I finally got my hands on Season 5 and watched all of it..yes I know, pretty much the same time that they started airing it on Star World...but well, I guess better late than never. and the good thing was that I got to watch all of it together which I think is very important while watching something as complicated as LOST. Also, an added advantage is to have Aru, my sister beside you because that girl has watched the show with so much concentration, paying attention to every detail that you are sure that you will never get lost in LOST! She will always tell you where the particular character had been shown for the first time and in what context and if you are luck she might even remember the episode name!
So, we all know the deal with LOST. Its been going on forever and they have played with every concept possible be it ghosts, monsters, time travel, going back and forth, flashes..name it and they would have definitely had a trace of it in some or the other episode..chances are you were confused and did not understand what was happening exactly and hence mixed up things and could not correlate!
Even though the series is so damn confusing and makes no sense...we still watch it...every single episode..hoping that..in this episode something will make sense....I think that is one of the reasons why people keep watching the show..the hope!!
Another reason why I think we watch it is because we all want to be on the island. In the season 5, it is obvious that the people were chosen to go to the island. They were not there by chance. So, I guess it is that feeling somewhere deep down in us that hopes that we will also be chosen someday to go and be on 'the island' is too much to say..maybe any random island...
Now that I am done doing all the bashing and telling you how bad the show is...I want to tell you the real reason as to why I keep watching the show. Actually its not just a single reason...
Reason 1 - The show is made so damn well. Every shot, ever reaction which is captured, the clothing, the attention to detail in every scene....it is just mind blowing.
The songs they choose, the books they read on the show, each and every thing is so well chosen and fits very well.
Reason 2 - I love the way they keep it complicated. It makes you think. You have to watch everything attentively. You cannot just watch it for the sake of it. It demands respect and attention. You have to look at every little thing in every shot...you never know where it is gonna come again.
Very few people I know love this show and have not given up on it by now. And we all have the same thing to say about it. The small things make the story and give u connections to things which you never thought were connected. The writers have done a very very good job and the makers of the show have done justice. And the ambiguity always remains. We can always expect the unexpected. It is not that I am comfortable with ambiguity or that I like living without knowing what is going to happen. But it is just that, there are very few shows where you do not know the end result. Think about it...every movie or show you have ever watched...you had a rough idea as to what was gong to happen in the end and in case you did not know exactly what was going to happen, I am sure you knew what could be the 2 possible endings or even three(I know I am giving too much credit to ordinary shows).
Reason 3 - Yes, I want to go to the island and be a part of it and see if I can live the life they are living and maybe survive even a single day. Also, as John Locke puts it, I want to know if the island will choose me and if I will be something else when I go to the island. I want to know if I have it in me to be on the island and unravel the mysteries, to hold a gun and shoot if necessary and know whom to trust and when to trust and do what it takes to save everybody, maybe even dying!
Reason 4 - The characters in LOST. Each one is so well thought of. Each one has a past, a present and a future. The strength and courage they exude is brilliant. The way they work things out even in the worst of the circumstances and do the unthinkable...hats off to the writers.
The people who act in the show are also very well chosen. I'd like to now describe a few characters in brief here..
Anna Lucia - She was one of my favourite characters in the show. Remember the Lady Cop who was strong and determined and was an absolute no nonsense person...Michelle Rodriguez was a wonderful choice for the role.I really wish they had kept her in the show.
Daniel Faraday - The crazy, meek looking, brilliant scientist. What an amazing character. He knew everything and the way he spoke about things and the theories which he had and his mouse Eloise..all just fit so well with the character. I really wish they had kept Faraday in the show too. But they have promised that all the characters will come back in the final season. Waiting for Season 6 eagerly! Faraday is played by Jeremy Davis.
Charlie Pace - Once again, they killed the character. He was the bass player of the band Drive Shaft when he got on the plane. A very brilliantly sketched character who dies trying to communicate with Penny's (Desmond's girl friend) people. The character is played by Dominic Monaghan.
Desmond Hume - He was not on the plane when it crashed. He was on the island before the crash. He washed onto the island when he was on a boat race around the world. The character is played by Henry Cusik. He was Faraday's constant and Faraday believed that Desmond was special and that the rules of the island would never apply to Desmond.
John Locke - This is the character who thinks that the island is his destiny and that he is someone when he is on it. In season 6 he is given an important role where he is expected to lead the people. He even dies and comes back to life on the island. But my theory is that, it was the guy who wanted to kill Jacob who took Locke's form and kills Jacob. They find Locke's body and soon realize that there are 2 Lockes. The conviction and the ability to believe that this character shows is phenomenal. The ability to know things without anybody telling them to him is also brilliant. The character is played by Terry O'Quinn.
Sawyer - This is one of my favourite characters. He is the unruly, bully kinda person you will find everywhere. Someone who normal people think is stupid and avoid and at the same time are scared of in some way or the other. The con man turned good guy in lost. The character is played by Josh Holloway. Sawyer never takes it upon himself to please anyone but he tries to at all times to help and has a thinking of his own and his judgement is really good most of the time. The scene in which he jumps off the helicopter just so that the others could go back is a really good scene which shows what he is really made up of.
Juliet Burke - I liked this character very much when she first showed up even though I was not supposed to like her at all, after all she was one of the others. A very beautiful blonde who is nothing like a blonde. She has her hand wrapped around every kind of situation, be it shooting an enemy or cooking dinner or even delivering a baby..she does it all!! A super woman of sorts who in the end of season 5 falls into the well and still survives to make it to the core of the bomb and detonate it. I think they have killed her as well in the series. The character is played by Elizabeth Mitchell, a very good actress.
Kate Austen - Once again a very well sketched character and a brilliant performance by the actress, Evangeline Lilly. She is beautiful and knows how to handle most situations well excepting for the Jack and James problem. She is the one Jack Shepherd and James Sawyer keep fighting for and till the end of season 5, nobody knows whom she goes to. She is a convict who reached the island in handcuffs and the island gives her a chance to live a free life once again. She is one character who dares to do anything and will do anything it takes. She takes Aaron, Claire's son and brings up as her own till the time comes when she has to return to the island. A very strong and beautiful character. One of the main ones in the series.
Sun Kwon - The typical rich girl who marries against her father's wishes. This is the character that Yunjin Kim plays in the form of Sun Known in LOST. There are a lot of things which are revealed about her on reaching the island. She gets pregnant on the island and has her kid once she gets back to the 'real world'. Once again, she is a very strong character and portrays a very strong woman capable of taking any decision at any time when required.
Jin Kwon - This is Sun's husband and he is the only character who does not speak English in the series. Even his wife knows English, even though she does not reveal it at first. He wants his wife to believe that he is dead so that she does not come back to the island looking for him when the 'Oceanic Six' make it back to the main land. The character is played by Daniel Dae Kim.
Jack Shepherd - The doctor who wants to fix everything. He is a character who is confused at times and some times knows what to do when. Somebody who looks for a reason to do things. A very rational character who believes in right and wrong. He tries to lead the people most of the time and at times ends up making wrong decisions. The character is played by Matthew Fox. In season 5 he ends up believing in is destiny and actually thinking that Locke is right in whatever he does.
