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Dog food for thought Kansas City Business Journal My snooze alarm is a 30-pound beagle named Jake. Shortly after my wife wakes me up, Jake rouses from wherever he's been sleeping. He walks to the bedroom doorway and looks back, waiting for someone to follow him (kind of like a self-absorbed Lassie). I follow Jake down the stairs, over to the plastic bin of dog food in the laundry room and measure out a cupful for his dish. But the trip that I so often have made half-asleep has been cause for thought lately because of our staff's work on a project looking at animal health and nutrition companies in the region. The past couple of days, I've stood wondering how many area companies might have had a hand in preparing Jake's breakfast. My two dogs -- the other is a beagle as well -- are eating Science Diet food right now, so I know some people in Topeka played a part. The product of Hill's Pet Nutrition ensures that my dogs have healthier eating habits than me, aside from some truly nasty things they find during walks. While gathering information for our special report on animal health, I came across a couple of other area companies that may have helped provide my hounds with food that is nutritious and, at least to them, good tasting. I had an opportunity to talk with Gene Thomas, president of Crest Flavor Co. His company in Grandview sells flavoring additives for animal feed. Thomas said the company's flavorings are used by a range of major companies that make food for everything from cattle to pet birds. Lenexa-based Bill Barr and Co. Inc. also might have had a role in the production of Jake's breakfast. The company represents manufacturers of feed additives, including Crest Flavor and companies that produce vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids and other components used in today's high-tech animal feeds. The company, which dates back to 1956, has helped pioneer the use of the amino acid Taurine in cat food, premium flaxseed as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids (no one likes a cow with a bad heart) and L-Lysine, another amino acid that helps cattle convert protein in feed more efficiently. Because Science Diet is promoted as a healthier food for dogs, I assume it has a fair bit of additives handled by companies like Bill Barr. If I were more awake, or capable of more complex thought before 6 a.m., I might consider the contributions to my dogs' food made by various grain companies in the area, the manufacturers of milling equipment, researchers at veterinary schools, even the vet that first introduced me to the Science Diet brand. And let's not even talk about the work that went into producing the flea-and-tick solution and heartworm medication I use on the dogs each month. Then again, maybe I'd be better off acting as if I'm asleep and let my wife feed the dog. |
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