‘TRUSTING BONDS FOREVER’ with Right Nutrition

Dr Saurabh Shekhar
For our 100th Issue celebration, know more about Trouw Nutrition, a leading animal feed premix and supplement additive supplier. Trouw Nutrition has now forayed into India with a state-of-the-art facility in Telangana. Dr Saurabh Shekhar, Managing Director, South Asia Nutreco, shares insights about the pet industry and also reiterates the importance of responsible pet parenting. –by Dr Saurabh Shekhar

For every pet parent their pet’s health and nutrition are the two top priorities. Pets are rightly called true companions and the role became more apparent during the pandemic.
India: an important market

India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world and the growth is seen in all the categories for pet industry including pet food, supplements, pharmaceuticals, accessories and grooming. Industry estimates suggest that the pet care market is valued at more than USD 350 mn and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14-15%.
Asia and South Asia will be the major regions for driving the economy in the coming years as a result of burgeoning consuming middle class. India is estimated to surpass China and become the most populous country by 2027. Animal and aqua proteins are going to be critical in sustaining the population and feeding the future generations.
Evolution of pet industry and moving towards a brighter future

Despite the uncertain conditions we faced with COVID-19 last year, the pet industry has fared well with growth across the value chain in different categories right from pet population, food, supplements, and accessories. The only category that suffered because of the pandemic was pet grooming.
A major factor that fuelled this growth is the emotional reliance on pets of pet parents which was further enhanced during the pandemic as we saw cases of loneliness, anxiety and depression rise amongst the different age groups.
The pet industry has rapidly grown over the past five years. This growth is both ways – an increase in pet ownership and an increase in individual spends on pets. The trend is definitely more driven by urban and Tier-1 cities with a boom of e-commerce segment. However, there is still a lot that can be achieved in nutrition segment and feeding the right food to pets. In the next ten years, the trend of humanization of pets is going to increase significantly as social dynamics changes.
‘Paw’tionate pet parenting during pandemic

Pets are known for their loyalty and have always been treated as family. Pets are Family – ever since I have been in the industry for the past two decades, I have heard people abide by this statement. Although the relationship has evolved from dogs just guarding the home to having a personal space in the pet parent’s bedroom. Pet humanisation is also a reflection of “Pets are family” and pet parents continue to identify more with pets and treat them as their children.
Pets are rightly called true companions and their role became more apparent during the pandemic. Pets provide non-judgmental emotional support and studies show that contact with pets help reduces stress and anxiety, particularly when you are experiencing a stressful situation. They helped kids and families to overcome social isolation making pet parents more comfortable during this crisis.
Change is the only constant towards the good

To maintain consistency in quality – whether it’s in breeding, food, supplements, or services. This is going to be critical for consumer satisfaction as pet parents become more sensitive to the needs of their pets. The role of veterinarians has historically been critical to the industry and in maintaining pet’s health, however with an increase in consumer demand for a holistic experience we have seen Veterinary Service Industry undergo a change from traditional clinics to modern clinics. As we start exploring consumer experience and methods to enhance that, quality and emotional understanding will be essential for the Veterinary Service Industry.
For all pet parents I would only say that to ensure the happiness of your pets by giving right nutrition and preventive health care is really important. This will help to maintain your pet’s health and give them a long, healthy, and happy life.
The superpower of media

Role of media is very critical to develop pet ownership and pet industry in India. Both print and social media have helped the category to grow significantly. Dogs & Pups has been an early trendsetter in the segment that has focused on responsible pet parenting and has helped the industry overall.
History and growth of Nutreco

Nutreco, with its two reputed brands Trouw Nutrition for animal nutrition and Skretting for aqua nutrition, is a global leader in innovative feed specialties, feed additives, premixes and nutritional services since last 100 years. Our mission is Feeding the Future and we ensure sustainability is of top priority in all our endeavors. We have grown over the years as a result of our integrated solution based approach that goes beyond nutrition and provides best in class advice and technology to help our customers produce more food, in a sustainable way, to feed our growing population. Our NuFrontiers team works to identify, develop, and invest in next generation breakthrough innovations throughout the value chain.
Nutreco is a wholly owned subsidiary of Netherlands-based SHV Holdings N.V., a family-owned multinational with a wide range of operations and presence in 52 countries with more than 60,000 employees and a net sale of € 19.2 billion in 2019.
Legacy with global presence

Nutreco dates back to 1899 when Skretting was started for Aqua feed and Nutrition. In 1931 Trouw Nutrition was established by Adolf Trouw and Johannes Siemons. In 1994 Skretting and Trouw Nutrition became the two global brands of Nutreco. Since then Nutreco has focused on innovations to deliver fast-paced and practical solutions for animal and aqua industry. With 12,100 dedicated employees globally, Nutreco has a presence in more than 37 countries with over 100 production plants.
The brand feels that the Indian sub-continent is key to achieving our mission of Feeding the Future. Establishing a highly advanced production facility in Telangana is our way of reinforcing our commitment to the South Asia and Indian markets. The unique facility with a total capacity of 20,000 MT/annum and 45-meter tower will help us deliver our commitment of unparalleled quality products. In order to better serve our customers, through the facility we can provide customizations as per customer requirements and bring down the lead times. Our company-wide food safety and quality initiative ‘Nutrace’ guarantees premium product quality through end to end traceability and automation of manufacturing process which results in the final product being completely untouched by human hands.
Amazing range of products

In order to fulfil the nutritional demands of pets we see the following product categories:
• Vitamin and mineral blends: Because of the small inclusion rate and delicate state, vitamins and trace minerals need to be added as blend. Blends ensure that the active ingredients are evenly dispersed throughout the final product, making a better and safer pet food.
• Premixes: Same as blends premixes ensure that all micro-ingredients are made available to pets as per the dietary requirements.
• Organic trace minerals: Trace minerals may become unstable in the harsh environment of digestive tract. As chelates, organic trace minerals like Optimi remain bioavailable for pets.
• Novel ingredients: A lot of research is also being conducted on the novel ingredients to enhance pet nutrition like use of sun-dried kelp, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), pre- and pro-biotics for gut health among others.
We understand that product design and formulation technology are important to ensure precision nutrition. Globally we provide a service called Life Fiber Technology that aims to optimize pet’s gut health by ensuring proper blend of fibres at select quantities.
We will be able to provide products like Premixes and Feed Additives and services to pet food and supplement manufacturers in India.