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In this article, Bimini’s dosage-form pet health supplements are intended to provide non-nutritional structure and/or function benefits and are not classified under the food category. Bimini’s treats provide nutritional value with supported nutritional claims.

Making the Grade

Bimini Pet Health, a Topeka, Kansas-based manufacturer of dosage-form pet health supplements, recognizes the importance of making safe products that our pets ingest. Although pet health supplements are not classified as food and are not required to be compliant with 21 CFR, Part 117, the federal code that regulates humans’ food, Bimini adheres to and is audited on the basis of 21 CFR part 117 nonetheless. In its approach to manufacturing, Bimini believes there should be no difference in the control of what pets ingest versus what humans consume. Everything Bimini produces is made at its cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) certified facility, which is also USDA inspected and FDA registered. The products are made with responsibly procured ingredients. Every ingredient and the resulting products are stored, handled, processed and transported in a manner consistent with applicable federal laws. Furthermore, as a leader in the pet health supplements sector, Bimini also intends to become 21 CFR, part 111 (cGMP for Human Health Supplements) compliant within the next year and has begun identity testing on all incoming raw ingredients before using in production.

Exercising Care and Caution

In addition to what is required by the cGMPs, Bimini applies a positive release policy to the process of preparing and releasing a finished product for shipping. A finished product lot must remain in Bimini’s warehouse until microbiological test results validate the product’s safety. Bimini tests its products for pathogenic E. coli (not all E. coli are pathogenic), aflatoxin and salmonella. Testing for E. coli and salmonella is important because human clients handle the products they give to their pets. Bimini does not want to expose humans or animals to potentially harmful microbes.

At high levels, aflatoxins can cause death or serious illness in pets. Aflatoxins are produced by certain types of molds. To that end, Bimini commissioned a diagnostic testing company to develop an Aflatoxin testing method that is specifically suited to being used with complex matrices such as soft chews and powder mixes that Bimini produces. Bimini goes the extra mile in testing the safety of its pet products. Most manufacturers of pet health supplements do not test for aflatoxin or wait until their product has been tested to ship it.

All the Way Home

Safety with what we give our pets shouldn’t end when the consumer leaves the store. Bimini avoids using chemical preservatives to ensure shelf-life stability. Instead, the company employs more passive approaches to maintaining a safe product on the shelf. In that regard, water is key to microbial growth and “water activity” is the measure of available water for microbial growth. Bimini’s products are designed to have very low water activity levels, even lower that what the FDA recommends for human food. These low water activity levels do not support microbial growth that can lead to illness, including bacteria, mold and yeast.

People now regard their pets as members of their family. We want our dogs and cats to be as healthy as they can be, so they can be with us as many years as possible. Bimini is here to help us give our pets supplements that meet the highest quality standards.

In this article, Bimini’s dosage-form pet health supplements are intended to provide non-nutritional structure and/or function benefits and are not classified under the food category. Bimini’s treats provide nutritional value with supported nutritional claims.

Established by the United Nations and celebrated every June 7 since 2019, World Food Safety Day is a time to learn and discuss actions we can all take to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks and improve our health. Special attention is given to the health consequences of contaminated food and water. When we hear the term “food safety,” our first instinct is to think about what humans eat, but many of the problems affecting food safety in people also apply to what we give our pets.

Bimini Pet Health, a Topeka, Kansas-based manufacturer of dosage-form pet health supplements, recognizes the importance of making safe products that our pets ingest. Alan Mattox, Quality Assurance Director at Bimini Pet Health, explains that although pet health supplements are not “food” and are not required to be compliant with 21 CFR, Part 117, the federal code that regulates humans’ food, Bimini adheres to and is audited on the basis of 21 CFR part 117 nonetheless. Mattox says, “In our approach to manufacturing, we don’t believe there should be a difference in the control of what pets or humans ingest. Everything we produce is made at our cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) certified facility, which is also USDA inspected and FDA registered. The products are made with responsibly procured ingredients. Every ingredient and the resulting products are stored, handled, processed and transported in a manner consistent with applicable federal laws.”

Mattox added that Bimini Pet Health applies a “positive release policy” to the sequence of events that must take place before his company releases a finished product for shipping. “The finished product lot must remain in our warehouse until the microbiological test results validate the product’s safety.” Bimini tests its products for pathogenic E. coli (not all E. coli are pathogenic), salmonella and aflatoxin. “We test for E. coli and salmonella because we know our human clients handle our product. We do not want to expose them or pets to these microbes,” Mattox said. “At high levels, aflatoxins (toxins produced by certain types of mold) can cause death or serious illness in pets.”

Bimini Goes the Extra Mile When It Comes to Safety

Mattox noted that Bimini goes the extra mile in testing the safety of its pet products. “You would be hard-pressed to find many companies like ours that test for aflatoxin, let alone wait until the product has been tested to ship it out.”

Safety with what we give our pets doesn’t end when the consumer leaves the store. Mattox emphasized the importance of avoiding the use of chemical preservatives to ensure shelf-life stability and instead employing more passive approaches to maintaining a safe product on the shelf. In that regard water is key to microbial growth and “water activity” is the measure of available water for microbial growth. Bimini’s products are designed to have very low water activity levels (even lower that what the FDA recommends for human food) which do not support microbial growth that can lead to illness, including bacteria, yeast and mold,” Mattox explained.

