TOPEKA, KAN. — Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive, announced a relaunch of its Prescription Diet pet food line on Feb. 24. According to Colgate-Palmolive, the relaunch will focus on new formulations, packaging redesigns and stronger veterinary outreach.
“What we’re most proud about is that we’ve been true to what the brand really represents, which is that science is the way to lead to healthier lives for pets,” said Noel Wallace, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York 2022 Virtual Conference. “…While the pet food category is obviously benefiting from underlying trends like the humanization of pets and premiumization, we believe it is also continuing to swing back toward science and expertise, and Hill’s is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this trend.”
Although Wallace didn’t address specific formulation changes to Hill’s Prescription Diet, the company stressed a priority on science-backed and veterinarian-developed pet food. Currently, the therapeutic line is developed to help pets with specific health concerns, including weight management, joint care, liver care, kidney care, urinary care, glucose management and many more, with 66 total dry and wet foods and treats for dogs and 53 total dry and wet foods and treats for cats.
The new packaging will feature scannable, food-specific QR codes that will communicate the health benefits of Hill’s Prescription Diet to both veterinarians and pet parents.
Hill’s Prescription Diet is only available through recommendation by a veterinarian and, to better support veterinarians, Hill’s will introduce a new tool that allows for easier communication between veterinarians and pet parents.
The relaunch of Hill’s Prescription Diet will begin in Europe before rolling out to the United States and the rest of the world in 2022.
The company included this announcement in its first quarter earnings presentation on April 29, along with news of its acquisition of certain assets of Nutriamo, an Italy-based wet pet food manufacturer, to expand production capacity in Europe.
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