Mars, Incorporated is an American international producer of pet food and a provider of animal care services, generating over $33 billion in annual sales as of a report conducted in 2015, and is ranked the 6th largest private company in the United States by Forbes. Its headquarters is located in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The company is solely owned and run by the Mars family. Mars was founded by Franklin Clarence Mars on June 23, 1911, in New mark, New Jersey, United States.
Mars Petcare
In February 2003, Mars purchased Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Incorporation and in 2007 renamed Mars Petcare to pursue the motive of providing health care services to pets and animal foods as well. Mars Petcare retains 23.4 percent share in the pet food market ahead of their largest competitor Nestle Purina Petcare.
Mars Petcare is a global company and exports its products across Asia Pacific, Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Middle East, North America and Latin America.
Some of the Most Selling Products owned by Mars
Mars Petcare controls forty-one brand in total including 5 billion-dollar brands: Pedigree, Iams, Whiskas, Royal Canine and Banfield pet hospital. Some other top brands owned by Mars Petcare includes Cesar, Eukanuba, Sheba, and Temptation.
Pedigree
Pedigree is a Mars subsidiary and the most selling dog food from Mars Petcare. Pedigree is well-known dog food but judging by consumer reviews and terms of quality and ingredient breakdown it is not so good. The price is relatively lower than its competitor and suitable for economic shoppers. In the 1980s Pedigree advertised itself to dog breeders with an eye-catching ad campaign featuring breeders and their dogs. They funded a lot of dog shows for many years including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show. But, over the years the brand’s philosophy changed and became focused on shelter dog owners.
The Pedigree brand includes canned and dry food as well as treats and snacks for dogs.
There have been three unique cases of recalls of Mars Pedigree products, most recent being in 2012 when Mars Petcare US Announced Voluntary Recall of Limited Range of Pedigree ® Brand Wet Dog Food potential choking risk.
Also in 2012 Mars Petcare US Announced Voluntary Recalls of 22 Bags of PEDIGREE Brand Adult Complete Nutrition for Dogs Sold at Dollar General in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee.
Royal Canin
Unlike other dog food producers today who try to sell pet food based on the ideology that dogs are like people, Royal Canin works in the ideology that dogs are unique creatures and should be treated as such by feeding them unique nutrients and minerals. Royal Canin explores new nutritional formulas for different health symptoms and specific breeds.
Royal Canin was created in 1968 in France by a veterinarian who wanted to produce a science-based dog food. After its boom and series of sales, Mars Petcare took control over it in 2001 after purchasing from its previous owners.
Despite Royal Canin’s unique nutritional and mineral values, there have been cases of recalls for the product in the past, the recent one being in 2007 when melamine was discovered in the rice protein concentrate used in some of their dry dog foods. This also included some food sold through veterinary clinics.
Royal Canin ingredients: Ground whole corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat (preserved with BHA/citric acid).
Judging by its ingredients alone, Royal Canin Dog Food looks like a below-average product.
But the ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the entire story.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 45% for the overall product line, a fat-to-protein ratio of approximately 57%. Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Cesar
Cesar is the perfect dog food for your developing puppy with gourmet recipes and high-quality ingredients. Cesar is owned and run by Mars Petcare, and all of their foods are made in the company owned facilities based in the United States. Mars has a bad reputation for producing low-quality dog foods, valuing cost over quality which has caused a decline in sales of their dog food. Although despite the poor reviews and rating of Cesar there has never been a case of recall reported.
Cesar Dog Food Ingredient List: chicken, liver, beef, meat by-products, brown rice, wheat gluten, starch.