Sayid - Sayid is played by NAveen Andrews. He is an ex military officer and cpable of bearing and inflicting pain which is unthinkable. He plays a very strong character in the series, someone who minds his own business and at the same time does what it takes to get things up and running. His ability to fix electronic goods is also shown to a great extent in the series.
These were a few of my favourite characters. Some others are:
Frank Lapidus - the Pilot
Charlotte - the anthropologist
Miles - the guy who talks to ghosts and dead people
Michael - He is on the island and manages to get off it and then comes back to it I think.
Walt - Michael's son. Who in the course of the show..grows up..
Boon and Libby - The brother sister duo who land on Oceanic 815. Both die on the island.
Claire - Aaron's mother
LOST has so many characters...at times it does get a little difficult to remember all of them. But each one has their special place in the series and each one does something meaningful and has a story which backs up their character...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Sectoral Analysis Report on the Pet Product Industry
Products for Animals
Since main lived in caves, animals have been a part of his life. Animals provided everything to man from food, clothing and protection and even today, they do the same. This report on ‘Products for Animals’, focuses on how man has tried to give back to the animals using technology and science and his understanding of the needs of animals. There are various species of animals existing in this world and each and every animal has a different need. Many industries have identified these needs today and are in the market. Every animal, be it a pet or a farm animal today has a number of products which are used on it. This is an attempt to analyze all the products which go into their lives and how it affects them.
Chapter 1 – Stakeholder Analysis
The products offered and the customers in this industry are many. All kind of living things are involved in this industry. Hence, a stakeholder analysis was important to understand who the users of the products are, the primary stakeholders. The primary stakeholders are a range of animals ranging from pets to wildlife as products are made for all of them. I observed that each one of these stakeholders has to be understood individually as each one has products made which are catered to their needs. The primary stake holders are shown below. Even Human beings are stakeholders in this industry, they might not be the consumers but are definitely the customers because it is only through them that the products reach the animals.
I tried to study some of these primary stakeholders individually to understand what their needs are exactly. Here is an example.
On studying Guinea Pigs and Hamsters closely, I observed that there was a lot to know about the animal before making a product for them. Their mannerisms and the way they live and even their life span. Some facts I found out were:
They like to live in groups, their urine crystallizes, they have a long period of activity along with short periods of sleep, their life span is 4 to 5 years, they are a hybrid breed which is not found in the wild.
They are used as:
House Pets, Food source in certain areas, Media and Movies, Hamster Fur coats, Test subjects, Breeding and Selling, Folk medicine.
The breeds they have are:
Peruvian, Sheltie, Texel, Abyssinian, English Short Hair to name a few in guinea pigs. Hamsters have other breeds like Syrian, Winter white Russian dwarf, etc.
The products which are used for them are:
Wood shavings as cage lining, Cleaning equipment and odour control, cages(Wire mesh and chloroplast cages), food bowls , feeders and waterers, Books on how to bring up the animals and their lifestyles, Treats – Nibbles sticks, Accessories for the animals, accessories for the cage, carriers, toys, hamster feed, guinea pig feed, beds made of hardwood or paper products or corn cob.
The Regulatory authorities for this animal globally are a number of Cavy Clubs and associations. Each country and sometimes even a particular area has its own regulatory authority.
Being animals, they contract a lot of diseases depending on the weather, lifestyle and how they are kept and maintained.
Some other animals which I analyzed were Dogs, Cats and Cattle.
The products which were required for dogs and cats were Exercise Pens, Kennels, Food (Natural and Organic, Dry food, Canned Food), Puppy Care products, Flea and Tick control (Collars, Shampoos, Spot ons), Toys(Chews, Toss and retrieve toys, Ropes, etc), Clothes(Outdoor gear, Raincoats, Shoes), Gates and doors, Stain and Odour control products, Beds, Grooming products, Training equipment, Kennels, Spas, Collars, Leashes, Harness, Lodging and Boarding, Training service, party arrangers, etc.
The requirements of the cattle were a little more business oriented. They required high technology products like Milking Machines, Equipment which helps in the storage of sperm for mating,Varied kind of feed based on their milking capacity, etc.
The next step was to understand which other people this industry affects other than the consumers. Hence the Secondary stakeholder analysis. The ones identified were:
Manufacturers, Trainers, Travel industry, Veterinarians, Investors, Maintenance and Service teams, Milk Sellers, Zoos / Aviaries, Logistics/ Transportation, Salesmen, Distributors, Scientists and Researchers, Breeders, Restaurants, Real Estate Sector, Healers / Doctors(For Humans), Fishing Industry, Regulatory Authorities, NGOs, Designers of products, Education Sector, Boarders, Veterinary hospitals and Clinics, Meat Sellers, Slaughter houses, Circus, Pet therapists and there can be many more.
Each one of these is either affected by some product for the animals or is actually offering the services or products to the animals and their owners. These stakeholders are involved in some way or the other in manufacturing the product, packaging it, distributing it and in many case advertising it and recommending it as well.
Chapter 2 – Breakthroughs & Technology
This industry is not one which is fully explored and the needs which can be tended to change almost every day. As I have said before, every animal is an individual and their needs differ from animal to animal. The few innovative things which have changed the course of this industry are mentioned below.
Products for pets:
The pet product market is a place where innovation sees no bounds. People are willing to buy all kinds of things, fancy and weird things just to see their pets happy and more so to make their lives easier. A toy called Kibble Nibble was introduced in the market so that the dog will chase the toy and if the dog rolls the toy in the right way, a few treats will come out of the object. This is a very good way of making all the lazy dogs want to play. A product called Bristle Bone made a wave when manufacturers observed the need for dental hygiene in a dog’s life. The chewy ensures that the teeth of the dog get cleaned simultaneously with the chewing thanks to the nylon bristles and the rubber nubs. Nail Trimmers which detect the presence of blood vessels so that it does not hurt the dog while clipping are also new entrants. Electronic Portion Controllers are products for lazy owners who do not want to take the effort to measure their pet’s meal every time. The product automatically dispenses the required amount at the required time. Small pets often fall off balconies. A product called Puppy Bumper which is to be tied to the neck of the puppy or small dog so that it does not fall off the balcony grill is found in the market. The Collapsible Bowl ensures that wherever you go, your dog can have his food in his bowl. Flea and Tick treatment was a major issue with pet owners. Many companies came up with a lot of things which helped the situation. There are products ranging from Sprays, Spot – ons, Medication, Flea and Tick collars, Methods to treat the area as well as the dogs which are available, The Flea and tick collars were a major revolution in this industry as they facilitated even stray animals to be tick free without regular monitoring. Dog Food was another product which came about sometime in the late 19th century in England. James Spratt first came up with Dog Food. He eventually moved to the United States where he diversified into all kinds of feed. This was the beginning of this industry and today, this is a $16.1 billion industry in itself. The competition in this industry is massive and lots of global as well as local players compete here.
