Nestle comes up with new pet food that cuts human allergies to cats



06/16/2020 7:21 AM


Nestle has found a way to stand out in the increasingly competitive pet products market. The company launched sales of cat food, which it claims to mitigate allergic reactions to cat hair.



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Nestle points out that it is not the fur itself that causes the allergy, but the cat's saliva protein that gets on it. According to the company, one in five adults in the world is allergic to the protein. A special supplement in the feed, according to Nestle, will neutralize the effect. The study, which was conducted during 12 weeks with 105 cats, showed that daily consumption of the new product had reduced the content of allergenic protein on fur by an average of 47% by the third week.

“We believe this will be a promising opportunity for our business,” said Bernard Meunier, Chief Executive Officer of Nestle Purina in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. According to him, the development of a product called LiveClear took a whole decade.

Animal feeds are becoming an increasingly important area of Nestle’s business, as consumers are treating pets as family members and are willing to spend more on them, WSJ writes. According to research firm Euromonitor, since 2010, pet food sales in the world have grown by 61%. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association predicts that pet owners will spend around $ 99 billion on pet products this year, and feed and treats will account for most of the costs. According to the organization, the number of American families with pets has grown to 67% from 56% in 1988. The coronavirus pandemic prompted this trend: shelters reported that more animals were taken home during the self-isolation regime, the newspaper notes. A recent survey by research firm Jefferies showed that 22% of more than 900 dog owners surveyed in the United States said they had a new pet in the last three months.

source: wsj.com


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