Pet food is the first way of feeding pets (around 70%) and consists of all the pre-packaged industrial foods, processed and designed specifically for their specific needs.

With over 2 billion euros a year in Italy and a positive trend in volumes and turnover, pet food shows a growth in value even higher than that of packaged consumer goods.

Pet owners increasingly recognize the need for adequate nutrition for their pets to ensure them greater longevity and prevent the onset of some diseases. Pet food must be nutritionally complete and free from contaminants. In this regard, the European association of reference for pet food –the FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation)– has recently issued new nutritional guidelines that identify specific nutrients and reference values, based on the latest scientific knowledge.

The sector of pet food is becoming more and more aligned with the sector of food for human consumption.

Producers must rely on adequate safety and quality controls to keep up with market needs in terms of supply chain traceability, nutritional quality, health safety, selection of raw materials, standardization of best practices, new formulations and presentation of product (packaging, advertising). Furthermore, the new trends in organic, GMO-free or unprocessed pet food impose even higher standards of control.

Mérieux NutriSciences offers a complete portfolio of services to the pet food industry: accredited analyzes for the safety and quality of pet food, determination of shelf-life, assessment of the biodegradability and compostability of packaging, labeling and legislative updating services. We also have a dedicated center for sensory analysis and market research to support the launch of competitive products on the market.

Analytical Service

FEED SPECIFICATION
PROXIMATES
VITAMINS: hydro and lipo-soluble
MINERALS: Magnesium, Calcium/Phosphorus, Iodine, Copper, Potassium, Sodium, etc.
CONTAMINANTS

• Mycotoxins
• Heavy metals
• Antibiotics, veterinary drugs, hormones
• Pesticides: multiresidue analysis (>900 active principles), single determinations (glyphosate/AMPA, fipronil, etc.) and multipackage analysis (quaternary ammonium salts, fumigants, polar pesticides, etc.)
• Melamine
• Cyanuric acid
• Ethoxyquin
• Gluten analysis and allergens as per Reg. 1169/2011
• Contaminants from packaging: MOSH/MOAH, bisphenols, etc.

PATHOGENS (Salmonella, etc.) and MICROBIOLOGICAL STABILITY
OGM
SPECIES IDENTIFICATION and foreign DNA identification
QUALITY INDICATORS

• BHA / BHT
• Histamine, biogenic ammines
• Free Fatty Acids
• Peroxides
• Para anisidine
• Kreiss assay
• Total iodine
• Potassium sorbate/Sorbic acid

PROCESS INDICATORS

• Starch Gelatinization / Cooked Starch
• Acrylamide

Shelf-life 
Sensory analysis and Market research
Packaging testing services
Packaging biodegradability and compostability
Labeling 

• Check of regulatory requisites of nutritional information
• Nutritional composition
• Additives
• Nutritional claims

Regulatory Update and alert monitoring