Products for Cattle and livestock:
This is an industry which has helped man very much. It started off as every family having its own cow, so that they could milk it and satisfy their needs. Today, the milk and milk products industry is massive and all over the world. The products which go into this industry keeping in mind animal care are quite a few. Milking Machines were a revolution in this industry. The first milking machine was patented in 1879 by Anna Baldwin, a very basic machine which had just a vacuum device connected to a hand pump. Wool Shearing Machines which were an invention which reduced the pain involved in shearing of wool from Sheep. The Cattle Feed industry is also a very huge industry which is responsible for a lot of factors which I will discuss later in the report. Horse Shoes are also a breakthrough in animal products. The version of the horse shoe which is used today, the nailed shoe came about sometime in 1911. Artificial Insemination is also a technology which is practiced today. It is one of the steps in Embryo transfer technology. It helps in breeding and genetically superior animals for milking purposes.
Chapter 3
Competitor Analysis, Trend Analysis along with Value Parameters and Local Distribution Channels and Suppliers.
This section comprises of analysing trends in the market along with the various parameters they use to sell their products. This is best done through advertisements and secondary research. I observed that the most common product for animals is the Pet food industry and as I have already mentioned it has a very huge turnover. What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. The pet food market has been dominated in the last few years by the acquisition of big companies by even bigger companies.
Nestlé’s bought Purina to form Nestlé Purina Petcare Company, Del Monte gobbled up Heinz, MasterFoods owns Mars, Inc., which consumed Royal Canin, Procter and Gamble (P&G) purchased The Iams Company (Iams, Eukanuba) in 1999, Colgate-Palmolive bought Hill’s Science Diet in 1976.
Private labelers (who make food for “house” brands like Kroger and Wal-Mart) and co-packers (who produce food for other pet food makers) are also major players. Three major companies are Doane Pet Care, Diamond, and Menu Foods; they produce food for dozens of private label and brand names. The Pet Food Institute is the trade association of pet food manufacturers in America.
From a business standpoint, pet food fits very well with companies making human products. The multinationals have increased bulk purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products; and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients. Additional markets for farm products and for the by products of the meat packing, poultry, and other food industries which prepare food for human consumption.
Why this global analysis is important is because most of the pet food sold in India is imported. There are very few local manufacturers and the competition from these global giants is massive. Besides the US imports, the other brands which are imported are Bok Dok (Germany) ; Glenand ; Hunter Group ; Jerhigh (Thailand) ; Castor and Pullox ; Uncle Sam’s ; J. W. Pet Company (China) ; Ferplast ; Bayer ; Reptomil ; Taam Inc (Taiwan).
From this data, it can be observed that India imports from all over the world.
Taking a look at the local scenario now.
Here is a list of the local manufacturers:
Agro Food Industries, Noida ; Craft India International, Kanpur ; Akabarallys Pharma Vet, Mumbai; J S International, India, Kanpur ; Vet Care, Bengaluru ; Excel Pet Food, Kanpur ; Asian Diet Products Limited, Gurgaon ; Happy Tails The Pet Shop, Ahmedabad ; Hemalaya Associates,Visakhapatnam ; Lokshom, Darjeeling; Pet Friends India, Kanpur ; Alien Laboratories, Indore ; Always International, Kanpur ; Pharma Corporation Of India, Bangalore ; Atifa Exportes, Kanpur ; Pet Paradise, Bhubaneshwar ; Pets 2 Home, Jalandhar ; Uttara Foods & Feeds Private Limited Pune ; Maulana Exports Inc. Hyderabad ; Emerald Foods, Mumbai ; R. N. Biotech Private Limited, Chennai ; Avanti Overseas Private Limited, New Delhi ; Afzal International, Vapi, Vapi; S. R. Enterprises, Kanpur, Kanpur; Vinayak Agro & Foods, Kolkata; Anjney Kripas Pet Shoppe, Bhopal ; Pans Pharmaceuticals, Rajkot ; Arosol Chemicals Private Limited, Saharanpur ; Wel Worth Chemicals, Jaipur ; Philco Exports, New Delhi.
This is a list of the small players in the market.
More evolved players in the Indian Market are:
Lal Pet Products
Naughty Pet
Pet Setters
A – One (Delhi)
Petswill (Bhopal) is an Importer. They sell the products manufactured by VS Associates.
Amrit Food Products
Asian Diet Products Ltd (Haryana)
786 Leather Products – Kanpur
Indipet
Venkys
Himalaya
These are the names of a few popular ones in the market here. The thing to be observed is that they are not into any one product. Most of them manufacture Dog Food, cat food and at the same time make toys and other accessories for animals as well.
Now to analyse these brand further, the best way is too look at what they offer and how they position themselves in the market. The best way to understand this is to go through the advertisements of these products.
The ads I analysed started from the 60s. They were all animal food products.
A black and white advertisement of Puss n Boots is the oldest ad I got. This is a very explanatory and informative ad explaining clearly how the packaging is done so that the master just has to open a packet and give the cat the food without any hassles. Also the nutrients and health aspect are concentrated on in the ad.
The 1970 Chuck Wagon Dog food Ad advertises their instant dog food. The ad is very explanatory and this is one of the first products which entered the market. The instant food concept today is not found. It is a product where you have to pour hot water into the food to make it edible.
1971 Friskies Cat food Ad explains the components of the product in detail claiming to be high protein and good for the cat’s health.
1974 Tabby Treat which is a cat food also concentrates on the ingredients and health aspect.
1984 commercial of Scratchex flee shampoo once again concentrates on educating the customer on how good the product is. They do not focus so much on the ingredients.
Gaines Gravy Train Ad for Dog food explains another segment in the Dog food industry, the wet food. This ad is also explanatory.
The next commercial is probably one of the funniest advertisements in television history. It is an advertisement of ‘Poochare’ dog food. The clothing and the dancing style in the ad suggest that it comes from the 80s. Here we can see a clear shift. The advertisement is going more towards glamour and entertainment as compared to imparting information. The ‘Poochare’ ad also has a tagline which was not there in the previous products.
9 Lives cat food uses various other characters like Sylvester in their advertisement. This makes it easier to market their product. Another advertisement of 9 lives just explains the various reasons why cats like cat food.
Fancy Feast, another Cat food positions itself as an exclusive product, i.e. only for the rich and classy cats which are spoilt.
Ceaser is a Dog food which positions itself as an exclusive product too. The tagline that they have is “Love Them Back”.
The late 90s and 2000s see ads which are more family oriented and ads which portray convenience for the customer.
Pedegree and Whiskas advertisements focus a lot on their initiatives to house stray pets in their advertisements. Also, they focus on happy and good looking dogs.
Petsmart is a company which deals in all pet products. Their ads are also made keeping in mind the owners and how they can keep their animals happy with toys and accessories.
Eukanuba and Iams Ads concentrate on the health aspect and explain the amounts they have in their food and what is good for the dogs. Eukanuba is the more expensive brand of P&G while Iams is what they acquired later and is not as costly as Eukanuba.
The trends which I see from these advertisements is that initially when the whole concept of Dog food was new, people concentrated on telling them how good it was for their pet and the ads were instructional. As time passed, focus shifted more towards glamour and the task became as to how to position your product in the market and the brands which rule the market today all position their brands with a particular attribute.
On doing a little bit of secondary survey coupled with some amount of primary survey, the insights which I got about the major players in Mumbai are listed below.
