Real Pet Food Company launches fresh pet nutrition R&D initiative

SYDNEY — Real Pet Food Company (RPF), a global fresh pet food manufacturer, recently announced the launch of FreshLabs — Asia-Pacific’s “first” research and development initiative dedicated to fresher pet nutrition, according to RPF.

FreshLabs is a AUD$ multi-million program investment over the next 10 years with the goal of driving a transformative leap in the science, education and innovation of pet food.

“Pets may be living longer, but research shows their health span — years lived in good health — is declining,” said Germaine Chua, chief executive officer of RPF. “Conditions such as obesity, allergies, gastrointestinal disease and chronic illness are on the rise. Evidence points to diet as a key driver, with fresh nutrition shown to protect and extend health spans. Put simply, pets aren’t eating enough fresh food. Fresh food for pets is less processed, freeze-dried, air-dried, gently cooked or raw and has protective benefits for pets’ vitality, resilience and overall health span.”

According to RPF, it is investing heavily in FreshLabs to accelerate science and education to ensure pet parents and industry professionals have the knowledge they need to give pets a healthier life. The company states this will ensure it remains at the forefront of innovation and can provide a full spectrum of products that meet all pet parents’ needs.

The five key initiatives as part of FreshLabs include:

• A leading independent advisory board of scientists, including Anna Hielm-Björkman, Ph.D., founder of DogRisk at the University of Helsinki; Nicole Rous, integrative veterinary scientist and founder of Shy Tiger; David Thomas, Ph.D., feline nutrition expert of Massey University; and Emma Bermingham, Ph.D., small animal nutritional scientist
• Multi-year support for DogRisk at the University of Helsinki, as well as underwriting the development and launch of the new CatRisk program on feline health
• A “world-first” research program measuring pet health spans across Asia-Pacific, including benchmarks on fresh share-of-bowl and calorific coverage
• Significant investment in fresher kitchen technology to advance safe, minimally processed pet food at scale
• The Fresher Futures Scholarship Program, which will fund post-graduate research at leading independent universities

“When RPF approached us to support our research, I immediately knew this was a company with whom we could work,” Hielm-Björkman said. “Their mission is critical to pets everywhere. With FreshLabs’ independent board and science-led focus, we will innovate to improve pet health spans.”

FreshLabs will aim to serve as the industry’s thought leadership and innovation hub, publishing original research, educating veterinarians and pet parents, and developing commercial applications that meet rising demand for fresh pet nutrition across Asia-Pacific.

With the launch, FreshLabs has kicked off with a collaborative research project in pet health span nutrition with scientists from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States. The board will meet this month.

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