INNOVATORS - PET TREATS:A PET FOOD company based in Navan, Co Meath is investing thousands of euro into product research to bring an innovative treat for discerning dogs to the market.

Pet Treats is developing a dry roasted ham bone which will have a similar texture to Parma ham, with soft meat and bone that are edible for dogs.

To differentiate itself from competitors, Pet Treats is investing in a new manufacturing process that will greatly reduce the moisture content in the meat thereby reducing the level of packaging required.

Reducing moisture content means standard shrink-wrapping can be used, rather than more expensive vacuum packaging. The process also adds to the shelf-life of the project.

Managing director and co-founder Ged O'Leary said the company tries to bring out a new product every year or so. It supplies pet food wholesalers in the UK, Sweden, Holland, Demark and Finland, and O'Leary says these customers constantly demand new products.

O'Leary says the pet food industry is relatively disconnected from economic cycles, and says sales did not rise sharply during the boom but nor have they dropped significantly during the recession. However, the impact from the fall in the value of sterling has been severe, as Britain is a significant market for the company.

"I don't know if pet food is counter-cyclical, but we have been pretty stable over the last 12 months and we hope it will continue," says O'Leary, although he notes operating costs for Irish-based manufacturers are "a constant challenge".

The company used one of Enterprise Ireland's Innovation Vouchers to work with the Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre in north Dublin on its new product, and secured a grant from Enterprise Ireland's Growth Fund to help fund the estimated €150,000 cost of product research.

O'Leary declined to provide a turnover figure for the company, citing commercial sensitivities.

pettreats.ie