DOG FOOD:
EUKANUBA IAMS Propett – Petsmart Royal Canin Pedegree - Mars Cuddle – Venkys
Kibble Size Good Bad Average Good Good Good
Healthy Good Good Good Good Good Good
Shiny coat Bad Good Average Bad Average Average
Weight Low High Low Low Low High
Packaging and Advertising Average Very Low Average High Extremely High High
Cost Slightly Higher Not too costly Not too costly Not too costly Not too costly Cheaper than the rest
No. Of Varieties Lot of varieties Fewer Lots Lots Lots Fewer
Doctor Recommended Doctor recommended because of contents. Not Recommended Not Recommended Not Recommended Doctor recommends because they sell it. Not Recommended
Loyalty High NA NA High Very High NA
Distribution Ok Ok Ok Good Extremely Good Not too good
CAT FOOD:
Showcat Whiskas – Mars Topcat – Petsmart My beau Iams – Proactive Royal Canin – Fit 32
Health Good Bad Average Good Good Good
Packaging Good Good Good Good Good Good
Advertisements Bad Good Average Bad Average Average
Doctor Reco Low High Low Low Low High
Weight Maintenance Average Very Low Average High High High
Cost Same Range Same Range Same Range Same Range Same Range Same Range
Chapter 4
Supply Chain and Processing
How is Pet food made?
The food is made with the help of a machine called the extruder. Materials are blended in accordance with a recipe created with the help of computer programs that provide the nutrient content of each proposed ingredient. Because the extruder needs a consistent amount of starch and low moisture to work properly, dry ingredients, such as rendered meat and bone-meal, poultry by-product meal, grains, and flours predominate. The dough is fed into the screws of an extruder. It is subjected to steam and high pressure as it is pushed through dies that determine the shape of the final product. As the hot, pressurized dough exits the extruder, it is cut by a set of rapidly whirling knives into tiny pieces. As the dough reaches normal air pressure, it expands or “puffs” into its final shape. The food is allowed to dry, and then is usually sprayed with fat, digests, or other compounds to make it more palatable. When it is cooled, it can be bagged. Although the cooking process kills bacteria in the ingredients, the final product can pick up more bacteria during the subsequent drying, coating, and packaging process.
A few dog foods are baked at high temperatures (over 500°F) rather than extruded. This produces a sheet of dense, crunchy material that is then broken into irregular chunks, much like crumbling crackers into soup. It is relatively palatable without the sprayed on fats and other enhancers needed on extruded dry food.
Semi-moist foods and many pet treats are also made with an extruder.
Wet or canned food begins with ground ingredients mixed with additives. If chunks are required, a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture is cooked and canned. The sealed cans are then put into containers resembling pressure cookers and commercial sterilization takes place. Some manufacturers cook the food right in the can. They are of a higher quality, than dry foods. They also have more moisture, which is better for cats. They are packaged in cans or pouches.
Dry food typically contains less than 10% water, while canned food contains 78% or more water.
What is rendering?
Raw materials are dumped into large vat and boiled for several hours. Rendering separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other organisms. However, the high temperatures used (270°F/130°C) can alter or destroy natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients.
Ingredients.
Plant products now replace a considerable proportion of the meat that was used in the earliest commercial pet foods. This has led to severe nutritional deficiencies that have been corrected along the way. Large amount of cereal grain or starchy vegetables are used to provide texture. Wheat gluten is used to create shapes like cuts, bites, chunks, shreds, flakes, and slices, and as a thickener for gravy. In most cases, foods containing vegetable proteins are among the poorer quality foods. There’s a unique, pungent odour to a new bag of dry pet food. The source of the smell is most often rendered animal fat, or vegetable fats and oils deemed inedible for humans. For example, used restaurant grease was rendered and routed to pet foods for several years.
These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavour enhancers such as “animal digests” made from processed by-products. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at.
Cattle Feed
Cattle feed is mainly divided into Feed Stuff and Fodder. Feed stuff consists of plants, animal by products, silage. Animal by products are bone meal, fish meal. These are rich in protein.
Silage is fermented fodder. It is a method of preservation of feed. It consists of crops which are high in carbohydrates like cereal grains like maize, jowar, bajra, etc. These ingredients have to be dried first. Then, all these ingredients along with animal wastes like blood , bones, etc are put in a silo pit and then the pit is covered so that whatever oxygen is there in the pit gets used up by the fodder plants for respiration thus leaving no oxygen in the pit. This is a very favourable condition for anaerobes. They act on the feed and produce lactic acid and acetic acid in varied proportions. This entire process takes 4 to 6 weeks. The end product is brown in colour and there may or may not be aroma depending on the ingredients considered.
Proximate principles of Feed
Water
More than 15% water or moisture in the feed reduces the keeping quality of the feed because of fungus and mould. Fermentation might take place too. Also you pay on how much dry matter is there in the feed. Silage is 30 to 35% only water content in fodder.
Crude Protein
Oil seed cakes, fish and meat meal are high in protein. Wheat straw, paddy straw and Jawar straw are poor in protein. High protein leads to high digestibility which leads to less crude fibre content. High protein is required in the diet.
Crude Fibre
Bulkiness in feed corresponds to crude fibre. Eg. Roughage has high crude fibre and concentrates have less. Bulkiness in feed leads to satisfaction of hunger which leads to better intestinal digestion (Peristaltic movement).
Ether Extract
It consists of true fats like triglycerides. Besides this it contains cholesterol, free fatty acids, lecithin, chlorophyll, etc which are pseudo fats.
Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE)
It is monosaccharide, disaccharides, trisaccharides and polysaccharides which are basically just carbohydrates.
NFE = 100-(Protein + EE + Fibre +Ash+ Moisture)
Ash
When people sell feed they can adulterate it with acid insoluble ash i.e. Sand and Silica. As a result the weight of the feed increases. So you think you are buying more but you are paying more for bad quality.
Based on the above data and talking to a few veterinary doctors and dairy farm owners, I devised a case study which can be worked upon.
Quality Vs Productivity in Milk – Case to be studied
Cow feed Vs Milk Production
Known fact – higher the quality of the cow feed, better the milk production
Components of Cow feed
Ash
Water
Crude Protein
Ether Extract
Crude fibre
NFE
What should be the ideal composition of feed to get the best milk production from a cow?
Steps to be taken
We can study the components of the milk that the animal produces.
By doing estimations
Correlation between quality of feed and quality of milk produced and the amount of milk produced by the animal.
The Quality of milk produced is normally generalised for a particular breed.
Cows % Fat % Protein %Carbs %Ash Total Solid
Ayrshire 4.1 3.6 4.7 0.7 13.1
Brown Swiss 4.0 3.6 5.0 0.7 13.3
Guernsey 5.0 3.8 4.9 0.7 14.4
Holstein 3.5 3.1 4.9 0.7 12.2
Jersey 5.5 3.9 4.9 0.7 15.0
Zebu 4.9 3.9 5.1 0.7 14.7
Amount of Milk produced by the animal
You can estimate the maximum ability of the cow by looking at the father and mother of the cow.
By looking at their lactating life expectancy.
Based on this data, we can get an idea about the OPTIMUM amount of milk the cow can produce.
Chapter 5 – Regulatory Framework
There are two kind of regulatory bodies which are a part of this industry. One is the regulatory body which ensures the ethical treatment of animals and the other is from the business aspect which ensures quality and adherence to standards and specifications.
The first kind which looks for ethical treatment of animals again can be divided into two kinds. There are bodies which are global and then there are region wise or country wise governing bodies.
