Brand of the Month: Petcurean A Leader in Sustainability

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More pet parents are treating their companion animals, which is leading to a growing demand for premium pet food. Natalie Asaro, nutrition manager at Petcurean, recently shared some insights on what drives the brand to be a leader in the highly competitive pet food sector. 

What can you tell us about your role as Petcurean’s nutrition manager? 

Petcurean is a premium pet food company that was founded over 20 years ago in British Columbia, Canada, with a mission to create high-quality, nutrient-rich food for cats and dogs to help them live happy and healthy lives. We put pets first without compromise, and part of this includes a deep-rooted commitment to upholding values and sustainability practices that give back to our people, community and our planet.  

As Petcurean’s nutrition manager, I lead our nutrition and quality assurance teams. No two days are the same, but every day I feel fortunate to work with talented people who are passionate about creating innovative, quality nutrition products for pets.  

Can you share more about Petcurean’s newest products and latest innovations?
At Petcurean, we believe every pet is unique and, because of this, we are constantly researching and innovating products to give pets the very best for their individual needs. Earlier this year, we expanded our Go! Solutions collection to include a novel insect-protein option, Go! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Insect Recipe, and two new large breed recipes for dogs, Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Large Breed Puppy and Large Breed Adult Salmon Recipes with Grains. 

At SuperZoo, we debuted our new Go! Solutions Boosters for cats and dogs to meet the increasing consumer demand for wet food products. These single-serve, single-solution “boosters” are packaged in an easy-to-tear pouch to add functional benefits to your pet’s meal and will be hitting retailers’ shelves this fall. The Boosters are available in eight different delicious flavors, with Go! Solutions Boosters for cats providing a complete and balanced meal alternative and Go! Solutions Boosters for dogs serving as a topper to enhance the palatability of dry food.  

Sustainability is a trending topic these days in the pet food industry. How do Petcurean’s recipes reflect the company’s commitment to sustainability as a core value? 

Petcurean is proud to be a leader in sustainability within the pet food industry. Every day, we strive for progress in this area, because we believe we have a responsibility to do better for our pets, people, and our planet. As the first pet food company to publish an annual public-facing Sustainability Impact Report, we are committed to being open and transparent in our sustainability goals. We also have a dedicated Sustainability Manager and a Sustainability Committee to help propel us forward in this area. Petcurean was also one of five inaugural companies to sign the Pet Sustainability Coalition’s Packaging Pledge to switch to recyclable packaging by 2025. 

Sustainability is one of our core values, which is why we are committed to developing innovative recipes with sustainable ingredients. Our new Go! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Insect Recipe, for example, features black soldier fly larvae – an emerging novel protein source that is hypoallergenic and highly digestible. This recipe also provides a sustainable choice for pet parents as insect-based proteins have less impact on the environment than traditional meat-based proteins. 

What goes into the development of Petcurean’s recipes, and how do you ensure the recipes meet the unique needs of every pet?
All of our 60+ products have been carefully developed by our team of expert nutritionists. We take a science-based approach to formulating our recipes, and thoughtfully select every ingredient. Unlike humans who can get their nutrients by eating a variety of foods, most pets typically eat one product as their sole source of nutrition. This is why our role is so important, and why we check and recheck that everything meets the nutritional needs of our pets.  

We also hold our partners to a high standard of sustainability and quality. All of our manufacturing partners, for example, have signed our Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes specific social and environmental expectations. We also source our ingredients from as close to our plants as possible in order to ensure the highest standard of sustainability, quality, and freshness are met.

Where can pet retailers find more information about Petcurean products / How does Petcurean support independent pet retailers? 

Each and every one of our retailers is a member of the Petcurean family, and we are committed to supporting them in any way we can. Recently, we launched the University of Petcurean (UofP), an online Learning Management System to help educate retailers on our products, like our new Go! Solutions Boosters, and to provide them with resources that help support their consumers. It offers a seamless and flexible product training experience for retailers to access information about our newest recipes, including everything from product formulations and nutritional benefits, to helping retail staff recommend the best recipes for pet parents!