Purina Institute to put nutrition at the forefront of pet health conversations.
Nestlé Purina PetCare has announced the launch of the new Purina Institute, a global professional organisation with a mission to advance nutritional science to help pets live better, longer lives.
Representing a diverse team of more than 500 scientists and pet care experts around the world, the Purina Institute will share its ground-breaking research and the latest scientific findings in pet nutrition using a variety of platforms, helping vets and other pet professionals put nutrition at the forefront of conversations with pet owners.
The Purina Institute was showcased for the first time at the 2018 European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine-Companion Animals (ECVIM-CA) Congress in Rotterdam over the weekend.
As one of the world’s leading pet care companies, Purina has been a pioneer in the science of pet health for almost a century, with breakthroughs that have redefined the industry’s standards of pet nutrition. For example, Purina developed the first nutritionally complete and balanced dog food in 1926, the first weight loss diets using high protein in 1992, the first diets to help promote cognitive function for dogs in 2010 and cats in 2016. It also launched the 9-point body condition scorecard, which has since become a global industry standard for assessing pets’ weight and how it affects overall health.
Purina continues to demonstrate that nutrition is instrumental in promoting everyday health, as well as helping to provide support for pets, that are for example, diabetic or obese, through advanced nutrition.
The Purina Institute will communicate the latest science behind these and other important areas of pet health, because it believes science is more powerful when it’s shared.
“It’s never been more timely to put nutrition at the forefront of conversations,” says Dr. Lizzie Parker, Group Director, Purina Institute. “There’s a heightened level of awareness and interest in human nutrition, but in fact, nutrition can potentially play an even more powerful role in promoting our pets’ health. For nearly a century, our researchers have been dedicated to discovering new scientific breakthroughs and we are committed to sharing our findings with the scientific community, enabling pets and the people who love them to benefit from this work.”
Daniel Rodes, Regional Leader of the Purina Institute in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, said the Purina Institute will, facilitate “collaboration and knowledge-exchange” amongst vets and scientific thought-leaders around the world. Mr Rodes explained that the presence of the Purina Institute at the Congress has been “key to connect with hundreds of vets from all over Europe”.
The Purina Institute aims to elevate the topic of pet nutrition with vets and, in turn, hopes to encourage greater dialogue between them and pet owners. Of the 20 leading health topics evaluated by vets worldwide, nutrition is ranked 18th overall in both interest and importance.[i] In fact, only 22 percent of vets say they initiate nutrition conversations with their clients.[ii]
In contrast, the overwhelming majority of pet owners (83%) say they completely trust vets to provide helpful information on pet food, yet less than half receive this information from their vet.ii
The Purina Institute will provide vets with science-based, user-friendly facts and information that will support them in their interactions with pet owners. Specifically, the Institute will:
- Share nutritional discoveries in key areas at the forefront of Purina’s ground-breaking research (e.g., brain health, digestive health, molecular nutrition), while leveraging expertise from Purina and its Nestlé affiliates
- Facilitate knowledge-sharing and innovation by showcasing objective, fact-based information sourced from the wider scientific community on current trending topics across pet and human nutrition
- Collaborate with the global veterinary community and scientific thought leaders by hosting scientific events like the CAN Summit, as well as round tables, panel discussions and webinars at the Institute’s Conference and Education Facility in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
- Support global initiatives to help advance the field of veterinary medicine and improve pet health, such as sponsoring the ECVIM-CA Congress, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA) Global Nutrition Committee, One Health Committee and One Care initiative.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Nestlé UK Press Office on 020 8667 6005 or e-mail [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.