The Dish
In The Dish, our team of experts share insights into the research, science, and innovation used to develop healthy and nourishing food for the pets we love.
WhitePapers
In The Dish, our team of experts share insights into the research, science, and innovation used to develop healthy and nourishing food for the pets we love.
Nutrition is essential for the overall health and longevity of pets. Offering a balanced diet tailored to their individual needs helps ensure they get the nutrients required to thrive throughout their lives.
During a recent ideation session with a dynamic group of pet enthusiasts, we explored new food possibilities spanning a wide variety of ingredients, flavors, and textures. At one point, someone from the focus group asked: “what are superfoods for pets, and are they the same as ours”?
Since 2015, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and industry stakeholders have been working to create a proposed update to pet food labels so that they provide better clarity for the pet parent. Read to explore what’s changing and Simmons Pet Food’s plan.
Making informed nutrition choices for your cat will ensure their long-term health. However, this can be challenging for these furry friends who are known to be rather finicky.
Just like we do, our furry friends need plenty of nutrients to be happy and healthy. Protein is among the most important and extraordinary nutrients, playing a vital role in growth and defense against disease.
Did you know that pets have preferences for certain types of foods, flavors, textures and ingredients just like humans do? As frustrating as it can be to have our pet turn their nose away at a bowl of food, it’s important for us to remember that their taste preferences are often a means of protection.
The process of choosing the right food for our dogs and cats can be a daunting task. With countless claims all promising to be more superior than the last, it’s easy to worry that we’re not choosing the right food for our pets. But, learning how to decipher these labels and filter through the often extravagant claims will help us feel confident we are choosing a food specific to our pet’s needs.
Quality pet foods for the dogs and cats we love require the highest quality ingredients. While many factors such as formula, product design, and cooking method impact the quality, there is no doubt that ingredients are the leading factor. From defining the ingredient’s intended use to assessing food safety risks to testing the ingredient, there are many steps in verifying an ingredient’s quality and its ability to perform as desired.
What does it take for a pet food to get from idea to the food bowl for the pets we love? Months of hard work, research, testing, long hours on the production floor, and strong cross-functional collaboration. Pet food scientists often have to wear multiple hats, including product developer, animal nutritionist, food scientist, culinary professional, or process engineer.
As a leading producer of pet food in North America, Simmons Pet Food invests in research and the development of skilled pet food experts who create nutritious, safe and high-quality food for our pets. Ensuring our facilities utilize the highest quality food safety processes is part of our commitment to excellence. Seven key practices and benefits associated with commercially-produced pet food are listed in this white paper. Our goal is to help pet parents stay informed and educated on how to best feed their pets, because they are family!
The happiness that a companion animal exhibits when we walk in the door can only be described as pure joy and excitement, and let’s be honest, it is absolutely mutual! A pet’s love is unconditional and their pleasing nature reflects the loyalty they feel towards the people in their lives.
Grains, like many ingredients in pet food, have followed trends in the industry. The healthiness of these grains can sometimes be confusing for pet parents. Experts Leah Lambrakis and Jarrod Kersey discuss concerns about grains being used as fillers and how to detect quality pet food in this article, Perplexed About Grains?
When it comes to “natural” pet food, labels can be difficult to decipher. Many assume “natural” translates to “healthy” and that isn’t always the case. Experts Jarrod Kersey and Leah Lambrakis explain what to look for when it comes to safety and quality of natural-labeled pet food in the article, Natural Pet Food 101.
Making healthy and delicious pet food starts with choosing quality ingredients. Nutrition, digestibility and so much more goes into the equation. Experts Leah Lambrakis and Jarrod Kersey give insight on the process in the article, Making Quality Pet Food.
An alarming 60% of our cat and dog pets are overweight. That’s why it’s important to pick the healthiest options for your furry family members. We at Simmons Pet Food have a passion for creating and producing nourishing food for the pets we love. Experts Leah Lambrakis and Jarrod Kersey tell us how to keep our pets at a healthy weight in this article, Pet Obesity - A Rising Epidemic.
Several innovative test methods have been developed in recent years in an effort to better understand the food preferences of our pets. Some examples include olfaction (sense of smell) research enabling the influence of odor on dog behavior to be isolated from vision, taste or textural parameters. Our team of experts share more in the article, Principles of Palatability.
Like parent, like pet...even when it comes to adding fiber to food. Experts Leah Lambrakis and Jarrod Kersey tell us why it’s important your pet food has this important nutrient and how it will help improve your furry friend’s long-term wellness in the article, The Fuss About Fiber.
It begins with a complete and balanced product. Then product design, formulation and production come into play. And of course people with a passion for pets. Read more in the article, Making Quality Pet Food.
Avoiding excess additives and preservatives can be part of that choice. When it comes to wet pet food, packaged in cans, pouches, trays and tubs, the preparation and packaging can reduce the need for additives and preservatives. Our experts cover this and other considerations in their article, The Benefits of Feeding Wet Food to Your Pets.
In some cases, we’re looking for a clear win. Or, a parity result may be the desired outcome, meaning the products were liked equally. Our team of experts discusses the various tools they use to evaluate palatability and ensure foods that nourish and delight pets, in the article, Principles of Palatability.
There has been a great deal of confusion around the cause of canine DCM and studies are ongoing. According to our team of experts, the challenge may be that the issue has focused on ingredients rather than nutrients, and there could be many contributing factors. Read their analysis in the article, What We Know About] Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
As pet parents are increasingly considering pets as family members, the desire to offer higher quality foods such as cuts of meats suitable for humans has also kept pace. Our team of experts discusses some of the considerations, including earth mindfulness and sustainability, in the article, Whole Animal Nutrition.
From a nutritional standpoint, one of the primary benefits of wet food is the dietary hydration provided. Our experts, Leah and Jarrod, break down the benefits and other considerations in the article, “The Benefits of Feeding Wet Food to Your Pets”.
Our industry uses many evaluation tools to develop palatable pet food recipes. One example is paired preference testing, or more simply put, a two-bowl test that involves simultaneously offering two moderately different foods side-by-side. Of course, there is a bit more to it than that. Our team of experts talks about the many ways they test and analyze results in the article, Principles of Palatability.
We are often asked what we know about DCM and if the pet foods we produce are safe? DCM is a disease that affects the heart muscle, resulting in a decreased ability for the heart to pump blood. While an exact cause of DCM is not yet known, it’s important to recognize that millions of cats and dogs are thriving from the foods on the market today that have been scientifically formulated and diligently manufactured. Our team of experts provides more insights into DCM in the article, What We Know About] Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Animal by-products like organ meats are not only nutritious but also provide enticing flavor and elevated palatability to cats and dogs. There are many other advantages. Our team of experts explains the benefits and clears up a few misconceptions about animal by-products in the article, “Whole Animal Nutrition”.
Our team gets questions like this a lot. Palatability and digestibility are two key considerations. Well-formulated wet pet food is typically quite high in palatability and digestibility. Two of our experts, Leah Lambrakis and Jarrod Kersey, dish up the details in their article, “The Benefits of Feeding Wet Food to Your Pets”.