More than 340 manufacturers of pet supplies from China are exhibiting at Interzoo 2016, the leading trade show of the pet industry world-wide, in Nuremberg.

The many years’ steady growing pet industry in China has attracted worldwide attention for good reasons.

Chinese manufacturers in the early days have been known in the pet industry as suppliers of cheaper snacks for dogs and cats and chewing bones for dogs, which were almost always delivered under the trademark of Western companies. However, a significant change is now taking place.

Bigger manufacturers are developing their own brands and their products are innovative and of high quality. Any products in the field of pet food, whether chewing products, treats or complete feed, is produced under hygienic conditions, typical of human food manufacturers in the EU. This applies not only for products from fresh meat, but also for dry complete feed. In the workshop of the brand manufacturers, the standard entrance is through a hygiene sluice, accompanied with sterile clothing even in the packing area when filling the product into the sales packages. Visitors can observe the process through windowsin a special aisle.

Nutritionists, veterinarians and biologists are responsible in the Research and Development Departments of the brand manufacturers.

Pet Industry Consultants, Landshut, an international consultant in the field of pet food industry, has, on behalf of GIE (China Great Wall Exhibitions Ltd.), taken product samples of many brand manufacturers, randomly drawn from fresh meat snacks to chews. The aim was to check whether the result corresponds to the effort or not.

The investigations were conducted by SGS -  Germany GmbH, Hamburg. Analyzes were key figures of food components, the microbiological status, Antibiotic activity and heavy metals (environmental contaminants).

All results were within the range of the declared data. There is no observation of antibiotic activity. Heavy metal concentrations were consistently below the analytical detection limit (undetectable), in a few cases with very small parts of the allowed limit.

From these results, it should be noted that all the products have been manufactured with great care (nutritional values, microbiological status), that the raw materials originate from healthy animals (lack of antibiotic activity) and that the ingredients come from animals, which have been exposed to a very low environmental impact (heavy metal values).

The result of the examination indicated by the key data in quality control by an EU accredited German institute, emphasizes the development of China's brand manufacturers from cheap producers in the starting phase, to the point of quality producers that can meetinternational standards.

The International pet market will have to adjust to the fact that Chinese brands are no longer merely supplier in the international market, but eligible competitors.

Not to forget that the domestic Chinese market  is facing a major leap forward. Still, sales of pet products (€ 1.7 billion) in China are comparatively low (Germany € 4.4 billion), but the development of the pet market has started. The export-oriented Chinese manufacturers have discovered their domestic market and are successful in getting their part of the market against both imported  goods and products of "global players"manufactured in China.