Round-up: The latest partnerships and joint ventures in the pet industry

The global pet food industry is seeing new partnerships and joint ventures that expand the reach and portfolios of leading multinational players.

Mühldorfer Nutrition and Dr. Clauder Group

German pet food manufacturers Mühldorfer Nutrition and the Dr. Clauder Group have entered into a strategic partnership to explore new markets and expand their existing sales channels.

Under the partnership, Mühldorfer Nutrition will take a majority stake in Dr. Clauder and contribute its production expertise, capacity and market strength, while Dr. Clauder adds its international presence, brand power and specialization in Health and Care, particularly in the production of supplements and functional snacks.

Headquartered in Upper Bavaria, Mühldorfer Nutrition specializes in feeds for horses, pet food for dogs and cats, as well as pharmaceutical and care products and premium and organic products for livestock, agriculture and hobby farming. Dr. Clauder is a German producer of pet food, supplements and snacks founded in 1957.

ADM and Alltech

The Chicago-based agricultural company ADM has signed an agreement with Alltech, a Kentucky-based agricultural firm, to launch a North American animal feed joint venture in September.

As part of the joint venture, Alltech will contribute its US-based Hubbard Feeds and Canada-based Masterfeeds businesses, including 17 feed mills in the US and 15 in Canada, while ADM will contribute its 11 US feed mills.

The joint venture will be supported by Alltech’s Ridley Block Operations and Specialty Ingredients divisions, as well as ADM’s US premix and additive businesses.

Ridley Block Operations is a company division that manufactures products such as block supplements and loose minerals for farm animals sold under brand names, including CRYSTALYX®, SWEETLIX®, and STOCKADE®, in addition to several controlled and private label products.

“Now our new joint venture is going to be able to offer even more: broader capabilities, more products, and new innovative solutions, all delivered with the relationships and service our customers have come to expect,” the companies say in a joint statement.

THE PACK and MicroHarvest

The British pet food brand THE PACK and the German biotech startup MicroHarvest have jointly launched Gut Bites, a “first-of-its-kind” microbial protein dog treat in the UK.

The product combines MicroHarvest’s proprietary microbial protein ingredient with THE PACK’s “allergy-friendly and gut-friendly” recipe for dogs with sensitivities and intolerances, the brands say.

The new launch follows MicroHarvest’s 2024 partnership with Germany’s VEGDOG, which introduced Pure Bites, the first microbial protein dog snack in Europe.

“This collaboration marks one of the first opportunities for UK pet owners to purchase a finished product containing microbial protein, a breakthrough ingredient produced through sustainable fermentation technology,” notes a joint company statement.

The biotech company, founded in 2021, uses microbial fermentation and agricultural byproducts as feedstocks. And THE PACK, founded in 2020, produces “allergy-friendly” dog food and natural health products.

Lesaffre and Zilor

Lesaffre, a French yeast manufacturing company, acquired a 70% stake in Biorigin, a business unit of the Brazilian animal nutrition ingredients producer Zilor, in June.

The acquisition created a joint venture that will leverage Biospringer by Lesaffre, a yeast producer for food and beverage applications, and Biorigin’s complementary capabilities and expertise to deliver enhanced yeast derivative and savory ingredient solutions for the food and feed markets.

Zilor will continue to run its production unit for ethanol and brewer’s spent yeast for animal nutrition. The yeast-based products for pet and livestock nutrition produced at the Lençóis Paulista and Macatuba facilities in São Paulo state will also remain under Zilor’s management and commercialization.

Lessaffre is the world’s largest producer of yeast, with 80 production sites across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, North and South America.

Zilor is a Brazilian privately held multinational that produces sugar, ethanol, renewable electric power and natural ingredients for human and animal nutrition through sugar cane processing.