Is Purina a China owned company

Ralston Purina

American animal feed, food and pet food company

For the Ralston portion of the now defunct Ralston Purina Company, see

.

Ralston Purina Company

Industry	Food, pet food, animal feeds
Founded	January8, 1894; 130 years ago(1894-01-08) (as Purina Mills)
Founder	William H. Danforth
Defunct	December12,2001(2001-12-12)
Fate	Acquired by Nestl; merged into Nestl's pet food business
Successor	Nestl Purina PetCare
Headquarters	,
Products	Dog food, cat food, animal health products, breakfast cereal, crisp bread

Ralston Purina Company was a St. Louis, Missouri,based American conglomerate with substantial holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. On December 12, 2001, it merged with Swiss food-giant Nestl's Friskies division to form Nestl Purina PetCare Company.^[1]

History[edit]

Ralston Purina (originally Ralston-Purina) traces its roots to 1894, when founder William H. Danforth established the animal feed company Purina Mills. Danforth formed a partnership with George Robinson; William Andrews entered the business of feeding farm animals by founding the Robinson-Danforth Commission Company. Its predominant brand for each animal was generally referred to as "Chow"; hence "Purina Horse Chow", "Purina Dog Chow", "Purina Cat Chow", "Purina Rabbit Chow", "Purina Pig Chow", and "Purina Monkey Chow".

Later, the company began producing cereal, which received endorsement by Webster Edgerly, founder of Ralstonism, to market Ralston breakfast cereals. Edgerly was at the time promoting the consumption of whole-grain cereal. These cereals became so successful that the name of the enterprise was changed in 1902 to the Ralston-Purina Company.^[2][3]

In 1986, Ralston Purina sold Purina Mills, its US animal feed business, to British Petroleum. Purina Mills is now owned by Land O'Lakes. In 1994, the Ralston "human food" operations of the Ralston Purina Company were spun off into a new company called Ralcorp Holdings. In 1998, Ralston Purina spun off its international animal feed business as Agribrands, which was acquired by Cargill in 2001.^[4] The animal feed businesses continue to use the Purina and Chow brands, which Purina Mills and Cargill license for use in the US and internationally, respectively.

Merger with Nestl[edit]

Ralston Purina became the subject of an acquisition bid by Swiss-based Nestl, whose Friskies brand was the other leading US brand of pet food. Nestl S.A. and Ralston Purina announced in January 2001 a definitive merger agreement.^[5] Under the agreement, Nestl acquired all of Ralston Purina's (NYSE: RAL) outstanding shares for US$33.50 per share in cash. The offer represented a premium of 36% over the closing price on Friday, January 12, 2001. The transaction had an enterprise value of US$10.3 billion ($10.0 billion equity plus $1.2 billion of net debt, minus $0.9 billion of financial investments).

Several brands of pet food (e.g., "Meow Mix") had to be divested separately to meet antitrust concerns. Purina brands are now made and marketed by a division of Nestl (Nestl Purina PetCare) which is still headquartered in St. Louis.

While primarily a pet-food company, Ralston Purina also made some other pet-related products, such as Tidy Cats brand and Yesterday's News cat litter, which is made from recycled newspaper, purchased from Edward Lowe Industries in 1990. Also, Purina has honoured several Canadian animals every year since 1968 in their Animal Hall of Fame. The latest inductees included a police service dog which "rushed and subdued an armed robber".

Acquisitions and diversifications[edit]

In 1974, Ralston Purina purchased and further developed the Keystone ski resort in Colorado. "Checkerboard Flats" for kids and beginners at Keystone^[6] still bears their logo. In 1993, Ralston Purina also bought Breckenridge ski area for an undisclosed amount, from Victoria U.S.A. Inc, a Japanese sporting goods retailer.^[7] However, both ski resorts were sold in 1997 to Vail Resorts for $331 million.^[8]

In 1977, Ralston Purina acquired Missouri Arena Corporation and the St. Louis Blues National Hockey League franchise. During the company's ownership of the team, they changed the name of the St. Louis Arena to the Checkerdome, reflecting the Ralston Purina logo. The franchise was sold to Harry Ornest on July 27, 1983.

