AFB International
http://afbinternational.com/
AFB International
About company
WHAT WE DO
At AFB International, we develop and produce a full range of liquid and dry palatability enhancers. We use high-quality ingredients proven to optimize companion animal response and consumption.
Our specialty? Meeting your unique needs with custom support. Our worldwide staff of technical experts is ready to assist you with all aspects of palatability enhancement, from product development and testing to processing, logistics and more.
HOW WE WORK
Our successful customer relationships are built on clear, consistent communication—starting with really listening to understand your needs so we can respond quickly and effectively. And we keep listening. AFB scientists and technical service managers routinely travel to customer facilities to clearly understand the challenges at hand and the systems in place. Then we can recommend the best possible solutions.
OUR TEAM
AFB is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of companion animals worldwide through superior products and services. Our diverse, committed team works collaboratively to serve our clients. Get to know us—and let us know how we can help you!
HISTORY
AFB launched in 1986 and has grown to be the global science and technology leader in pet food palatability. Headquartered in St. Charles, Missouri, USA, AFB is a global company with state-of-the-art facilities in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands, China and Australia. AFB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc., a privately held, family-owned, professionally managed technical business that traces its roots back more than 175 years.
Products
Company News
Market Information
2+ MIN
27/02/2024
AFB International announces new Vice President of Global Research and Development
ST. CHARLES, Missouri, Feb. 12, 2024 – AFB International, a subsidiary of Ensign-Bickford Industries, named Dr. Michael Ceddia as Vice President, Global Research & Development. Dr. Ceddia will advance AFB's scientific leadership, strategic direction, and science and technology initiatives. Together, these capabilities will further discover and develop companion animal palatability to help AFB improve customers' performance and achieve their business needs.
In addition to Science & Technology, Dr. Ceddia will also lead Global Regulatory, Quality, Project Management, and Technical Insights. Prior to AFB, Dr. Ceddia has held a variety of Executive Leadership roles within Research & Development in consumer products, pet food, nutritional, and pharmaceutical companies.
'Mike brings great leadership experience and strategic customer focus. We are excited for him to join AFB and we look forward to the advancement of innovation, science-based solutions, and technical services to better partner with our customers,' said Dale Spence, Interim President, AFB International.
'I'm excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the AFB Global R&D Team,' said Dr. Ceddia. 'I look forward to helping the company expand our new innovation and new product development while continuing to deliver a high level of technical service to our customers. I am eager to bring my knowledge and experience to the team and help drive the company's ongoing growth. With AFB International's commitment to innovation and excellence, I am confident that we will continue to achieve great success together.'
About AFB International
AFB International was founded in 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA with a vision to create the best palatants and make pet food taste great. Today we are an international company with resource centers and production facilities designed to service pet food manufacturers across the world. Our portfolio of palatants are formulated to deliver optimal performance for each customer's unique needs.
About Ensign-Bickford Industries
Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. (EBI), founded in 1836, is a privately-owned high technology conglomerate focused in space & defense, pet food science, and biotechnology. They participate in businesses that are relevant to the future of the world and have multigenerational growth prospects.
Source: AFB International.
Palatants
3+ MIN
18/09/2023
Pet Fair Asia 2023 Reflections
Pet Fair Asia is considered the benchmark exhibition for pet supply companies in Asia-Pacific. The event gives significant importance to Asian markets and presents a wide coverage of supply chain and sourcing needs. In this blog, Charlie Xie, Technical Service Manager for AFB China, reports on various market trends and products while at the event Compared with traditional baked kibble, some manufacturers have redesigned the shape and introduced multiple colors. It is relatively novel among many baked kibble brands. Some brands and manufacturers have also designed chips for pets, similar to potato chips eaten by people. The main component of chips for pets is meat. The chips are very crispy, meeting the cat's texture preference. Dogs also like to eat these chips. One company was displaying freeze-dried dietary fiber meat, which increases the intake of dietary fiber in cats, helping to promote intestinal peristalsis, prevent intestinal hairballs, reduce constipation, and reduce fecal odor. Multi-colored Kibble Looking at customized meals for pets, the daily nutritional needs are customized according to the physical condition of each pet. The corresponding nutritional plan is formulated according to age, weight, gender, and other information. The daily diet could include kibble, freeze-dried, wet pet food, snacks, etc. The diet will also be customized according to customer requirements, such as plans to help fur appear healthier and more beautiful, increase intestinal health, improve oral health, and support weight loss A new concept around wet food packaging is the mini can of cat food. Cats are often fed many times a day, leading to relatively small food intake at each meal. When using a can, there may be a surplus, resulting in leftover food that is not fresh. Therefore, a brand has designed a smaller package where each mini can is 35g. This can be consumed in full every time, and part of the package is transparent so you can see the contents. Another packaging product was the Tetra Pak Packaging Wet Pet Food. Using sealed filling Tetra Recart packaging technology, low-carbon paper, environmentally friendly, recyclable materials, to promote sustainable development. This packaging uses Tetra