Interview with Chris Meiering of Zuke’s Dog Treats
Chris Meiering, director of marketing for Zuke’s, discusses how the company has been a leader in the natural treats market with its assortment of value-added treats. In addition, Meiering touches upon how Zuke’s is educating consumers on proper nutrition to guarantee pet owners give their pets the appropriate treat to support a long, healthy life.
How is Zuke’s addressing consumers’ demands for cleaner, healthier dog treats?
Since 1995 when Zuke’s introduced the first “energy bar” for dogs, the company has been on the forefront of the natural treats market. Our recipes include nutrient-dense and antioxidant-rich ingredients such as blueberries, coconut oil, alfalfa, sage and rosemary, resulting in a healthy and tasty treat.
How does your company determine which ingredients to use?
At the most basic level, we wouldn’t feed our pets anything that we wouldn’t eat ourselves. Our ingredient selection and sourcing reflect that philosophy. We believe that real food means real nutrition, real energy and real health so we only use the best, wholefood meats, fruits and vegetables in our treats.
Why is this focus on offering pets increasingly nutritious and clean diets so important to pet owners?
Pets are a part of the modern family unit and, as such, pet parents want to ensure that they live long, healthy lives. With consumers becoming increasingly better educated on issues surrounding their own health, they are applying that to the health of their pets as well by seeking out the type of healthy, natural treats that Zuke’s offers.
What have been effective methods retailers have used to educate consumers about treat safety and how your company is ensuring treats are safe for pets?
Brand and product knowledge are key to guiding consumers to the right product for their pets’ needs. At Zuke’s, we offer retailers a state-of-the-art online training program to help employees learn about our company and our core beliefs, our safety standards and, of course, our entire line of treats.
How does Zuke’s strengthen trust amongst retailers and consumers when it comes to ensuring your treats are safe?
The trust that we have built with our retail partners and loyal consumers stems not only from where our products are manufactured, but also from the dependable and consistent quality that we offer. For almost 20 years Zuke’s has been dedicated to crafting natural, whole food treats made with nourishing ingredients to support an active and healthy lifestyle. We could not successfully fulfill that mission without employing the strictest of requirements in both our choice of ingredients and our manufacturing standards.