AUGUST 17, 2016

SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO EXHIBITION & CONVENTION CENTER

2016 AGENDA – updated information available soon

Petfood Forum China 2016 will feature industry experts sharing their latest research and insights on innovation for the fast-growing Chinese pet food market:

9:45-10:30       Pet food quality and safety in China—(name to come), an executive with Royal Canin China, provides a pet food manufacturer’s perspective on making safe, high-quality products in China, with information and tips to help the Chinese pet food industry produce products that meet the demands of the local pet food market as well as export markets.

Bio to come.

10:30-11:00     Progress report on Chinese pet food regulations—Wang Jinquan, PhD, associate professor with the Feed Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), reports on progress to date with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Quality and Safety Standards of Pet Food (Feed) Project and what pet food manufacturers can expect in the coming months.

At CAAS, Wang is the project leader of the Evaluation Research Group of Feed Mycotoxin Detoxification, the Pet Nutrition and Food Processing Technology Team as well as the Quality and Safety Standards Project. (Rest of bio to come.)

11:00-11:30     Coffee break

11:30-12:00     Canned versus kibble: what are the implications for pet nutrition?—Emma Bermingham, PhD, senior scientist for AgResearch Ltd., explains research on whether dietary formats (wet or dry pet food), which differ in their nutrient profiles due to manufacturing requirements, affect the nutrition and health of cats, including their body fat, expression of key genes in glucose and insulin pathways, composition and metabolic function of fecal microbiota. The research spans a study in kittens, followed by one on the long-term impact of dietary format measured in the same cats at 5 years of age.

Bermingham obtained a bachelor of applied science honors degree in animal science from Massey University in New Zealand and a doctorate from Massey (based at AgResearch). She undertook several post-doctoral positions including CSIRO (Australia), INRA (France) and the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (UK). She returned to AgResearch to investigate the effects of diet on intestinal health parameters and was appointed senior scientist, responsible for conducting commercial and applied nutritional research for companion animals. Currently, Bermingham is also an honorary research associate in companion animal nutrition for the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences at Massey University. She has spoken at numerous pet food and science conferences internationally.

12:00-12:30     Ensuring reliable palatability measurement—Julien Rogues, statistician and R&D project manager for Diana Pet Food, shares good practices to avoid measurement biases on two-bowl preference testing methodology and single-bowl methods, highlighting the main criteria for ensuring reliable palatability measurement of pet food. In addition, the evolution of pet ownership to pet parenting means we have to consider a triangular relationship in feeding pets, expanding the concept of palatability to new, emotional dimensions. Rogues explains new methodologies to measure emotional palatability.

Graduated in food science and applied statistics from AgroCampus Ouest in Rennes, France, Rogues joined Diana Pet Food in 2010 as statistician engineer in the measurement department. He is in charge of projects associated with developing new methodologies, such as the study of kinetics consumption in cats to improve the measurement of palatability. He also monitors the performance of dog and cat panels at Panelis, guaranteeing the reliability and the quality of the panel results.

12:30-13:00     Trace mineral nutrition: people, pets and planet—Juan Gomez-Basauri, PhD, global director of the companion animal business of Alltech, discusses the role of mineral nutrition in companion animals and reviews the benefits of proper supplementation for pets and people, as well as current trace mineral requirements. He also covers dietary interactions in the gastrointestinal tract and their effects on trace mineral bioavailability, compares relative bioavailability of various forms of trace minerals and shares specific data on how zinc affects zinc transporter gene expression. Finally, he presents survey data of different mineral sources, how these findings relate to safety and sustainability and if these are drivers to consider when addressing the millennial consumer and other generations for an overall balance between people, pets, animals and planet.

Gomez joined Alltech in 1996 and also serves as chairman for the companion animal sessions of the Alltech International Symposium. Previously he was research and technology director at Ralston Purina International in Peru. He earned his doctorate in food science and nutrition from Cornell University, a master’s in food science from Leeds University and a bachelor’s in engineering from Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal.

13:00-14:00     Lunch

14:00-14:30     Growth drivers for the Chinese pet food market—Pushan Tagore, vice president of global marketing-pet care for GfK, explores the factors spurring ongoing growth of the Chinese pet food market, including various retail channels (online, mass market or pet shops), categories of products (natural, grain free), expansion of existing products versus new product launches and domestic versus global manufacturers.

Tagore studied international management at Oxford Brookes University in the UK and has more than 10 years of experience in consumer research. His career started with the Nielsen Co. and includes five years in a regional market research role with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. In his current role with GfK, he is responsible globally for all pet food syndicated retail tracking and consumer research.

