USDA Promotes Innovation and Quality of U.S. Pet Foods at Pet Fair Asia 2023

SHANGHAI, Sept. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Pet Food Brand Promotional Session was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center on August 16, 2023, to introduce U.S. pet food industry innovations and premium quality U.S. pet food to interested professional attendees during Pet Fair Asia 2023. The USDA Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai hosted a USA Pavilion. LAMB Agriculture Consultancy provided livestreaming services for USA Pavilion exhibitors.

Lashonda McLeod Harper-Director of the Agricultural Trade Office in Shanghai delivered a welcome speech and a brief overview of the U.S. pet food industry. Regional distributors of U.S. brands including Sunshine Mills, Stella & Chewy's, Timberwolf, Midwestern Pet Foods, Purpose, and Zamzaws. presented on the history, innovative features, and premium quality of their products. These selected presentations strengthened customers' faith in the quality and functionality of U.S. pet foods.  Representatives from Sunshine Mills' SQF Level 3 quality management system and Stella & Chewy's pioneering freeze-drying technology greatly impressed upon audience members their stringent quality control and advanced manufacturing technologies. Timberwolf's immune boosting formula with functional herbal ingredients, Midwestern Pet Foods' products with special consideration on cardiovascular health, bone and joint health and coat quality as well as gastrointestinal health solutions delivered by Purpose's innovative probiotics and Zamzaws's Archaeal metabolites, all received heightened attention from the audience on-site and during the livestreaming , showing a trend of pet owners' preference over functional pet foods is also emerging in Chinese pet food markets.

Peng Li, Asia Regional Director of the North American Renderers Association (NARA), gave a presentation to elaborate on the report of pet food production and ingredient analyses in the U.S. pet food industry. and how animal proteins including fresh meats, poultry, seafoods and rendered products, have been major ingredients in U.S. pet foods. Mr. Li went on to demonstrate the delicate cooking process in the U.S. rendering industry and highlighted importance of rendered products in safe, high-quality, and affordable pet foods for all pet families around the globe. When explaining the U.S. pet food industry, he outlined the strengths of the U.S. pet food industry in long-term investment on research, companion animal science, pet food manufacturing technologies, availability, and quality of various pet food ingredients and stressed that convenient access to high-quality rendered ruminant ingredients in U.S. pet food industry poses remarkable advantages in ingredient supply to pet foods made by China.

ATO Shanghai Director Lashonda McLeod Harper, Deputy Director Ted Shibata, and Agricultural Marketing Specialists from the USDA Agricultural Trade Offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenyang met with representatives of Pet Fair Asia attendees in pet food import, trading, distribution after the session, extended gratitude on development of U.S. pet food distribution channels of individuals, and sought suggestions on the effective delivery of U.S. pet foods to millions of pet families caring about quality and functionality of pet foods via trade services, education and product promotion.

Nearly 3,000 pet food professionals attended this U.S. Pet Food Brands Promotional Session on-site and via livestream. It is estimated similar U.S. Pet Food Brands Promotional Sessions will be held in various regions across China in 2024.