Agenda & Speakers

10:30-11:30

Registration and check-in with coffee/tea/snack

Foyer of MR 214-216

11:30-12:30

Welcome and opening session: The trends driving the Asian pet food market

Matthias Koch, founder and managing director of pet product distributor Anibene, presents current and future trends shaping the Asian pet food and pet care markets. Based on his experience helping premium pet supplies brands enter and operate in various Asian countries, he shares his insights on where these markets are headed and how pet businesses can successfully offer their products and services to pet owners in the markets.

12:30-13:30

Lunch

In Terrace

13:30-14:10

A forgotten organ – The gut microbiome of dogs and cats

Shiguang Yu, Ph.D., MBA, global director, pet nutrition and applications, for DSM-Firmenich, describes the gut microbiome — comprising thousands of distinct microorganisms normally residing in the gastrointestinal tract — and its important role in pet health and diseases. In addition, through studies and examples of pet foods with prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, he explains how the gut microbiome can be altered by these substances as well as by age, diet and antibiotic use.

14:10-14:50

Comprehensive risk evaluation of environmental pet food pathogens

David Rosenblatt, DVM, head of learning and academic services for Sher Consulting and Training, presents a proven tactical method for coping with environmental pathogens, especially the invisible, extremely hazardous Salmonella spp., which poses a constant threat to the health of pets and pet parents and to the reputation of pet food manufacturers and brand owners through post lethal recontamination. The CREEP (comprehensive risk evaluation of environmental pathogens) approach offers a highly methodological framework for identifying access points, zoning, managing traffic between zones and developing a preemptive environmental sampling plan.

14:50-15:30

Afternoon coffee break

Foyer of MR  214-216

15:30-16:10

Medium-chain fatty acids to inhibit yeast and mold spoilage in pet treats

Jason Shelton, Ph.D., global vice president of R&D for Kemin Nutrisurance, explains how microbial spoilage presents a significant pet food safety and quality concern, especially in terms of mold and yeast in semi-moist pet treats due to their water activity and moisture content. With the ongoing consumer push for natural labels, preservatives research has focused on effective alternative natural options to the cultured whey and combination vinegar + citric acid products that are commonly used in the marketplace today. New studies show the promise of a novel, pantry-label-friendly liquid product containing coconut oil with high levels of fatty acids.

16:10-16:50

Best practices for producing functional, clean-label pet treats

Will Henry, director of R&D for Extru-Tech Inc., delves into common challenges in formulating and processing pet treats, including addressing palatability vs. clean-label issues. He also provides an understanding of the treat processing profile, how that differs from producing “brown and round” kibble diets and how to troubleshoot common production problems to ensure pleasing pet treat aesthetics in terms of appearance, texture and taste.

17:00-19:00

Pet Fair South East Asia Networking reception

Separate registration for Pet Fair South East Asia required. Register here

26 October
18:30- until late

One Night in Bangkok Reception at Cielo Sky Bar

Separate registration for Pet Fair South East Asia required. Register here