Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal

Balchem Animal Nutrition & Health
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Welcome to our Balchem Pet Food series—the podcast that opens up the bag and looks at what really goes into better pet nutrition. In this introductory video, you’ll meet the experts and the science behind Balchem’s ingredient solutions, and hear how they’re used by formulators to support digestion, skin & coat, energy metabolism, and overall well being. Subscribe to follow along as we unpack the latest research, practical formulation tips, and stories from across the pet food industry.

  1. 3d ago

    Pet Food Collab: Student Showcase with guests Amelia Huebsch, Katelyn Bailey-Wisnieski, Larissa Koulicoff, and Dr. Julia Pezzali, Kansas State University

    The guests introduce themselves and talk a little about their research. Amelia is a MS student, and Katelyn and Larissa are working on their PhDs in the pet food program at K-State. Katelyn is researching raw versus thermally processed diets, looking at nutrient losses, oxidative stress, inflammation and immunomarkers. Larissa had two main projects: one to evaluate dry bakery products as an ingredient in extruded dog diets, and the other used a pine oil rich in resin acids at two different levels. Both projects evaluated gut health. Amelia’s research is looking at betaine supplementation in cats. She has a preliminary trial complete and is working on developing an indirect calorimetry system for her next project. (2:25) Dr. Altom asks the students what they want to do after they graduate and what kind of work they’re interested in pursuing. He follows up with a question about how industry could be more involved or if there is something missing from the students’ programs that industry could provide. (11:59) Lastly, Dr. Altom asks what advice each student would give to a high school student or college freshman who has an interest in pets, knowing what they know now. (19:16) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.

    29 min

  2. May 28

    Pet Nutrition & Innovation with guest: Dr. Julia Pezzali, Kansas State University; William Henry, Extru-Tech, Inc. and Julianne Maze, Instinct Pet Food

    Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds. Dr. Pezzali’s nutritional priorities for cats are urinary health and obesity. William notes some of the important logistical considerations for APHIS export approval.  (4:09) Dr. Pezzali estimates that about 60% of cats in the US are obese. She notes her group is researching nutraceuticals that may increase energy expenditure in cats to help combat cat obesity. Dr. Altom chimes in to remind listeners that cats are not just small dogs and that their behavior is very different. The panel talks about whether or not pet owners are aware of their cat being obese, how to communicate with pet parents about this sensitive topic, secondary diseases that might occur due to obesity, and how food processing might impact obesity. (09:15) The panel discusses food additives for hairball prevention. Julianne hopes to conduct research in the future to assess if raw diets could help with hairball issues. (25:10) Julianne and William share some of their experiences with export approval from APHIS. USDA is short-staffed, so planning ahead and having complete and accurate paperwork is even more essential than ever. The panel notes  the importance of keeping up on changes in international regulations, working with co-manufacturers and ingredient suppliers, and understanding the impacts that delays could cause in the nutritional value of pet foods. (27:58) The panel talks more about urinary health, then touches on “indoor cat diets” and what that means, and upcoming trends in kibble production, particularly minimally processed products. (34:47) Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (43:53) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    50 min

  3. May 14

    The Value of Academia & Industry Collaboration: How to Build Lasting, Impactful Connections for Mutual Support with Guests: Dr. Melissa Weber, Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition; Leah Lambrakis, Simmons Pet Food; Dr. Jane Schuh and Rachelle Banwart, KSU

    Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds (1:08) Rachelle gives an overview of what industry partnerships can look like at K-State. Dr. Schuh notes that one of the best ways to understand partner needs is for content experts from both entities to be talking to one another. She highlights some of the one-stop-shop resources that a land-grant university can provide. (8:30) Leah and Melissa give their perspectives as industry partners with K-State. Purposeful internships that meet a specific need, research collaboration with graduate students and faculty, hands-on learning, guest lectures, understanding university versus industry research, and university technical resources were highlighted. (13:47) Leah expands on the robust internship program at Simmons. The panel talks more about student engagement and how industry-academia partnerships have fostered networking and employee pipelines. (21:14) Dr. Weber commends the group at K-State for making partnerships easy to do. She notes that complicated agreements may sometimes discourage industry participants from partnering with universities, but that has not been the case for her company and K-State. Dr. Schuh and Rachelle talk about what partnership agreements can look like and what steps to take to inquire about partnership opportunities. The guests anticipate questions they might receive during their panel discussion at Pet Food Collab. (30:52) Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (45:20) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    50 min