14:30-15:00     Applications of microalgal fatty acids in pet foods—Shiguang Yu, PhD, global technical manager-pet nutrition for DSM Nutritional Products, explains why microalgae offer a sustainable source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for pet food. PUFAs, particularly DHA and EPA, are essential nutrients for growth and reproduction of dogs and cats, and have been shown to provide other health benefits. While most DHA and EPA used in pet foods currently come from fish sources, a dwindling supply of wild-caught fish is insufficient to meet increasing demands for fish oil. Microalgae high in PUFAs offer a sustainable source that is easily applied in pet foods, bioavailable to pets and approved as a feed ingredient in many markets globally, including China.

Yu holds a doctorate in nutrition from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and a master of business administration from Baker University in the US. He has over 20 years of experience working at leading global pet food companies in the areas of pet food formulation and product design, new ingredient evaluation, product development and clinical trials. Yu has taught nutrition classes in universities and is an experienced speaker at international professional conferences and trade shows.

15:00-15:30     Extrusion innovations: exotic pet diets and novelty treats—Will Henry, director of technology and R&D for Extru-Tech Inc., shares specific case studies involving the development of formulations, process profile and equipment design and food safety for the production of various new and innovative pet food products. The case studies encompass more than 20 trials using a single-screw extruder to produce products such as limited ingredient diets, ultra-high fresh meat pet food and treats, grain-free pet food, multi-color food and treats, and co-extruded treats.

In his role at Extru-Tech, Henry addresses pet food manufacturers and audiences around the globe about extrusion, processing and food safety systems. He joined Extru-Tech in 2006 after serving as senior project engineer with Bachelor Controls. Henry holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and is certified in HACCP, BSL-2 and as an SQF practitioner.

15:30-16:00     Coffee break

16:00-16:30     Culture, creativity and strategy—John Adams, president of Adams Development, explains why creativity should be at the heart of strategy and strategy should be at the heart of creativity. A business strategy should encompass a mix of thoughts, ideas, insights, experiences, goals, memories, perceptions, emotions and expectations that provide a context for specific actions taken in pursuit of a specific end result—all often influenced by cultural upbringing and company culture. Adams covers cultural differences among China, the US, UK and Germany; current and future growth in each of these countries; culture and idea generation; and why strategy has not been seen as creative.

Adams has worked for 40 years in the ingredient business, focusing on new product development, including 20 years working with ingredients aimed at the pet industry. He has held various positions in a large British ingredients business and served as R&D manager for four specialist project teams, marketing manager (large animal feeds) and corporate development manager. In 2001, Adams set up his consulting business focusing on strategic use of ingredients and new product development.

16:30-17:00     Using plant extracts for health and marketing claims in pet food—Teresa M. Agulles, partner/owner of PlusVet Animal Health in China, describes how using plant extracts matches up with pet food trends such as humanization and “back to nature.” With examples of usage in premium and superpremium pet food products in Spain and other European countries, she explains how plant extracts can promote pet health, differentiate a brand from its competitors, replace synthetic antioxidants, control fecal odor and support claims such as for digestive health, weight control, senior pets, immunity and allergies.

Agulles holds a master of business administration from EAE Business School and a degree in pharmacy from the University of Barcelona, where she specialized in phytotherapy (use of extracts of plant origin as medicines or health-promoting agents). She has conducted research projects at the University of Barcelona, University of Gent (Belgium) and Istituto Ronzoni (Italy) and has studied aromatherapy. Since 2003, Agulles has worked in the animal health industry in product formulation, sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing and quality control. In 2012, together with partners, she founded PlusVet Animal Health, which manufactures feed additives based on plant extracts. Her consultancy, Galenolink SLU, provides expertise and advice on formulating products with plant extracts and sourcing and quality control of natural raw materials.

Remarks:

1. Registration for Petfood Forum China 2016 includes all conference sessions, access to the conference's tabletop exhibits, a generous buffet lunch and two coffee breaks.
2. Online registration is available in Chinese and in English.
3. Please note that registration for Pet Fair Asia is separate, and even if you are registered for Pet Fair Asia, you must register (and pay) for Petfood Forum China using the above links if you want to attend this petfood conference.

SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION

The conference will come along English & Mandarin Chinese simultaneous interpretation.

Other languages are available on request for groups (Korean, Japanese, etc).
Contact us before August 1st to arrange additional language interpretation.

Early Bird : US$ 350

After August 15th : US$ 405

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