Pak's first 9-layer packaging technology, and the shelf life can reach 24 months without adding any preservatives 35g wet cat can food and Tetra Pak Packaging for wet food Other products that were displayed were around special needs, such as a pill used to wrap medicine. Often, pets refuse to take medicine due to poor palatability. In order to solve this problem, the brand has designed a medicine-feeding product, which wraps tablets so pets successfully take medicine. This pill has very good palatability, which can cover up the bad taste. Some brands make pet nutritional supplements into the shape of coffee capsules, mixed with water, and fed to pets for pet nutrition supplements. Pills used to wrap medicine. Attending these types of shows is valuable to market research. At AFB, our palatants are specially designed to make pet foods, treats and supplements taste better. Seeing new products in person helps us support our customers using new technology. Please reach out to Charlie Xie at [email protected] if you want to learn more about AFB palatants and our services and solutions in China. We Make Pet Food Taste Great.TM by AFB International Source: All Pet Food
Palatants
2+ MIN
01/09/2023
Market Trends and Highlights from SUPERZOO 2023
Dry pet food is being differentiated with broth or raw coatings and various inclusions such as jerky, baked or air dried ingredients to make the classic feeding occasion different for dogs and cats. Functional ingredients continue to dominate coming out of the pandemic with calming claims, new dental designs for mechanical cleaning action, and combinations of historical health focused needs like urinary tract health and gut health in a single item. Wet food continues to add health benefits to elevate above just a culinary experience with additions like prebiotic fiber in wet food, moisture rich for hydration claims, low phosphorous for kidney health, and probiotic inclusion in bone broth. Several established brands with strong equity extended into different feeding occasions or species looking to use that equity to grow. Specific examples are leading snacks brands into complete and balanced kibble and cat focused brands into dog offerings. CBD offerings were available but not near as many as several years ago. Sustainability can be seen in packaging and ingredient sourcing claims but is much less prevalent in NA than EU new items showcases. Insect, which was really prominent at ZOOMARK in Italy, made its way into some diet offerings for NA. UV attractants in litter and flavored bubbles for dogs were interesting items that are signs of the category moving from its focus on supply chain assurance and back to bringing out novel offerings. We are looking forward to seeing the new market trends next year! by AFB International
Palatants
2+ MIN
07/07/2023
FENAGRA 2023 Reflections
This year, more than 7,000 people attended the event with goals to find new suppliers, learn about innovative products and solutions, and discuss new trends in the industry. FENAGRA promoted its Technical Congresses that discussed important issues for the sector, which had the participation of more than 1,800 professionals. The result was 2 days of tradeshow, 3 days of Congresses and 145 exhibitors Marcelo Beraldo, LATAM Director at AFB remarked about the event: 'FENAGRA 2023 has taken an unprecedented proportion in terms of size, quality of visitors and presence of important companies. It was the first post-pandemic event, which enabled a lighter and happier energy. The distancing was replaced by the desire to talk and enjoy the typical Latin warmth of this event. We had excellent contact with our customers and suppliers too.' For Leeann Bo, AFB Global Product Manager, this was her first visit to Brazil and to FENAGRA:'I was impressed by the quantity and variety of information about pet food ingredients. It was a large event with companies bringing many employees from various functions and sectors, leading to valuable conversations and connections'. Carolina Junqueira, responsible for the R&D Department of AFB Brazil, attended the 3 days of congress and said: 'Always a very good time to see friends and learn a lot from professionals, not only from Brazil but also from other countries. Every year is a rich experience!' The day before its opening, AFB participated in a pre-event organized by the company Alltech. It was a day for informative lectures and great networking opportunities in the same complex in which FENAGRA is held. The lecture 'Conditions that affect the palatability of pet food' was presented by Cesar Garrasino, Technical Manager of AFB LATAM. The lecture delved into the various factors that influence the palatability of pet food, an interesting topic for the audience, which was composed mostly of professionals responsible for formulation in pet food companies. Our booth, the information we provided there, the good service and reception of the AFB team once again made a difference in FENAGRA 2023. Our place is guaranteed at FENAGRA 2024, which will be held in an even larger event space that will now be in the capital of the state São Paulo. We value the time spent with our dear customers, suppliers and AFB colleagues from other locations. See you next year! by AFB International Source: All Pet Food
Market Information
5+ MIN
23/02/2023
The interview - Marcelo Beraldo Da Costa
Technology and innovation in AFB International 1) Tell us a little about your professional career. Before joining AFB, my most outstanding experience, I worked as a sales executive focused on ingredient and additives commercialization for animal and human nutrition at Danisco. My journey at AFB started in 2005 as a Sales Executive in Brazil. At that time, we were still starting the company's expansion in Latin America. I worked focusing on the development of all areas necessary for the construction and operation of the facilities in Jaguaríuna - SP. In 2009, I was promoted to Brazil Director. In 2019, in the same position, I assumed responsibility for the operation in Mexico. Now, in 2022, I am very grateful to have been promoted to LATAM Director. I graduated from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) with a degree in Food Engineering and a Master's Degree in Business Administration and Marketing from ESPM. 2) Can you give us a small presentation of the company and its mission in the market? AFB International was founded in 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. It is a subsidiary of Ensign-Bickford Industries, a private company for over 185 years focused on space and defense, pet food science, and biotechnology. Our vision from the beginning was to create the best flavor palatants and make pet food taste amazing. Since then, AFB has partnered with pet food manufacturers to make dog and cat food, treats, and supplements with great flavors. This way, we ensure that pets receive the vital nutrition they need. We further enhance this partnership through research expertise, technical support, and outstanding customer service. 