Czech pet food manufacturer Vafo Group has announced the launch of Planet Pet Society, a new brand of sustainable dog and cat food made from raw materials that are unused food resources from human consumption. “Planet Pet Society is 100% carbon neutral. It is produced using local raw ingredients, renewable energy sources and fully recyclable packaging,” the company said in a statement.
“A full 1% from the sale of the new food goes to a project to restore seagrasses in the Baltic Sea, which provide shelter for many animals,” the company said. “In this way, Vafo is making a direct contribution to the protection of biodiversity.”
Vafo Group said Planet Pet Society products are manufactured using raw animal parts from primary production, including meat trimmings, organs, cartilage and fish skin, among others.
Karolína Čápová, Vafo Group’s product manager, said the company sees upcycling as “a new way of looking at the selection of high-quality, nutritious ingredients with less impact on the planet. They’re ideal for meeting the natural nutritional needs of dogs and cats with a primary component of animal protein, while reducing the impact on the environment.”
Other European companies have also announced product and facility expansions.
Polish pet food and care company adds new products to portfolio
Polish pet food and care company Dr. PetCare has launched a new range of wet cat food under its Country & Nature brand, according to Mariusz Wojciechowski, the company’s managing director. “Dr. PetCare has been present on the Polish market for two years. In line with our plans, over the past 1.5 years we have significantly expanded our product range and distribution,” he said.
In addition to wet cat food, the Polish company has also “prepared a number of new products, such as new varieties of wet pet food, including wet pet food for puppies,” according to the CEO. He added that with the latest launches, Dr. PetCare now offers more than 50 products to local consumers.
“These include a range of grain-free fresh meat dry dog food in three flavors and bag sizes; three ranges of wet food for dogs and one for cats; nutritional supplements for dogs and cats; biocidal collars; CBD oils; and also several other products that we distribute,” Wojciechowski said.
When asked about the company’s potential foreign expansion plans outside of Poland, he replied that Dr. PetCare is “in the process of planning to expand the presence of our premium pet food lines. We are looking at some neighboring markets, and we are looking for the right distribution model” to enter them.
Turkish pet food manufacturer opens new factory
Hasvet Medikal, an animal health and nutrition company based in Turkey, has opened a new factory in the Kırklareli Organized Industrial Zone in the country’s northwest to expand its product range. The plant will produce pet food under the company’s Fi Petfood brand.
Speaking at the official inauguration ceremony, Hidayet Şimşek, chairman of the company’s board of directors, said Hasvet Medikal has been able to increase its foothold in a number of foreign markets in recent years, according to local news agency IHA.
The new production facility has an output capacity of 10 tons of pet food per hour and uses fresh meat to make its products, Şimşek said. Hasvet Medikal “is a well-established company that entered the animal health sector 27 years ago. We are a company that manufactures many products that veterinarians need.
“We are here together for the launch of the Fi Petfood brand in a facility established for pet food production … which we have added to our [company’s] ecosystem as the last component,” the chairman said.
The value of the investment in Kırklareli was not disclosed.
