PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 70

Left: Offering "Onthe-Go" packaged
portions has had a
positive impact on
sales for Plato
Pet Treats.
Plato Pet Treats

Right: Single-serve
packaging is
especially popular
for fresh or wet pet
food options that
require refrigeration
after opening.
Just Food For Dogs

The Purina brand, for its part, includes Bella singleserve adult wet dog food products and topper/mixes
in savory juices. Contract packager Hearthside Foods
developed Grab 'n Go single-serve cups to meet this
need for a convenient, high-value design.
Beverages for pets are also taking this kind of singleuse form. A brand called Slurps offers nutritious dog
drinks with Omega 3 fish oils, available in single-serve
plastic pouches. And, yes, there is a "beer" for dogs -
chicken-flavored non-alcoholic Bowser Beer for Dogs
sold in six packs.

Fresh take
In addition to convenience, the desire for freshness is
another factor in pet parents' choice of single-serve
packages. Single-serve, fresh or raw products cut out
some of the portioning work for pet parents.
Schmidt reports growing interest in single-serve fresh
items. "It is pretty typical for trends in human food to
translate over to the pet food industry. This includes tremendous growth in healthier, natural and organic fresh
food options, which due to their shorter shelf life, are
typically packaged in smaller quantities," he says.
Here, too, there are some newer and notable products in
the single-serve format. The JustFoodForDogs line of fresh
dog food includes items like Pantry Fresh Beef and Russet
Potato, which retails for a bit over $5 and is billed as a solution for "travel, convenience or a quick meal on the go."

Try, try again
Single-serve packaging also spans sample packages.
Especially for newer brands and small pet food companies, sample packages help drive sales through appealing, convenient trial. Rick Ruffalo, president and CEO of
Phelps Pet Products, Rockford, Illinois, says that these

70

PET FOOD PROCESSING | March 2020 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

items are a good way to engage pet parents and spur future loyalties.
"We work with dozens and dozens of customers as a
contract manufacturing partner, and the main driver of
single-serve packaging has been for consumer trial or
sampling events," he remarks.
Those introductions can take many forms, Ruffalo
adds. "Sampling can be done via e-commerce initiatives, in-store activities or other event-based programs.
Sampling helps create awareness, lowers the barrier to
try a new item and, if the product is really differentiated,
it can be a great way to convert new users," he notes.
Another brand delving into sample packaging is The
Honest Kitchen, which offers single-serve cup variety
packs, something they bill as "the perfect size for trial
before investing in a full-size box." The packs, with four
single-serve cups merchandised in a larger box with colorful graphics, come in Whole Grain, Grain Free and
Limited Ingredient assortments.
Plato, for its part, has added a single-serve option for
another treat format besides its meat sticks. These "On
the Go" packs are likewise sold in a checkout counter
display box, merchandised with a $2 bounce-back coupon that can be used for the purchase of a larger pouch
of treats.
"We have seen a tremendous impact in our sales of
our other THINKERS SKUs, and our On-the-Go packs
are starting to have a similar effect," Merrell reports. "In
fact, we're working on some new items that will take us
wider and deeper into the single-serving category in
2020 that we'll be launching in the coming months."
Some retailers have distinguished their businesses by
carrying more samples. Luke's All Natural in Coral Springs
Florida, which also has a robust online store, offers sampler
bags of all of its dog foods and sells a mix of pre-packed


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PET Food Processing - March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PET Food Processing - March 2020

PET Food Processing - March 2020
Contents
OFF THE LEASH - Dearth of data
TRENDS - Pets vs. planet
PLANT PROFILE - Recognized as Champions
FOOD SAFETY - Plan, test, improve, repeat
REGULATORY - Building on success
INGREDIENTS - Balanced benefits
FORMULATION - Understanding palatability
EQUIPMENT - Eye on dry
EQUIPMENT - Key to kibble control
OPERATIONS - 21st century pest control
PACKAGING - The singles scene
BEST IN SHOW
PATENTS TO PONDER
EVENTS
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
AD INDEX
SIT, STAY, READ
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - PET Food Processing - March 2020
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - PET Food Processing - March 2020
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 2
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 3
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 4
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - Contents
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - OFF THE LEASH - Dearth of data
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 7
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 8
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - TRENDS - Pets vs. planet
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 10
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 11
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 12
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 13
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 14
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 15
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - PLANT PROFILE - Recognized as Champions
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 17
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 18
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 19
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 20
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 21
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 22
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 23
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 24
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 25
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 26
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - FOOD SAFETY - Plan, test, improve, repeat
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 28
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 29
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 30
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 31
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 32
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - REGULATORY - Building on success
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 34
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 35
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 36
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - INGREDIENTS - Balanced benefits
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 38
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 39
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 40
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 41
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 42
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - FORMULATION - Understanding palatability
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 44
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 45
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 46
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 47
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 48
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - EQUIPMENT - Eye on dry
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 50
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 51
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 52
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 53
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 54
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 55
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 56
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - EQUIPMENT - Key to kibble control
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 58
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 59
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 60
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - OPERATIONS - 21st century pest control
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 62
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 63
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 64
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 65
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 66
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - PACKAGING - The singles scene
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 68
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 69
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 70
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 71
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 72
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 73
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - BEST IN SHOW
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 75
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - PATENTS TO PONDER
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 77
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 78
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - EVENTS
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - AD INDEX
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - SIT, STAY, READ
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 83
PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 84
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