Some examples of these would be PETA(People for Ethical treatment of Animals) and FACW (Farm Animal Welfare Council). These bodies are generalised bodies which look after all animals. There are bodies which are animal specific as well. Some bodies which look after the welfare of Guinea pigs and hamsters are American Cavy Breeders association, Australian National Cavy council, Cambridge Cavy clubs, Animal Right Militia, New Zealand Cavy clubs, Animal Liberation Front, British Cavy council. In India there are many organisations such as People for animals, Welfare of stray dogs, Animal Rescue Kerala, etc which look after animals and ensure that laws and acts are passed so that cruelty towards them ends and no products or services are introduced which exploit animals in any way.
The other set of regulatory bodies are those which focus on the quality of products which are produced. AAFCO (Association of American Feed control Officials) is one of the most important bodies in this as it sets down rules and regulations for all the American manufacturers and since most of the pet food used in India comes from the US, the regulations set by AAFCO are important. National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences used to set the nutritional standards for pet food that were used by the pet food industry until the late 1980s before AAFCO. Feeding trials are done sometimes to test the quality of the food produced. Standard chemical analysis may also be used to make sure that a food meets the profiles. AAFCO sets the standards of the nutrients which go into the food. The FDA has nominal authority over pet foods shipped across state lines. But the real “enforcers” are the feed control officials in each state in the US. They are the ones who actually look at the food and, in many instances, run basic tests to make sure the food meets its Guaranteed Analysis, the chart on the label telling how much protein, fat, moisture, and fibre are present. But regulation and enforcement vary tremendously from state to state.
Because of persistent rumours that rendered by-products contain dead dogs and cats, the FDA conducted a study looking for pentobarbital, the most common euthanasia drug, in pet foods. They found it. Ingredients that were most commonly associated with the presence of pentobarbital were meat-and-bone-meal and animal fat. However, they also used very sensitive tests to look for canine and feline DNA, which were not found. Industry insiders admit that rendered pets and roadkill were used in pet food some years ago. Although there are still no laws or regulations against it, the practice is uncommon today, and pet food companies universally deny that their products contain any such materials. However, so-called “4D” animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled) were only recently banned for human consumption and are still legitimate ingredients for pet food.
A wide variety of additives are allowed in animal feed and pet food, not counting vitamins and minerals. Not all of them are actually used in pet food. Additives can be specifically approved, or they can fall into the category of “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS).
When things go really wrong and serious problems are discovered in pet food, the company usually works with the FDA to coordinate a recall of the affected products. While many recalls have been widely publicized, quite a few have not.
A few things which have to be regulated in the industry are practices like Co – packing (One company makes the food and puts someone else’s label on it), Animal Testing, Monitoring claims which the companies make about their products – Meat is the first ingredient claim(Sometimes food does not have meat at all) , etc.
Chapter 6
Pain points and Insights from First Hand surveys
• No good trusted places to get pets from.
• Care for new born animals in case if the mom dies is very difficult.
• Housing for small animals is normally a Jugaad, proper set up not available.
• Everybody goes out of the house. Nobody to take care of the pets.
• Space constraints.
• No proper awareness on what to do with the animals. No ‘how to’ seminars.
• Fear takes over when people encounter an animal. Sometimes parents are afraid, but children are not. But still they are not given permission to keep a pet.
• For exotic pets, no proper housing available.
• Make animal food available where people food is available. Eg. Malls and grocery shopping places.
• Even for accessories and care products, availability has to be increased and distribution has to be better.
• Doctors living nearby are preferred.
• Travelling with pets is difficult.
• No proper mode of transport for them and they charge too much in human transport – 5 times the charge in trains.
• All pet things should be available in one place.
• Turtles have no proper feed available in pet stores.
• Doctors opinion considered for food and most dogs sell and recommend perdegree which is not actually a good food for health. It makes animals fat .
• Fish and Cat are easy going animals. You do not have to do much for them.
• Each animal has an individual personality and behaves peculiarly. A lot depends on how the people it lives with are.
Since main lived in caves, animals have been a part of his life. Animals provided everything to man from food, clothing and protection and even today, they do the same. This report on ‘Products for Animals’, focuses on how man has tried to give back to the animals using technology and science and his understanding of the needs of animals. There are various species of animals existing in this world and each and every animal has a different need. Many industries have identified these needs today and are in the market. Every animal, be it a pet or a farm animal today has a number of products which are used on it. This is an attempt to analyze all the products which go into their lives and how it affects them.
Chapter 1 – Stakeholder Analysis
The products offered and the customers in this industry are many. All kind of living things are involved in this industry. Hence, a stakeholder analysis was important to understand who the users of the products are, the primary stakeholders. The primary stakeholders are a range of animals ranging from pets to wildlife as products are made for all of them. I observed that each one of these stakeholders has to be understood individually as each one has products made which are catered to their needs. The primary stake holders are shown below. Even Human beings are stakeholders in this industry, they might not be the consumers but are definitely the customers because it is only through them that the products reach the animals.
I tried to study some of these primary stakeholders individually to understand what their needs are exactly. Here is an example.
On studying Guinea Pigs and Hamsters closely, I observed that there was a lot to know about the animal before making a product for them. Their mannerisms and the way they live and even their life span. Some facts I found out were:
They like to live in groups, their urine crystallizes, they have a long period of activity along with short periods of sleep, their life span is 4 to 5 years, they are a hybrid breed which is not found in the wild.
They are used as:
House Pets, Food source in certain areas, Media and Movies, Hamster Fur coats, Test subjects, Breeding and Selling, Folk medicine.
The breeds they have are:
Peruvian, Sheltie, Texel, Abyssinian, English Short Hair to name a few in guinea pigs. Hamsters have other breeds like Syrian, Winter white Russian dwarf, etc.
The products which are used for them are:
Wood shavings as cage lining, Cleaning equipment and odour control, cages(Wire mesh and chloroplast cages), food bowls , feeders and waterers, Books on how to bring up the animals and their lifestyles, Treats – Nibbles sticks, Accessories for the animals, accessories for the cage, carriers, toys, hamster feed, guinea pig feed, beds made of hardwood or paper products or corn cob.
The Regulatory authorities for this animal globally are a number of Cavy Clubs and associations. Each country and sometimes even a particular area has its own regulatory authority.
Being animals, they contract a lot of diseases depending on the weather, lifestyle and how they are kept and maintained.
Some other animals which I analyzed were Dogs, Cats and Cattle.
The products which were required for dogs and cats were Exercise Pens, Kennels, Food (Natural and Organic, Dry food, Canned Food), Puppy Care products, Flea and Tick control (Collars, Shampoos, Spot ons), Toys(Chews, Toss and retrieve toys, Ropes, etc), Clothes(Outdoor gear, Raincoats, Shoes), Gates and doors, Stain and Odour control products, Beds, Grooming products, Training equipment, Kennels, Spas, Collars, Leashes, Harness, Lodging and Boarding, Training service, party arrangers, etc.
The requirements of the cattle were a little more business oriented. They required high technology products like Milking Machines, Equipment which helps in the storage of sperm for mating,Varied kind of feed based on their milking capacity, etc.
