In This Issue
Pet treats have more calories than a Big Mac, claims new report
Record number of exhibitors sign up for PATS Telford
Hot deals and top new products on show at Pedigree Wholesale show
Revenue growth of 9.6% to £729.1m for Pets at Home
Ceva launches new Feliway TV advertising campaign
Lily’s Kitchen drives brand awareness with ‘Picnic in the Park’ campaign
Pet firms rally round to provide mega-prize for Bring Your Dog To Work Day
Owners spend £70,000 on pets over their lifetime
Armitage Pet Care shares dog choc secret with Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped
Loving Pets UK wins major new business in Europe
Pets Choice donates pet food to welfare charities at tea party
Independent pet shop closes after 40 years
Half of UK vets treated pets for heat-related conditions last summer
Pooch & Mutt’s top tips to keeping dogs cool this summer
Britain’s Got Talent dog replaced with stunt double for performance in final
Superlight non-clumping hygienic cat litter from Pettex
The key to recruiting good sales staff
Pet Love introduce Mighty Mutts, the chew proof dog toy with a 3-year guarantee
Woman offers her house as reward for finding lost dog
Police name worst areas in UK for dog napping
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Armitage Pet Care shares dog choc secret with Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped



Channel 4 primetime show Food Unwrapped has visited the headquarters of pet product manufacturer Armitage, to find out how its popular Good Boy Choc Drops are made.

Exploring the issue of chocolate poisoning in dogs, the programme explained the dangers of human-grade chocolate, before finding out what makes Choc Drops different and, most importantly, safe. Presenter Matt Tebbett introduced the feature with a trip to the Dogs Trust, where he met Freda, a Labrador-cross who had to have her stomach pumped after eating Christmas chocolates.

Chocolate is poisonous to pets because of a naturally occurring compound found in the cocoa bean. Called theobromine, it acts as a stimulant and diuretic (similar to caffeine) that cannot be filtered out quickly enough by a dog’s liver, or effectively metabolised through its body.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning can include diarrhoea and vomiting, while the central nervous system, heart and kidneys can also be affected - and in some cases, this can be fatal.

Having heard about ‘doggy choc’, the Food Unwrapped team was keen to find out how Armitage can make its tasty dog treats without using any cocoa. Armitage sales and marketing director Adam Jaggar gave co-presenter Jimmy Doherty a tour of the company’s Nottingham factory, where he watched the manufacturing process and tasted a Choc Drop, before finding out about the secret ingredient, carob.

Adam Jaggar commented: “We’ve been manufacturing dog safe Choc for half a century, so it was great to have Food Unwrapped approach us to share our expertise. The safety message is important to promote and we’re giving it a particular push in our anniversary year.

“Following on from our appearance on Channel 4, we’re now working with The Community Channel on their Helping Homeless Pets programme.”

Armitage has been manufacturing Choc Drops for 50 years. The company has over 200 years of expertise and was appointed Pet Food Manufacturer to Queen Elizabeth II in 1976.

Above: Senior product manager Claire Astle meets Food Unwrapped presenter Matt Tebbett.

 

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