The booth of Blue Buffalo, a high-end pet food brand of General Mills, at the seventh China International Import Expo in Shanghai. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
China Animal Health and Food Safety Alliance, together with Blue Buffalo, a high-end pet food brand of General Mills, released a book focusing on regulations and standards on pet food on Wednesday at the ongoing seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Jointly compiled by over 30 experts and scholars, the book systematically teases out the domestic and overseas pet food laws and standards with comparative analysis, aiming to navigate pet food companies seeking for global expansion in different markets and to promote the industry's growth.
"The book is expected to contribute a lot to the pet food industry and promote its development, as it provides comprehensive and accurate references on regulations and standards for the whole industry," said Xia Zhaofei, co-editor-in-chief and dean of the Clinical Veterinary Medicine Department at China Agricultural University.
"In the current context of rapid growth of the pet industry, a regulated pet food market is crucial. Only by ensuring the quality and safety of pet food can pets be healthy and happy accompany by their owners."
Introduced to the Chinese market through the CIIE in 2021, Blue Buffalo announced its official launch in the Chinese market through all distribution channels last year during the sixth edition of the expo.
"Companies play critical role in the pet food industry, and only the products with high-quality and safety can win the hearts of consumers and the market. The book offers clear indications for us to follow, and will help us consistently improve product quality and actively promote the industry's innovative development," said Su Qiang, president and managing director of General Mills China.
China's pet economy has continued to grow with a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent since 2021. Statistics show that in 2023, China's pet consumption market size reached 279.3 billion yuan($39 billion), of which pet food took up the largest share of 52.3 percent.