The next step was to understand which other people this industry affects other than the consumers. Hence the Secondary stakeholder analysis. The ones identified were:
Manufacturers, Trainers, Travel industry, Veterinarians, Investors, Maintenance and Service teams, Milk Sellers, Zoos / Aviaries, Logistics/ Transportation, Salesmen, Distributors, Scientists and Researchers, Breeders, Restaurants, Real Estate Sector, Healers / Doctors(For Humans), Fishing Industry, Regulatory Authorities, NGOs, Designers of products, Education Sector, Boarders, Veterinary hospitals and Clinics, Meat Sellers, Slaughter houses, Circus, Pet therapists and there can be many more.
Each one of these is either affected by some product for the animals or is actually offering the services or products to the animals and their owners. These stakeholders are involved in some way or the other in manufacturing the product, packaging it, distributing it and in many case advertising it and recommending it as well.
Chapter 2 – Breakthroughs & Technology
This industry is not one which is fully explored and the needs which can be tended to change almost every day. As I have said before, every animal is an individual and their needs differ from animal to animal. The few innovative things which have changed the course of this industry are mentioned below.
Products for pets:
The pet product market is a place where innovation sees no bounds. People are willing to buy all kinds of things, fancy and weird things just to see their pets happy and more so to make their lives easier. A toy called Kibble Nibble was introduced in the market so that the dog will chase the toy and if the dog rolls the toy in the right way, a few treats will come out of the object. This is a very good way of making all the lazy dogs want to play. A product called Bristle Bone made a wave when manufacturers observed the need for dental hygiene in a dog’s life. The chewy ensures that the teeth of the dog get cleaned simultaneously with the chewing thanks to the nylon bristles and the rubber nubs. Nail Trimmers which detect the presence of blood vessels so that it does not hurt the dog while clipping are also new entrants. Electronic Portion Controllers are products for lazy owners who do not want to take the effort to measure their pet’s meal every time. The product automatically dispenses the required amount at the required time. Small pets often fall off balconies. A product called Puppy Bumper which is to be tied to the neck of the puppy or small dog so that it does not fall off the balcony grill is found in the market. The Collapsible Bowl ensures that wherever you go, your dog can have his food in his bowl. Flea and Tick treatment was a major issue with pet owners. Many companies came up with a lot of things which helped the situation. There are products ranging from Sprays, Spot – ons, Medication, Flea and Tick collars, Methods to treat the area as well as the dogs which are available, The Flea and tick collars were a major revolution in this industry as they facilitated even stray animals to be tick free without regular monitoring. Dog Food was another product which came about sometime in the late 19th century in England. James Spratt first came up with Dog Food. He eventually moved to the United States where he diversified into all kinds of feed. This was the beginning of this industry and today, this is a $16.1 billion industry in itself. The competition in this industry is massive and lots of global as well as local players compete here.
Products for Cattle and livestock:
This is an industry which has helped man very much. It started off as every family having its own cow, so that they could milk it and satisfy their needs. Today, the milk and milk products industry is massive and all over the world. The products which go into this industry keeping in mind animal care are quite a few. Milking Machines were a revolution in this industry. The first milking machine was patented in 1879 by Anna Baldwin, a very basic machine which had just a vacuum device connected to a hand pump. Wool Shearing Machines which were an invention which reduced the pain involved in shearing of wool from Sheep. The Cattle Feed industry is also a very huge industry which is responsible for a lot of factors which I will discuss later in the report. Horse Shoes are also a breakthrough in animal products. The version of the horse shoe which is used today, the nailed shoe came about sometime in 1911. Artificial Insemination is also a technology which is practiced today. It is one of the steps in Embryo transfer technology. It helps in breeding and genetically superior animals for milking purposes.
Chapter 3
Competitor Analysis, Trend Analysis along with Value Parameters and Local Distribution Channels and Suppliers.
This section comprises of analysing trends in the market along with the various parameters they use to sell their products. This is best done through advertisements and secondary research. I observed that the most common product for animals is the Pet food industry and as I have already mentioned it has a very huge turnover. What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. The pet food market has been dominated in the last few years by the acquisition of big companies by even bigger companies.
Nestlé’s bought Purina to form Nestlé Purina Petcare Company, Del Monte gobbled up Heinz, MasterFoods owns Mars, Inc., which consumed Royal Canin, Procter and Gamble (P&G) purchased The Iams Company (Iams, Eukanuba) in 1999, Colgate-Palmolive bought Hill’s Science Diet in 1976.
Private labelers (who make food for “house” brands like Kroger and Wal-Mart) and co-packers (who produce food for other pet food makers) are also major players. Three major companies are Doane Pet Care, Diamond, and Menu Foods; they produce food for dozens of private label and brand names. The Pet Food Institute is the trade association of pet food manufacturers in America.
From a business standpoint, pet food fits very well with companies making human products. The multinationals have increased bulk purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products; and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients. Additional markets for farm products and for the by products of the meat packing, poultry, and other food industries which prepare food for human consumption.
Why this global analysis is important is because most of the pet food sold in India is imported. There are very few local manufacturers and the competition from these global giants is massive. Besides the US imports, the other brands which are imported are Bok Dok (Germany) ; Glenand ; Hunter Group ; Jerhigh (Thailand) ; Castor and Pullox ; Uncle Sam’s ; J. W. Pet Company (China) ; Ferplast ; Bayer ; Reptomil ; Taam Inc (Taiwan).
From this data, it can be observed that India imports from all over the world.
Taking a look at the local scenario now.
Here is a list of the local manufacturers:
Agro Food Industries, Noida ; Craft India International, Kanpur ; Akabarallys Pharma Vet, Mumbai; J S International, India, Kanpur ; Vet Care, Bengaluru ; Excel Pet Food, Kanpur ; Asian Diet Products Limited, Gurgaon ; Happy Tails The Pet Shop, Ahmedabad ; Hemalaya Associates,Visakhapatnam ; Lokshom, Darjeeling; Pet Friends India, Kanpur ; Alien Laboratories, Indore ; Always International, Kanpur ; Pharma Corporation Of India, Bangalore ; Atifa Exportes, Kanpur ; Pet Paradise, Bhubaneshwar ; Pets 2 Home, Jalandhar ; Uttara Foods & Feeds Private Limited Pune ; Maulana Exports Inc. Hyderabad ; Emerald Foods, Mumbai ; R. N. Biotech Private Limited, Chennai ; Avanti Overseas Private Limited, New Delhi ; Afzal International, Vapi, Vapi; S. R. Enterprises, Kanpur, Kanpur; Vinayak Agro & Foods, Kolkata; Anjney Kripas Pet Shoppe, Bhopal ; Pans Pharmaceuticals, Rajkot ; Arosol Chemicals Private Limited, Saharanpur ; Wel Worth Chemicals, Jaipur ; Philco Exports, New Delhi.
This is a list of the small players in the market.
More evolved players in the Indian Market are:
Lal Pet Products
Naughty Pet
Pet Setters
A – One (Delhi)
Petswill (Bhopal) is an Importer. They sell the products manufactured by VS Associates.
Amrit Food Products
Asian Diet Products Ltd (Haryana)
786 Leather Products – Kanpur
Indipet
Venkys
Himalaya
These are the names of a few popular ones in the market here. The thing to be observed is that they are not into any one product. Most of them manufacture Dog Food, cat food and at the same time make toys and other accessories for animals as well.