  4. Apr 23

    From Concept to Bowl: Translating Vision Into a Successful New Product to Market with guests Leah Lambrakis, Simmons Pet Food and Dr. James Templeman, Primal Pet Foods

    Leah gave a presentation titled “From Concept to Bowl: Translating Vision Into a Successful New Product to Market.” She describes the process at her company as a complex, highly collaborative technical process that requires cross-functional collaboration. Simmons uses a stage-gate new product development process, allowing all teams to co-own the initiative.  (5:45) The panel talks through different stages of taking a new product to market and what each entails. Ideation and market research to establish a need lead to product development. Depending on timelines, palatability testing could happen during product development, but may have to wait until scale-up, and there are trade-offs with each option. (6:57) Kim asks James and Leah to talk about their perspectives on nutritional needs and innovation in the senior pet space. They also talk about pet obesity and the importance of pet parent education on this topic. Leah mentions that a food log may be helpful in a multi-human household where many opportunities for feeding and treating may occur. (15:45) Leah talks more about the post-launch reflection, review, and commercialization stage, which focuses on analytical and process capability. Is the process consistently repeatable in all conditions? She also notes that at her company, they look back to expected launch volume and see how well the product is doing a year or two post-launch. James chimes in that the reflection stage is also a great way to evaluate each stage and gate to see if any improvements are needed in the entire process of getting a product to market. (30:18) The panel reflects on which stage each person finds most challenging in the process. They emphasize the importance of good communication and cross-functional teams. Lastly, they talk about common pitfalls and challenges both during and after the process of bringing a new product to market.  (33:25) Scott asks about the demographics of pet parents and how that plays into new product innovation. The panel shares about their pets. (48:22) Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (52:41) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    56 min

  5. Apr 9

    Processing & Artificial Intelligence with guests Jay Pokorny, Extru-Tech, Inc.; Allison Blomme, Kansas State University; Scott Sutton, Muenster Pet

    Allison gives some examples of how AI can be used in production facilities. Sensors on equipment, production schedules, product formulation, supply chain, logistics, and marketing were all mentioned. (11:24) The panel talks about challenges for small and mid-size companies when it comes to deploying AI. Jay discusses how a company can go about adding AI to its production system.  (16:45) Debbie details results from an online survey her group conducted about how many companies in the industry were using AI, and if not, what reasons they had for not using it. Scott and Jay share their perspectives about small and mid-size company barriers to deploying AI.  (25:13) The guests talk about AI hallucination and drift, and the best ways to manage around it. Jay talks about some of the efficiency and quality improvements that can be expected when adding AI to a production facility. The panel talks about flexible versus frozen scheduling and using ingredients that are perishable, such as meat products. (30:13) Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (47:03) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    52 min

  6. Mar 26

    Ingredient Approval Pathways with guests: Dr. Kathy Gross, Dr. Haley Larson and Dr. Garret Ashabranner, Kansas State University

    Dr. Larson gave a presentation about the two new pathways for ingredient approval. She gives an overview of the background of ingredient approval, including the recent dissolution of the MOU between FDA and AAFCO, which had been a partnership for the old AAFCO ingredient definition process. The two new pathways are AFIC (Animal Feed Ingredient Consultation) and SRIS (Scientific Review of Ingredient Submissions). AFIC is a temporary FDA program launched in 2025 while the Food Additive Petition and Generally Recognized as Safe programs are under review. SRIS is a collaboration between AAFCO, which is made up of state feed control officials across the USA,  and Kansas State University that provides a scientific review of new ingredient dossiers. (9:26) Dr. Gross talks about some of the audience questions after Dr. Larson’s presentation, centered around old versus new approval processes. Dr. Ashabranner notes that the K-State group is amassing a database of subject matter experts to review dossiers in their area of expertise, which will provide a quicker turnaround than has been experienced in the past. Dr. Larson emphasizes the importance of these subject matter experts and provides information on how to apply to be included in the database. When a new ingredient submission comes, it goes to the AAFCO Ingredient Definitions Committee, which works with the firm to create the initial definition that will be passed to SRIS for subject matter experts to review. The reviewers provide their recommendations and Dr. Ashabranner writes a summary recommendation report that is then provided to the AAFCO membership for voting. (15:35) Dr. Altom gives some guidance on choosing which pathway is appropriate for a particular ingredient. Dr. Ashabranner expands on what the application process looks like for SRIS. Panelists strongly emphasize the importance of having a complete and thorough application for a smooth review process that takes as little time as possible. (26:50) Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (40:00) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    46 min

