LAST WORD
our own facility gives us a great
opportunity to make new innovative
and proprietary products for Earth
Animal while staying true to our
vision, mission and values.
This year, Earth Animal’s Herbal Flea
& Tick Defense Collar was recognized
by Pet Business as a stand-out
product in the feline flea and tick
control category. What makes this
product different than other flea
and tick collars? How does this
product reflect Earth Animals broader
approach to pet care? Earth Animal
is committed to be the most mindful,
trusted and respected company in
the pet industry. We accomplish
this by thinking and exploring other
innovative ways to deliver on humane, natural and effective
products without having a negative impact on all Earth’s
animals and the environment. Our flea and tick products meet
our mission by providing a natural alternative to synthetic and
potentially harmful insecticides. Our products do not contain
DEET, harsh chemicals or any ‘cides.’
Does Earth Animal have any new products currently in the pipeline?
If so, is there anything you can tell us about these products? Earth
Animal is always looking for new opportunities and innovations
within the industry. As you are aware, our new plant will begin
producing Wisdom by the end of this year. We are on target for
launching Wisdom in the first quarter of 2019, which is the same
timeframe in which we will be launching our No-Hide Peanut
Butter Recipe.
This month, we are launching Zen-Tabs and Zen-Pen. These
products will fall under our new Nature’s Comfort portfolio, which
will be our first whole plant hemp extract products available in
both tablet and gel forms. Everyone will be able to see our new
products at Global Pet Expo 2019. PB
Ingredient sourcing has become a hot-button topic in
the pet industry. Can you tell us about Earth Animal’s
approach to product sourcing and how it makes the
company stand out in the market? Earth Animal
takes great pride in sourcing our ingredients. Not
only do we focus on how ingredients are sourced, we
also look at the benefits our products provide dogs
and cats and how we impact our environment (via
sustainability) with ingredient sourcing. For example,
when we source our meat, we will not use any factory
farms. Animals must be cage-free (ex. chicken &
turkey), grass-fed (ex. beef & venison) and/or wild-caught (ex. salmon). Additionally, our meat will be
locally sourced (U.S. or Atlantic Ocean), so we know
where our ingredients are from and make sure we
do not use Thailand fisheries, which have been tied
to slave labor. Although these may not be the most
cost-effective sources of protein, it is critical that we
stay true to the Earth Animal ethos. If there is a “hot
and new” protein source and we cannot source it based on our values, we will
not launch a product in that category.
Beyond choosing the right sources for ingredients, how does Earth Animal
ensure that it only produces high-quality, safe products? What are some of the
manufacturing practices that the company uses to accomplish this? The simple
answer is testing. Our plant and our co-manufacturers all need to meet the same
basic requirements. This requires testing on inbound ingredients, outbound
finished goods and even environmental microbial testing at the facilities.
Although this may sound simple, it is important that you partner with
people and build a food safety culture mindset within and outside the
organization. By doing so, you empower people to make the right decisions
and to always ship the best product to the market.
This month, Earth Animal is expected to finish building its own manufacturing
plant. Can you tell us about the new facility and how it will improve the
company’s production capabilities? We plan on leveraging our new plant
in Maryland, which completed construction in November. Although this
plant was constructed for the launch of our Wisdom diets, it does have the
capability to produce other items, like biscuits and semi-moist treats. Having
Holistic Pet Care Pioneers
Earth Animal founders Dr. Bob and Susan Goldstein discuss the company’s unsurpassed
commitment to improving the health and quality of life of pets.
