(PRESS RELEASE) Champion Petfoods has announced it is forming the pet food industry’s first Transparency Council, a four-person committee of outside experts and pet lovers. Council members will be given access to each step of Champion’s product creation process and encouraged to provide candid, periodic reports to the public on what they’ve learned.
By building a council made up of unbiased, respected pet food industry experts, as well as everyday pet food consumers, Champion is the first pet food company willing to openly back up its stated vision of being Trusted by Pet Lovers Everywhere.
“We are witnessing increased consumer interest in pet food quality standards, ingredient sourcing, nutritional attributes and product safety,” said Champion Petfoods CMO Julie S. Washington. “People no longer accept at face value the assertions and claims made by pet food producers about the integrity of the products they provide. Pet lovers place a greater premium on transparency and want to know more about how foods are made and from where ingredients are sourced — and our Transparency Council provides an avenue to do just that.”
Washington said transparency is rapidly becoming essential to earning and keeping trust with pet lovers.
“As an industry leader, Champion understands it has a responsibility to lead by example and is initiating the Transparency Council to educate the public about the nutritional quality of our pet foods,” she said.
A groundbreaking study in the human food industry conducted by Deloitte and the Food Marketing Institute revealed the legacy purchase drivers of taste, price and convenience have been usurped by escalating interest in transparency, ingredient sourcing, food safety and general health and wellness concerns. Champion believes this development applies equally to pet food.
Transparency Council members will attend on-site immersion experiences at Champion’s kitchens, seeing from start to finish how products are made, learning from Champion managers about safety standards and procedures, and visiting regional ingredient suppliers. As a part of this educational platform, each member will write articles and social media posts and participate in media interviews to convey their first-hand experiences.
“Ultimately, we think that well-informed pet lovers are empowered to make better choices for the feeding, health and wellbeing of their companion pets,” Washington said.
Champion Transparency Council Expert Members
Two pet care industry experts have been appointed to the council:
- Shawn Messonnier is a U.S. veterinary physician, expert and author of numerous books, including the NATURAL HEALTH BIBLE FOR DOGS & CATS. He founded the Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in Plano, TX, in 1991. Messonnier is a regular contributor to pet media including ANIMAL WELLNESS and WHOLE DOG JOURNAL.
- Clayton Greenway hosts the veterinary call-in show “Animal House” on Toronto’s most popular talk radio station, Newstalk 1010. Greenway practices at West Hill Animal Clinic in Scarborough, Ontario, and is a lead veterinarian and development director for VetStrategy Inc.
“Champion’s willingness to open the door and allow us to see what they do and how they do it is refreshing,” Messonnier said. “We look forward to being the public’s eyes and ears on how Champion delivers on its promises.”
Champion Announces Application Process for Pet Lover Transparency Council Members
Separately, Champion today announced in its social media channels, that it is accepting applications from interested Pet Lovers to fill the remaining two Council positions. Pet Lovers are invited to submit essays on their views of the importance they place on transparency and why they would like to be part of Champion’s Transparency Council. Pet Lover application and submission guidelines and deadline information are available at championpetfoods.com/transparency. Selection of Pet Lover Council members will be made by a team of Champion executives and announced on or about April 8.