Now to analyse these brand further, the best way is too look at what they offer and how they position themselves in the market. The best way to understand this is to go through the advertisements of these products.
The ads I analysed started from the 60s. They were all animal food products.
A black and white advertisement of Puss n Boots is the oldest ad I got. This is a very explanatory and informative ad explaining clearly how the packaging is done so that the master just has to open a packet and give the cat the food without any hassles. Also the nutrients and health aspect are concentrated on in the ad.
The 1970 Chuck Wagon Dog food Ad advertises their instant dog food. The ad is very explanatory and this is one of the first products which entered the market. The instant food concept today is not found. It is a product where you have to pour hot water into the food to make it edible.
1971 Friskies Cat food Ad explains the components of the product in detail claiming to be high protein and good for the cat’s health.
1974 Tabby Treat which is a cat food also concentrates on the ingredients and health aspect.
1984 commercial of Scratchex flee shampoo once again concentrates on educating the customer on how good the product is. They do not focus so much on the ingredients.
Gaines Gravy Train Ad for Dog food explains another segment in the Dog food industry, the wet food. This ad is also explanatory.
The next commercial is probably one of the funniest advertisements in television history. It is an advertisement of ‘Poochare’ dog food. The clothing and the dancing style in the ad suggest that it comes from the 80s. Here we can see a clear shift. The advertisement is going more towards glamour and entertainment as compared to imparting information. The ‘Poochare’ ad also has a tagline which was not there in the previous products.
9 Lives cat food uses various other characters like Sylvester in their advertisement. This makes it easier to market their product. Another advertisement of 9 lives just explains the various reasons why cats like cat food.
Fancy Feast, another Cat food positions itself as an exclusive product, i.e. only for the rich and classy cats which are spoilt.
Ceaser is a Dog food which positions itself as an exclusive product too. The tagline that they have is “Love Them Back”.
The late 90s and 2000s see ads which are more family oriented and ads which portray convenience for the customer.
Pedegree and Whiskas advertisements focus a lot on their initiatives to house stray pets in their advertisements. Also, they focus on happy and good looking dogs.
Petsmart is a company which deals in all pet products. Their ads are also made keeping in mind the owners and how they can keep their animals happy with toys and accessories.
Eukanuba and Iams Ads concentrate on the health aspect and explain the amounts they have in their food and what is good for the dogs. Eukanuba is the more expensive brand of P&G while Iams is what they acquired later and is not as costly as Eukanuba.
The trends which I see from these advertisements is that initially when the whole concept of Dog food was new, people concentrated on telling them how good it was for their pet and the ads were instructional. As time passed, focus shifted more towards glamour and the task became as to how to position your product in the market and the brands which rule the market today all position their brands with a particular attribute.
On doing a little bit of secondary survey coupled with some amount of primary survey, the insights which I got about the major players in Mumbai are listed below.
DOG FOOD:
EUKANUBA IAMS Propett – Petsmart Royal Canin Pedegree - Mars Cuddle – Venkys
Kibble Size Good Bad Average Good Good Good
Healthy Good Good Good Good Good Good
Shiny coat Bad Good Average Bad Average Average
Weight Low High Low Low Low High
Packaging and Advertising Average Very Low Average High Extremely High High
Cost Slightly Higher Not too costly Not too costly Not too costly Not too costly Cheaper than the rest
No. Of Varieties Lot of varieties Fewer Lots Lots Lots Fewer
Doctor Recommended Doctor recommended because of contents. Not Recommended Not Recommended Not Recommended Doctor recommends because they sell it. Not Recommended
Loyalty High NA NA High Very High NA
Distribution Ok Ok Ok Good Extremely Good Not too good
CAT FOOD:
Showcat Whiskas – Mars Topcat – Petsmart My beau Iams – Proactive Royal Canin – Fit 32
Health Good Bad Average Good Good Good
Packaging Good Good Good Good Good Good
Advertisements Bad Good Average Bad Average Average
Doctor Reco Low High Low Low Low High
Weight Maintenance Average Very Low Average High High High
Cost Same Range Same Range Same Range Same Range Same Range Same Range
Chapter 4
Supply Chain and Processing
How is Pet food made?
The food is made with the help of a machine called the extruder. Materials are blended in accordance with a recipe created with the help of computer programs that provide the nutrient content of each proposed ingredient. Because the extruder needs a consistent amount of starch and low moisture to work properly, dry ingredients, such as rendered meat and bone-meal, poultry by-product meal, grains, and flours predominate. The dough is fed into the screws of an extruder. It is subjected to steam and high pressure as it is pushed through dies that determine the shape of the final product. As the hot, pressurized dough exits the extruder, it is cut by a set of rapidly whirling knives into tiny pieces. As the dough reaches normal air pressure, it expands or “puffs” into its final shape. The food is allowed to dry, and then is usually sprayed with fat, digests, or other compounds to make it more palatable. When it is cooled, it can be bagged. Although the cooking process kills bacteria in the ingredients, the final product can pick up more bacteria during the subsequent drying, coating, and packaging process.
A few dog foods are baked at high temperatures (over 500°F) rather than extruded. This produces a sheet of dense, crunchy material that is then broken into irregular chunks, much like crumbling crackers into soup. It is relatively palatable without the sprayed on fats and other enhancers needed on extruded dry food.
Semi-moist foods and many pet treats are also made with an extruder.
Wet or canned food begins with ground ingredients mixed with additives. If chunks are required, a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture is cooked and canned. The sealed cans are then put into containers resembling pressure cookers and commercial sterilization takes place. Some manufacturers cook the food right in the can. They are of a higher quality, than dry foods. They also have more moisture, which is better for cats. They are packaged in cans or pouches.
Dry food typically contains less than 10% water, while canned food contains 78% or more water.
What is rendering?
Raw materials are dumped into large vat and boiled for several hours. Rendering separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other organisms. However, the high temperatures used (270°F/130°C) can alter or destroy natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients.
Ingredients.
Plant products now replace a considerable proportion of the meat that was used in the earliest commercial pet foods. This has led to severe nutritional deficiencies that have been corrected along the way. Large amount of cereal grain or starchy vegetables are used to provide texture. Wheat gluten is used to create shapes like cuts, bites, chunks, shreds, flakes, and slices, and as a thickener for gravy. In most cases, foods containing vegetable proteins are among the poorer quality foods. There’s a unique, pungent odour to a new bag of dry pet food. The source of the smell is most often rendered animal fat, or vegetable fats and oils deemed inedible for humans. For example, used restaurant grease was rendered and routed to pet foods for several years.
These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavour enhancers such as “animal digests” made from processed by-products. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at.
Cattle Feed
Cattle feed is mainly divided into Feed Stuff and Fodder. Feed stuff consists of plants, animal by products, silage. Animal by products are bone meal, fish meal. These are rich in protein.
