Local specialties from the land and sea within the northeastern Sanriku area are being served recent not just for individuals, however their pet canines.
The meat and different components of sharks and deer that might in any other case be discarded are being handled and processed into pet food merchandise.
The hope is to win over canine house owners who’re acutely aware of their furry companions’ diets and well being.
In Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, famed for its shark fins, jerky was developed from regionally caught shark meat in mid-April. A shark flake pack and a stick-shaped meals merchandise utilizing the fish’s cartilage had been likewise rolled out.
The choices carry a worth of 704 yen ($4.80), together with tax, below the Umino Pet line launched by shark fin vendor Ishiwata Shoten.
Fins for human consumption account for a paltry 10 % of all the shark. The remaining components had been beforehand offered freed from cost to the producers of “hanpen” fish muffins and different gadgets.
To extra successfully make the most of the shark’s flesh, Ishiwata Shoten analyzed the nutrient contents with consultants to make pet meals wealthy in collagen and different proteins however with much less fats on the market.
“We were initially worried about whether canines would enjoy it,” stated Hisashi Ishiwata, president of Ishiwata Shoten. “But it turned out that dogs actually love it.”
After beginning out at Ishiwata Shoten’s purchasing web site in addition to native pet salons, roadside stations and elsewhere, Umino Pet is changing into extra available elsewhere.
A devoted merchandising machine has been arrange in a nook of the Umino Pet’s manufacturing facility as properly.
Ishiwata Shoten is seeking to introduce extra choices below Umino Pet from right here on out.
Meanwhile, venison processor and vendor Momiji in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, launched a brand new pet food model referred to as Oishikute in July.
Wild deer in Otsuchi are infamous for damaging crops. Hunters kill most of the animals, however since consuming all of what they cull is tough, in lots of circumstances the carcasses are incinerated.
Learning this, Momij President Yukio Kanesawa determined to broaden his firm’s merchandise to the pet meals market.
“We wanted to take full advantage of the carcasses of the culled deer,” Kanesawa stated.
Venison is handled at Momiji’s plant inside two hours of the animal’s demise. The meat is transformed into an uncolored pet meal free from synthetic components utilizing the identical hygienic management technique as jerky for human consumption.
Priced between 1,190 yen ($8.07) and 1,380 yen after tax, the pet meals is available in a 70-gram bundle in 4 varieties, corresponding to ribs and slices of minced meat.
Items from Oishikute are supplied on Momiji’s purchasing web site.
“Our products mixed with other dishes help pets eat them even when they have no appetite,” stated Kanesawa. “We plan on appealing to customers who prefer more luxurious pet food.”
The marketplace for meals for pets grew to 351.9 billion yen in fiscal 2021 from 268.1 billion yen in fiscal 2013, with jerky and different dried merchandise making up greater than 70 %, in response to statistics from the Tokyo-based Japan Pet Food Association.
(This article was written by Masataka Yamaura and Masakazu Higashino.)
