According to an industry publication, J.M. Smucker’s “Pet food segment profit declined 32 percent” in the quarter ending April 30, 2021.
The J.M. Smucker Company entered into the pet food business in 2015 when they purchased Big Heart Brands pet foods. The Big Heart brands included Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles ‘n Bits, 9Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, and Milo’s Kitchen.
In 2018 Smucker’s expanded their pet food product lines by purchasing Ainsworth Pet Nutrition – manufacturer of Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Foods.
But six short years after Smucker entered into the pet food business, things don’t seem to be turning out well for the company. Smucker’s has experienced numerous recalls including Gravy Train for pentobarbital contamination in early 2018, 9Lives recall for low thiamine in late 2018, Natural Balance recall in 2020 for elevated levels of choline chloride, and in 2021 Meow Mix recall for Salmonella.
PetProductNews.com stated in a June 8, 2021 report regarding Smucker’s pet food brands that “The pet food segment saw a net sales decrease of 12 percent for the quarter ended April 30 (2021)…”
“Cat food decreased 4 percent following 18 percent growth in the prior year, while dog food net sales decreased 15 percent …”
“Pet food segment profit declined 32 percent…”
Smucker executives explain away the significant sales drop as pandemic related, BUT…could it be that more and more pet owners have stopped buying feed grade pet foods? (Fingers crossed.)
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Karin dale
June 11, 2021 at 12:03 pm
What about Purina (Cat food in particular)
Which has NEVER issued any voluntary recall aside from one specific flavor of their supposed “high end” “Muse”
Despite thousands of complaints on not only their own website but on at least 50 different websites including a facebook page called, “Do you have complaints about Friskies..”
And “Make Purina accountable..”
Most complaints were of cats projectile vomiting,lethargy , excessive diarrhea and the founder of the Facebook page had actually had many of her sanctuary cats die after eating friskies canned food.Others suffered from urinary blockage, crystals and long + term diabetes,hyperthyroidism cancerous mouth ulcers and young cats getting rotten teeth from all the bio incorrect grains & fillers like corn gums and lab grown “meat” filled with preservatives that are known to cause various types of cancer.
I’d trust a company more that had voluntary recalls at least salmonella recalls means its being batch tested!
Purina is the number one manufacturer of commercial brand s in many countries.Do you think the meat is rendered or processed any differently Because it’s a “higher end” or veteranaian recommended like Pro-Plan or a prescription?
I think not.
#SusanThixton
Agree?
Saba
June 11, 2021 at 12:20 pm
LMAO re sales drop due to the pandemic. If anything, food sales should have been way up with all the ppl adopting and fostering pets during the pandemic. Finally, it seems that maybe pet owners are starting to see the light, that healthy, nutritious food is just as important for animals as for humans (duh) and are now avoiding the cheap, toxic garbage companies like Smuckers, Mars, Nestlé (Purina), Hills, et al. churn out.
Paula
June 11, 2021 at 1:42 pm
Fingers and paws crossed that people are finally waking up to the toxic garbage these companies call food!
Cathy Keisha
June 12, 2021 at 11:38 pm
People may be buying better grades of cat food but I’m sure the dip in sales has a lot to do with empty supermarket shelves. Pet food aisles have been almost completely empty for months now. Not the way to boost sales.