Silage is fermented fodder. It is a method of preservation of feed. It consists of crops which are high in carbohydrates like cereal grains like maize, jowar, bajra, etc. These ingredients have to be dried first. Then, all these ingredients along with animal wastes like blood , bones, etc are put in a silo pit and then the pit is covered so that whatever oxygen is there in the pit gets used up by the fodder plants for respiration thus leaving no oxygen in the pit. This is a very favourable condition for anaerobes. They act on the feed and produce lactic acid and acetic acid in varied proportions. This entire process takes 4 to 6 weeks. The end product is brown in colour and there may or may not be aroma depending on the ingredients considered.
Proximate principles of Feed
Water
More than 15% water or moisture in the feed reduces the keeping quality of the feed because of fungus and mould. Fermentation might take place too. Also you pay on how much dry matter is there in the feed. Silage is 30 to 35% only water content in fodder.
Crude Protein
Oil seed cakes, fish and meat meal are high in protein. Wheat straw, paddy straw and Jawar straw are poor in protein. High protein leads to high digestibility which leads to less crude fibre content. High protein is required in the diet.
Crude Fibre
Bulkiness in feed corresponds to crude fibre. Eg. Roughage has high crude fibre and concentrates have less. Bulkiness in feed leads to satisfaction of hunger which leads to better intestinal digestion (Peristaltic movement).
Ether Extract
It consists of true fats like triglycerides. Besides this it contains cholesterol, free fatty acids, lecithin, chlorophyll, etc which are pseudo fats.
Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE)
It is monosaccharide, disaccharides, trisaccharides and polysaccharides which are basically just carbohydrates.
NFE = 100-(Protein + EE + Fibre +Ash+ Moisture)
Ash
When people sell feed they can adulterate it with acid insoluble ash i.e. Sand and Silica. As a result the weight of the feed increases. So you think you are buying more but you are paying more for bad quality.
Based on the above data and talking to a few veterinary doctors and dairy farm owners, I devised a case study which can be worked upon.
Quality Vs Productivity in Milk – Case to be studied
Cow feed Vs Milk Production
Known fact – higher the quality of the cow feed, better the milk production
Components of Cow feed
Ash
Water
Crude Protein
Ether Extract
Crude fibre
NFE
What should be the ideal composition of feed to get the best milk production from a cow?
Steps to be taken
We can study the components of the milk that the animal produces.
By doing estimations
Correlation between quality of feed and quality of milk produced and the amount of milk produced by the animal.
The Quality of milk produced is normally generalised for a particular breed.
Cows % Fat % Protein %Carbs %Ash Total Solid
Ayrshire 4.1 3.6 4.7 0.7 13.1
Brown Swiss 4.0 3.6 5.0 0.7 13.3
Guernsey 5.0 3.8 4.9 0.7 14.4
Holstein 3.5 3.1 4.9 0.7 12.2
Jersey 5.5 3.9 4.9 0.7 15.0
Zebu 4.9 3.9 5.1 0.7 14.7
Amount of Milk produced by the animal
You can estimate the maximum ability of the cow by looking at the father and mother of the cow.
By looking at their lactating life expectancy.
Based on this data, we can get an idea about the OPTIMUM amount of milk the cow can produce.
Chapter 5 – Regulatory Framework
There are two kind of regulatory bodies which are a part of this industry. One is the regulatory body which ensures the ethical treatment of animals and the other is from the business aspect which ensures quality and adherence to standards and specifications.
The first kind which looks for ethical treatment of animals again can be divided into two kinds. There are bodies which are global and then there are region wise or country wise governing bodies.
Some examples of these would be PETA(People for Ethical treatment of Animals) and FACW (Farm Animal Welfare Council). These bodies are generalised bodies which look after all animals. There are bodies which are animal specific as well. Some bodies which look after the welfare of Guinea pigs and hamsters are American Cavy Breeders association, Australian National Cavy council, Cambridge Cavy clubs, Animal Right Militia, New Zealand Cavy clubs, Animal Liberation Front, British Cavy council. In India there are many organisations such as People for animals, Welfare of stray dogs, Animal Rescue Kerala, etc which look after animals and ensure that laws and acts are passed so that cruelty towards them ends and no products or services are introduced which exploit animals in any way.
The other set of regulatory bodies are those which focus on the quality of products which are produced. AAFCO (Association of American Feed control Officials) is one of the most important bodies in this as it sets down rules and regulations for all the American manufacturers and since most of the pet food used in India comes from the US, the regulations set by AAFCO are important. National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences used to set the nutritional standards for pet food that were used by the pet food industry until the late 1980s before AAFCO. Feeding trials are done sometimes to test the quality of the food produced. Standard chemical analysis may also be used to make sure that a food meets the profiles. AAFCO sets the standards of the nutrients which go into the food. The FDA has nominal authority over pet foods shipped across state lines. But the real “enforcers” are the feed control officials in each state in the US. They are the ones who actually look at the food and, in many instances, run basic tests to make sure the food meets its Guaranteed Analysis, the chart on the label telling how much protein, fat, moisture, and fibre are present. But regulation and enforcement vary tremendously from state to state.
Because of persistent rumours that rendered by-products contain dead dogs and cats, the FDA conducted a study looking for pentobarbital, the most common euthanasia drug, in pet foods. They found it. Ingredients that were most commonly associated with the presence of pentobarbital were meat-and-bone-meal and animal fat. However, they also used very sensitive tests to look for canine and feline DNA, which were not found. Industry insiders admit that rendered pets and roadkill were used in pet food some years ago. Although there are still no laws or regulations against it, the practice is uncommon today, and pet food companies universally deny that their products contain any such materials. However, so-called “4D” animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled) were only recently banned for human consumption and are still legitimate ingredients for pet food.
A wide variety of additives are allowed in animal feed and pet food, not counting vitamins and minerals. Not all of them are actually used in pet food. Additives can be specifically approved, or they can fall into the category of “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS).
When things go really wrong and serious problems are discovered in pet food, the company usually works with the FDA to coordinate a recall of the affected products. While many recalls have been widely publicized, quite a few have not.
A few things which have to be regulated in the industry are practices like Co – packing (One company makes the food and puts someone else’s label on it), Animal Testing, Monitoring claims which the companies make about their products – Meat is the first ingredient claim(Sometimes food does not have meat at all) , etc.
Chapter 6
Pain points and Insights from First Hand surveys
• No good trusted places to get pets from.
• Care for new born animals in case if the mom dies is very difficult.
• Housing for small animals is normally a Jugaad, proper set up not available.
• Everybody goes out of the house. Nobody to take care of the pets.
• Space constraints.
• No proper awareness on what to do with the animals. No ‘how to’ seminars.
• Fear takes over when people encounter an animal. Sometimes parents are afraid, but children are not. But still they are not given permission to keep a pet.
• For exotic pets, no proper housing available.
• Make animal food available where people food is available. Eg. Malls and grocery shopping places.
• Even for accessories and care products, availability has to be increased and distribution has to be better.
• Doctors living nearby are preferred.
• Travelling with pets is difficult.
• No proper mode of transport for them and they charge too much in human transport – 5 times the charge in trains.
• All pet things should be available in one place.
• Turtles have no proper feed available in pet stores.
• Doctors opinion considered for food and most dogs sell and recommend perdegree which is not actually a good food for health. It makes animals fat .
• Fish and Cat are easy going animals. You do not have to do much for them.
• Each animal has an individual personality and behaves peculiarly. A lot depends on how the people it lives with are.
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