Ralston Purina purchased the Eveready Battery Company in 1986,^[9] owner of the Eveready and Energizer brands. The company was spun off in 2000.

Ralston Purina purchased Continental Baking Company, makers of Wonder bread and Hostess cakes, from ITT in 1984. Ralston spun off Continental Baking Company, subsequently bought by Irving, Texasbased Interstate Brands Corporation (IBC).

Ralston Purina opened test market pizza stores called Checkerboard Pizza in 1986. The format was similar to Domino's and Little Caesars. They opened the stores in markets such as Moorhead, Minnesota, to test how the Midwestern market would accept the concept. They did well, but Ralston Purina decided not to enter the pizza franchise business and closed all pilots by late 1987.

Ralston Purina also owned Jack in the Box fast food restaurants from 1968 to 1985,^[10] along with several high-end restaurants.^[11][12]

Ralston Purina owned Van Camp Sea Food Company from 1963 to 1988, a tuna cannery with Chicken of the Sea as its main product.^[13]

Ralston Purina owned an animal pharmaceutical company in the 1970s and 1980s.

Ralston Purina's "checkerboard" trademark was introduced in 1902.^[14][15][16] It was inspired by William Danforth's childhood memory of a family dressed in clothing made from the same bolt of checkerboard cloth.^[17] The company's headquarters was called Checkerboard Square. Danforth used the design as the visualization of a concept put forth in his book I Dare You, in which he proposed that four key components in life ("Physical", "Mental", "Social", and "Religious") need to be in balance, and one area was not to develop at the expense of the others.^[18] In 1921, the design inspired the design of feed that was pressed in cubes, called "checkers".^[19]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ "Purina: Nutritious Dog and Cat Food for Your Pet". www.purina.com.
2. ^ Carman, Tim (2009-04-16), "Food History Potpourri: Ralston Purina's D.C. Roots", Washington City Paper, retrieved 2009-10-19
3. ^ "History of Ralston Purina". Purina. 7 September 2016.
4. ^ History at Cargill.com
5. ^ Ackman, Dan (2001-01-16). "Nestle Seals Ralston Deal". Forbes. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
6. ^ "Skiing for Non-experts". LA Times. 13 November 1988.
7. ^ "Ralston Purina Announces Purchase of Ski Resort". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
8. ^ "Rebirth of a mega-resort". www.bizjournals.com. Feb 23, 1997. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
9. ^ "Ralston Purina Buys Carbide Unit". New York Times. July 1, 1986. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
10. ^ "Jack In The Box Inc. - Our Company".
11. ^ "Ralston Purina Agrees to Sell Fast-Food Unit: Management Will Buy Jack in the Box's Parent". Los Angeles Times. 1985-05-01.
12. ^ "Ralston Agrees to Sell Jack in the Box Unit". Los Angeles Times. 1985-09-21.
13. ^ "St. Louis-based Ralston Purina Co. said it..." Los Angeles Times. 1988-07-28.
14. ^ "Ralston Purina Evolved from a Small Store". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. February 16, 1964. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
15. ^ Rodengen, Jeffrey (2016). Nestl in the United States: A Celebration of Good Food, Good Life. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Write Stuff Enterprises, LLC. p.101. ISBN9781932022704.
16. ^ Ralston Chronicle, 1894-1994: A Century of Managing Change. Saint Louis, MO: Ralston Purina Company. 1994. pp.i.
17. ^ "A Glimpse from the Past to the Present". Socit des Produits Nestl S.A., Vevey, Switzerland. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
18. ^ Danforth, William (January 2003). I Dare You!. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN0-7661-2786-9.
19. ^ "William H. Danforth, Founder". Socit des Produits Nestl S.A., Vevey, Switzerland. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved 2009-10-19.

External links[edit]

Is Purina Dog Food Made in China? + List of Brands To Avoid! (2024)

Most people consider their dogs as part of the family and want to feed them a nutritious diet. Proper nutrition will help ensure your dog lives a longer and healthier life.

