According to NH Economic Research Institute, the domestic market for pet food, accessories, and services is estimated at 900 billion won in 2012. (image credit :kobizmedia)
SEOUL, Korea, Nov 07 (Korea Bizwire) – Since the airing of a documentary on KBS-TV exposing the unscrupulous practice of some pet food makers, millions of angry pet owners began boycotting non-organic pet food and instead buying up premium animal feed products. The TV program showed shocking scenes in which sick or dead chickens were mixed into the feed while rotting food waste was turned into pet food.
According to NH Economic Research Institute, the domestic market for pet food, accessories, and services is estimated at 900 billion won in 2012. Of this, pet food market accounts for about a sixth, with an average annual growth rate of 14.3 percent for 12 years between 2000 and 2012. Some industry analysts predict that the pet-related market would grow up to 6 trillion won by 2020. The percentage of households with pets is 17.9 percent as of 2012, with the number of dogs and cats estimated at 4.4 million and 1.16 million, respectively.
Pet owners are increasingly buying organic, raid fridge food lately. (image:creative1the @flickr)
The pet food market has witnessed a spurt of growth of late. According to 11st, an online shopping mall, its sales of pet-related items this year to date have increased 23 percent from the same period in 2011. As for premium pet food including organic varieties, the company saw an increase of more than 40 times. Another online purveyor Auction said its pet item sales for nine months between January and September this year rose 35 percent from the same months last year.
Despite the lucrative potential, the premium pet food category is dominated by foreign brands. NH Economic Research Institute estimated that the share of foreign brands in this segment is as high as 70 percent. Nestlé S.A., a Swiss multinational food and beverage company, sold high-quality pet food worth 32 billion won in Korea last year, with a 21.3-percent share in the market. Other brands such as Royal Canin (Mars Petcare) and Hill’s Pet Nutrition took in 16 billion won in sales each last year.
In this profitable-but-hard-to-penetrate market, major Korean food processors have recently entered with new brands. In February this year, CJ CheilJedang launched a new pet food brand “O Fresh” fortified with omega-3 and DHA, with no artificial additive or coloring agent. The company had moved in the market in 1989 with a brand “CJ Jerony,” but it was limited to veterinarian offices. With the introduction of O Fresh the company plans to expand its presence in the mass-market including online retailers and major supermarket chains.
CJ CheilJedang launched a new pet food brand “O Fresh” fortified with omega-3 and DHA, with no artificial additive or coloring agent. (image:CJ CheilJedang)
“Amio,” the pet food brand unveiled by Pulmuone in September this year, is made of all-organic ingredients certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and European organic certification organization ECOCERT. It contains no preservative or artificial sweetener, with meat, grain, and nuts whose quality is as good as those for human consumption.
E-Mart has plunged into the business of pet food since 2010 with its private labels M.M. Dogs and I’m Fresh, one low-priced and the other premium line. The retailer has developed the brands in partnership with CJ CheilJedang and Daehan Feed. The I’m Fresh line has been loved by dog owners as it uses high-quality ingredients such as fresh chicken, duck, oatmeal, salmon, brown rice, and potatoes.
In a situation where so many companies in and outside Korea are offering scores of pet food brands, it is not easy for an average pet owner to tell which one to choose for her pet. The first rule of thumb to that end is looking at the grade. There are five different classes in pet food, from supermarket grade to holistic pet food. Organic pet food doesn’t belong to any of these ratings as all organic foods are not good for pets.Holistic pet foods, such as Evo, Innova, and Canidae, are given that designation as they make use of ingredients certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Just below holistic pet food are super-premium foods that contain more meat than grain. Brands like Royal Canin and Avoderm belong to this label. Still these foods use non-nutritious fillers such as gluten meal and brewers rice.
“Show me the dog gum” : Dogs and cats need more than just pet food. (image: elisaself @flickr)
Premium feed, the third designation, uses a lot of animal byproducts with a high percentage of fillers as well as vegetable oil and fish meal. Brands like Eukanuba and Proplan are under this category. Finally the supermarket-grade pet feed contains grain and animal byproducts as well as preservative. If you are one of the picky pet owners, it is advisable not to feed it to your pet.
In addition to pet food grades, another thing to consider is how much meat it contains. The feed that contains too much grain may cause allergy to the dog or cat. Often grain-containing feed may get moldy easily, which is fatal to the pet. When you check the label, if you see anything like animal fat, byproduct, or brewers rice, it’s better to avoid buying entirely as they may contain something repulsive such as mystery meal with animal hair or nail.
Dogs and cats need more than just pet food. They need a regular supply of vitamin and taurine. The best way to complement these essential nutrients is feeding nutritional supplement such as Nutriplus Gel. Just like it’s not always better to feed something expensive to your children, the same principle can be applicable to your pets. Before deciding on what to feed, it is important for you to get as much information as you can about healthful feed.
Written by Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
Lifestyle (Follow us @Lifestylenews_Korea)