3) What are your main challenges as the new director of the company? What is your focus for 2023? What do you think is essential to focus your efforts on? Now, as LATAM Director, my team and I are challenged to drive sales growth in the region, increase profitability and develop product requirements that meet the ever-changing needs of our emerging market. 4) What is the importance of working on the palatability of pet food products? Even very nutritious food is worthless if a cat or dog doesn't eat it. That's where the right palatability agent can make a difference. Palatabilizers are made with ingredients specially developed to improve food intake. They are created to stimulate one or more of a pet's sensory capacities – olfactory, kinesthetic, taste, and texture. 5) What role do flavorings play in achieving good palatability? Palatabilizers are essential to achieve good palatability, but it is far from being the only influencing factor. There are crucial factors for good food performance: product formulation, quality of ingredients, production process, etc. These factors, together with the right palatability agent for the pet food company's needs, are what will bring performance. That is why it is so important to consult the entire process that AFB provides to its clients because we think of palatability with a holistic view. 6) What flavoring technologies/proposals are currently growing? We noticed great growth in new powder products with very high performance for cats. On the flip side, we've also seen a growing need for cost-effective palatability as manufacturers grapple with last year's cost increases while, at the same time, receiving pressure from their customers about the economy and inflation. So it's a contradiction in needs right now. 7) In relation to the trends in the industry, such as the high pet humanization or changes in food, what changes have you made in your production process, technologies, or products? Today, there is more focus on health and wellness. There is a desire to see more natural ingredients. That's a lot like human eating tendencies, and that's no coincidence. Human tendencies often end up migrating to pet food a little later. For AFB, we see it as a responsibility to ensure that pets enjoy the taste of their meals, while also respecting the trends that our customers want to claim in their diets. Vegetarian dog food requires a vegetarian flavoring agent. A greater interest in wet cat food calls for palatabilizers that work well in this format. The inclusion of a nutritional ingredient may require extra palatability to mask its taste. Therefore, in this scenario of humanization, our innovation must focus on two things at the same time: meeting our customers' palatability needs and their brand philosophy. As the pet food market grows and changes, AFB must constantly innovate to meet the needs of pet food companies. 8) What policies has AFB adopted in terms of the circular economy and sustainability? AFB is committed to sustainable development. We always aim for a balance between protecting the environment and economic growth. We ensure the sustainability of our projects, developments, and products throughout their life cycle, considering economic, environmental, and social impacts. In addition, we train our workers on issues related to the correct disposal of all waste generated in the manufacturing process, also covering suppliers, competent bodies, and representative entities. The treatment of this waste is essential, and we correctly send it to treatment stations by environmental legislation. AFB also achieved a 'Silver' rating with ECOVADIS, a third-party sustainability auditor. This high score reflects the quality of our company's sustainability management. We also completed the self-assessment via SDG Action Manager against the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs work as a guideline to improve people's and the planet's conditions by 2030. AFB is committed to achieving this. Another important action is being a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition for two years, a global not-for-profit organization working to help the pet food industry towards a more sustainable future. 9) What do you consider to be the main current challenges for industry growth? Despite the growth, the pet food market has also been challenging over the past two years. The entire pet food industry has focused on securing supply. The challenges arising from global supply chain issues and material shortages make our industry stronger and improve our resilience, but I believe they also caused pet food innovation to temporarily stall. Fortunately, our industry is coming out of it now, and stronger than ever to continue the transformation of this landscape. Source: All Pet Food Magazine
Palatants
1+ MIN
06/01/2023
AFB website – User experience improved!
A primary purpose of AFB's website is to share important information about pet food and palatants with pet professionals. To improve the visitor experience, AFB's digital website platform has recently been enhanced to be more user-friendly, especially when looking for specific information. Visitors can find various technical downloads on palatability-related topics. The papers are designed to be informative for all visitors, including those who are new to the industry as well as those with more experience. AFB's regularly updated blog reports include technical white papers, global tradeshow presentation announcements, and AFB corporate news. And now you can access both our technical downloads and read our blogs on our main website by doing a keyword search. We invite you to check out all the pages on the AFB website – there is more content and numerous improvements not mentioned here for visitors to enjoy. If you have questions or suggestions for digital content, please email AFB at [email protected]. ABOUT AFB INTERNATIONAL by AFB International Source: All Pet Food
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