Pet food under tzhe magnifying glass

It's not so many years ago that pets were fed on the leftovers from the master's table. No thought was given to the digestibility or health benefits of this food for the pet. Nowadays the situation is completely different: high demands are made not only on the flavour but also on the quality of pet food. To meet these demands, many companies have their pet foods thoroughly checked out by Intertek. From auditing and inspection via quality assurance to certification, Intertek offers global coverage, supporting its customers through a network of more than 1 000 laboratories and offices employing over 27 000 people. In addition to quality inspections, the scope of services includes laboratory tests, inspections and system certification and safety examinations. "We offer the pet supplies industry extensive checks across the entire supply chain, from the manufacturer to the food bowl," explains Dr Heino Steinmetz of Intertek.Real-life feeding tests for pets"In the pet food sphere, we support our customers with a wide range of laboratory analysis services," Steinmetz continues. These include chemical and microbiological investigations as well as determining nutrients, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The detection of undesirable substances, pesticide residues, genetic modifications and the determination of animal species are also on the comprehensive list of laboratory services offered. Advising developers and manufacturers of pet food along with retail and speciality chains about the legal and food science aspects also plays a key role in the company's activities.Sensory tests on pet food and acceptance tests involving pets in private households complete the quality assessment spectrum. Since pet food can only be sold successfully if both pet and owner accept the product without limitations, according to Intertek, it is necessary to test the attributes that are perceptible to human senses as well as acceptance of the food by the more sensitive pet. To test acceptance of the food by pets, Intertek conducts real-life feeding tests for dog and cat food. "We have a pool of 200 dogs and 200 cats of various breeds and sizes. The pets live in private households and so are not removed from their habitual environment. This makes the results authentic," explains Dr Volker Karl, the responsible laboratory manager at Intertek. Experience shows that acceptance of the food by a pet can change considerably within a year. This is often due to a cost-dependent change in raw…