Where your dogs food is made and the ingredients used in it play a big role in your dogs nutrition.

Many dog foods are made or have ingredients sourced in China, where the quality control and food safety standards are not very high.

If you want to ensure your dog is only eating high-quality ingredients that are manufactured safely, its a good idea to know where your dog food comes from.

Is Purina dog food made in China? Purina dog food is not made in China. Purina has multiple factories in the United States where their dog food is made and they source all dog food ingredients from the United States. Although Purina dog food is not made in China, some Purina treats are.

If you are worried about the ingredients or manufacturing process of your dog food, read on to learn more about how and where Purina dog food is made.

Where and How Purina Dog Food Is Made

If you feed your dog Purina dog food or are considering the brands overall quality standards, its a good idea to learn more about how and where it is manufactured.

Where Is Purina Dog Food Made?

Purina dog food is made in the United States. There are multiple manufacturing facilities across the country. Purina also owns and operates all of its U.S. factories and facilities.

How Is Purina Dog Food Made?

Purina dog food is made in factories across America. The company does not offer details about the manufacturing process.

In general, the ingredients are all mixed together in a large grinder and then extruded. The food is then cut into the correct portion sizes and left to dry before being bagged and labeled.

Purina Dog Food Ingredients

Purina sources its dog food ingredients from the United States and claims to only use ingredients that are high quality.

Different lines of Purina dog food use different ingredients, but the primary ingredients used for most products are:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Cornmeal
• Fish meal
• Lamb
• Liver
• Glycerin
• Ocean white fish
• Rice
• Salmon
• Turkey
• Barley
• Whole grain corn
• Whole grain wheat
• Whole grain oats

Are Dog Food Companies Required To State Country of Origin?

Yes, dog food companies in the United States are required to state the country of origin on their labels.

However, if the food is made in the USA but the ingredients are sourced elsewhere, the company may still add Made In The USA to the label.

List of Dog Food Made 100% in the USA

If you want to feed your dog food that has been made in the USA, consider choosing a brand from this list:

Be sure to check with our Guide to the Best Dog Food and Treats to learn what exactly to look for.

List of Dog Food Made in China

If you want to avoid feeding your dog food that has been made in China or has ingredients sourced in China, you may want to avoid these dog food brands:

• Artemis Company
• Costco
• Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc.
• Mars Petcare U.S. Inc.
• Nestle
• Petsmart Label Brand
• Triumph Pet Industries Inc.
• Wellpet LLC

Related Questions:

Is Natural Balance Made in China?

Natural Balance dog food is made in the United States, but many of the ingredients are sourced from China, where there is no governing agency to create or enforce pet food standards.

Where Is Science Diet Dog Food Made?

Science Diet claims that all of their dog food is manufactured in the United States and all ingredients are sourced in the United States and Europe.

Conclusion

Understanding where your favorite dog food brand is made and where the ingredients come from is essential to ensuring your dog is only eating a healthy diet.

Dog foods that are made in China or have ingredients sourced from China or other countries may be harmful to your dog.

Choosing a dog food brand that is made in the United States will ensure you are feeding your dog a healthy option.

Nestl Purina to invest additional $35 million in Chinese pet food facility

VEVEY, SWITZERLAND Nestl Purina PetCare announced April 1 plans to invest additional funds in its pet food processing operations in China. The company will contribute 230 million yuan ($35.1 million USD) to expand dry and wet pet food production.

The company first announced the facility expansion in May 2020, investing 730 million yuan ($111 million USD) at the time to facilitate a two-phase improvement to its pet food plant in Tianjin. Funding will support smart storage facilities, manufacturing capabilities and logistics, according to the company.

"The Chinese market has shown increasingly strong demand for high-quality pet food in terms of raw materials, nutrition and taste," said Mirand Chan, head of Greater China for Nestl Purina PetCare.

In May 2020, Nestl pledged the equivalent of $103.2 million USD to facility expansions in China, one being its Tianjin pet food facility and the other being a plant-based product facility in the region.

Read more aboutpet food and treat processingon our Operations page.