  7. Mar 12

    Marketing, Economics & Consumer Behavior with guests Dr. Aleksan Shanoyan, Kansas State University; Dr. Lonnie Hobbs, Jr., Kansas State University and Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, Watt Global Media

    Dr. Shanoyan gave a presentation titled “Wishlist to Shopping Cart: Understanding Pet Food Buyers’ Preferences and Purchasing Behaviors.” Consumers were asked what they would like to buy (wishlist) and what they’re currently buying (shopping cart), and attributes were matched between the two sets of answers. What are the differences between someone whose wishlist and shopping cart match perfectly and someone whose wishlist and shopping cart do not?  (10:19) Dr. Hobbs’ presentation was “Pet Food Perspectives: Exploring Customer Perceptions and Value of Sustainability and Other Product Attributes.” Do customers actually value sustainability? What are they looking for? What are they willing to pay for sustainability? (15:22) The panelists discuss reasons for a disconnect between what people say they wish to do and what they actually do in regard to pet food purchases. They talk about personal definitions of sustainability as well as generational differences in perceptions and willingness to pay.  (19:21) Dr. Shanoyan gives some key pointers for pet food companies to consider when developing new products. Dr. Hobbs covers some current trends for where consumers are purchasing pet foods, where they get information about pet foods, and how those differ among generations of consumers. (27:01) The panel agrees that reviews are of critical importance to successful e-commerce marketing and shares experiences from their individual perspectives. They also talk about the use of AI technology and the importance for pet food companies to have accurate information available to represent their products when those technologies are used by consumers. (34:34) Dr. Hobbs talks about researching the price premiums of health benefit attributes in pet food and how marketing claims can influence consumer assumptions and perceptions. The group also discusses the value in creating a survey group to repeatedly gather information from consumers to assess long-term trends. (43:24) Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (51:15) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    55 min

  8. Feb 26

    University Spotlight: Kansas State University: Dr. Julia Guazzelli Pezzali, Kansas State University; Nayara Soares, Kansas State University; Amelia Huebsch, Kansas State

    Dr. Pezzali gives an overview of the pet food program at K-State. Students can focus on any of the different disciplines essential to pet food, such as nutrition, safety, or processing. The program has a strong connection to industry through research, teaching, and outreach and prepares students for careers in the industry through their Feed and Pet Food Science major. Dr. Pezzali also introduces her two graduate students, Nayara and Amelia. (4:33) The panel talks about the K-State conference, formerly known as KibbleCon, which has been rebranded as Pet Food Collab. The new name highlights the commitment to engage and collaborate with all segments of the pet food industry. Nayara and Amelia talk about their experiences at the previous year’s conference, and Dr. Pezzali gives a preview of the format and event lineup. (7:58) Nayara shares about her background and describes the research she is doing for her PhD on red sorghum in dog diets. She hypothesizes that red sorghum will improve gut metabolism, gut health, and dietary polyphenol content. (14:03) Amelia introduces herself and shares about her MS research at K-State. She is focusing on betaine supplementation in cat diets and the impact on oral and gut microbiome and fecal metabolites. The second half of her project will evaluate energy expenditure via indirect calorimetry in a weight loss study in cats supplemented with betaine.  (16:49) Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal virtual pub table.   If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

    21 min
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About

Welcome to our Balchem Pet Food series—the podcast that opens up the bag and looks at what really goes into better pet nutrition. In this introductory video, you’ll meet the experts and the science behind Balchem’s ingredient solutions, and hear how they’re used by formulators to support digestion, skin & coat, energy metabolism, and overall well being. Subscribe to follow along as we unpack the latest research, practical formulation tips, and stories from across the pet food industry.

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