu Foods -- the American pet supplies sector has been rocked recently by recalls initiated by major pet food manufacturers. And there's no end in sight, as new recall actions by US companies like Chenango Valley Pet Foods and American Nutrition show. All the country's media have featured reports in the last few months on dogs and cats that have died or are sick. On the Internet stunned pet owners have recounted the agonies their beloved pets have suffered as a result of being fed with a recalled product. Bad press like this is a severe test of consumers' faith in industrially produced pet food, and that in turn is bad for the image and further commercial development of the entire sector. This is why it is to be hoped that the recalls will trigger a long-overdue change in thinking among manufacturing companies - because if pet food scandals become the norm, it won't be long before radical animal welfare campaigners are climbing onto the barricades en masse to pillory all industrially produced pet food. Such a development would pose considerable problems for our sector. There's a reason why recall notices are currently stacking up. Over the last few years, the price war in the pet food sector has become increasingly aggressive, especially in the USA. Even the premium segment has not escaped this development. But if a growing number of manufacturers are forced to manufacture their products increasingly cheaply to have any chance of remaining competitive in the market, they have no option but to resort to even cheaper raw materials, thus creating a vicious circle. And that's precisely the problem: if the quality of the raw material deteriorates, it's the consumers, i.e. dogs and cats, who suffer in consequence. It's no accident that the number of allergies suffered by many pets has increased dramatically in recent years; in many cases this is due to pet food products to which vitamins and minerals have been added artificially, or which contain preservatives and other additives. Pet owners are becoming increasingly critical. They pay greater attention than ever before to the composition of the pet food on the dealers' shelves. The growing demand worldwide for organic products and naturally produced food is understandable in this context. Consumers don't want junk food any more, but healthy nutrition for their four-legged friends. The majority of pet food manufacturers are already meeting this demand - but all companies need…