Alan Mattox practices Bimini’s high levels of safety on his own Yorkshire Terrier. “A pet is an extension of the family, a four-legged relative. I want our dog to be as healthy as he can be, so he is around for as many years as possible. Making sure I give him products that meet quality standards is key for this to happen,” Mattox said.

Pet Ownership Statistics Indicate Pet Supplement Manufacturers Make for Smart Business Partnerships

Bimini is a manufacturer of dosage form pet health supplements, and all instances of Bimini’s pet supplements refer to dosage form pet health supplements.

In early fourth quarter, Goldman Sachs CEO, David Solomon told Reuters he believed there is a “reasonable chance of a recession in the U.S., but it’s not certain.” His statement is in line with what others in the financial industry are predicting. Entrepreneurs and pet supplement manufacturers are raising an eyebrow.

Fitch Ratings reported the U.S. economy will experience a recession beginning the second-quarter of 2023, but robust U.S. consumer finances will help soften its impact. As recent as December 7^th, CEOs of leading companies appeared on CNBC to share their outlooks for 2023. JPMorgan, General Motors, Walmart, United and Union Pacific CEOs are preparing for an economic slowdown due to rising inflation, interest rates and global political concerns.

Compare that to the 2022 holiday spending at $9.12 billion on Black Friday and $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday, both up year over year, proving consumer buying is still strong. Yet, 1^st quarter 2023 spending might decrease as consumers’ holiday shopping bills arrive. Entrepreneurs and pet supplement manufacturers aren’t tightening their financial belts just yet. Why?

In light of upcoming bills, a predicted recession and who-knows-what-else factors on the horizon, one growing market is the pet industry. And, this has entrepreneurs turning to pet supplement manufacturers for smart business partnerships that stand the test of time.

The pet market proved to be recession-proof during The Great Recession in 2008. Then in 2020, we saw it also was pandemic-proof as the market boomed like never before. What is interesting is that despite the recession or pandemic economic challenges, U.S. pet owners have not historically cut spending on their pets. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) estimates that Americans spent close to $100 billion on their pets in 2020, which is more than ever before.

Ten Interesting Statistics on Recent Pet Ownership and Spending in the US

1. Seventy percent of US households owned a pet in 2020.
2. Pet owners continue to spend on their pets even in uncertain economic times, reporting:

• 57% will spend the same on pet supplies
• 35% spent more on pet supplies
• Only 8% spent less

3. Dog ownership has increased, up to 58% from 50% in 2018 in US households.
4. 13% of GenZ and 11% of Millennials have given their dog some type of holistic remedy.
5. 73% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials have purchased calming products for their dogs.
6. 44% of dog owners give their pet some type of supplement, up 34% from 2018.
7. 45% of US households have a cat, and the percentage of cat owners owning two or more cats has increased.
8. 8% of cat owners have given their pets a holistic remedy, and 30% of cat owners give their pet some type of supplement, up 20% from 2018.
9. 69% of Gen Z and 67% of purebred cat owners report using some type of calming product.
10. 65% of 18- to 34-year-olds plan on getting a pet (or another pet) within the next five years.

Where Pet Supplement Manufacturers See the Industry Heading

Average annual household spending per pet could grow from $980 in 2020 to $1,292 by 2025 and expand further to $1,909 by 2030, which makes pet supplements an interesting business idea for companies looking for ways to grow their sales and entrepreneurs seeking strong ventures.

As with any venture, partnering with the right pet supplement manufacturer is critical to success. Bimini Pet Health is the manufacturer of choice for manufacturing dosage form pet health supplements, considering we:

• Have our manufacturing facilities third-party audited to a human food manufacturing standard (21 CFR part 117) and are USDA inspected and FDA registered.
• Are centrally located in the U.S. (better shipping costs and delivery times)
• Responsibly procure clean, sustainable ingredients from U.S.-based companies
• Make pet supplements with human ingredients and no unnecessary fillers or additives
• Make every order custom, increasing shelf life
• Offer existing formulas or develop customized ones based on your needs and goals
• Offer 100% fulfillment and packaging services
• Are happy to support supplement formulas with science-backed research and testing results

Even during uncertain economic times, the pet supplement market has proven resilient, and even experienced growth with no slow down predicted on the horizon. It’s as good a time as ever to capitalize on consumer demand.

From private label and custom to existing dosage form pet health supplements ready for white labeling, Bimini produces the formulations pet owners trust to launch or grow your pet-centric business. Contact us today to get started.

Download your free copy of Sizing the Pet Market for more statistics.

Statistic sources:
APPA Nation Pet Owners Survey 2021-2022
Morganstanley.com

The Key to Seizing the Opportunity in a Growing Industry 

The pet supplement industry is booming. In 2020, U.S. sales rose by 20% and by another 15% the following year. Slightly more modest — yet still double-digit — growth is expected through 2025. Specifically, dog products lead the pack.

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