“The potential is excellent”

Interzoo is just around the cor­ner. What trends and new developments in the pet food market do you expect to find at the show? Interzoo attendees can probably expect to see more pet food choices than ever before. We’ll see many new brands, some of which didn’t even exist during the last Interzoo only two years ago! I also expect to see more emphasis on natural and grain-free pet food than we’ve seen at previous shows. I expect that this emphasis will be particularly evident among the smaller, more agile manufacturers. What expectations are you taking to Nuremberg? Well, we expect to have a good show. We know that we’re going to see a record number of exhibitors. We certainly hope to see a record number of visitors as well. Like it or not, Interzoo is the best pet products show in the world. We’ve always done well there and we have every expectation that this year will be no different. Will your company present new products at Interzoo? We’re excited to be introducing Pro Pac Ultimates, an all-new natural product line. It will be our biggest product launch since introducing Earthborn Holistic in 2009. We’ll be eager to show off the new line and to share all of the details at Interzoo!

You recently exhibited at the Global Pet Expo, the US trade show. What do you think differentiates the American market from the European one with regard to pet food? Where do I begin?! Historically, the North American and the European markets have generally mirrored one another. There were similarities regarding consumer demand and sales trends as well as in the formulas and brands which were distributed. During the last decade a significant divide emerged, in large part over natural pet food. Demand for natural pet food in North America has been explosive. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of this market in North America. As a result, one could conclude that premium and super-premium brands are much less influential in the speciality segment than they used to be. It’s quite different in Europe where the natural pet food segment remains in its infancy and where premiums and super-premiums still dominate the speciality channels. Grain-free pet food has long since become established in the USA. After a shaky start, it is now gaining a…