Case Study Of J. M Smucker Company

Many people know the J.M Smucker Company for its various store bought products for human consumers such as peanut butter, jams, and spreads, but they are also in charge of processing and packaging multiple animal food brands. Some of their dog food brands include Gravy Train, Kibbles N’ Bits, Skippy, and Ol’ Roy. The company’s net sales in 2016 were approximately $1,816 million compared to the $1,749 net sales in 2017. This means that the company’s revenue decreased nearly 4% or by $67 million in one year (“Corporate and Financial New Release,” 2017). Much of this decrease in income is due to recalls on some of their major brands, including pet foods for harmful reasons. According to consumer relations representative of J.M. Smucker Amanda,
The recalls of J.M smucker pet food over the past two years is causing their yearly revenue to decrease and giving them a poor reputation, causing consumers to choose to purchase a different brand to ensure their pet’s well being. Additionally, if these types of problems continue to occur then they may have to discontinue many or potentially all of their pet food brands, causing their yearly profits to lower even further. To avoid downsizing of the large company, J.M. Smuckers will need to develop a solution to improve the quality of their processed animal
Smuckers animal food brands and provides animals with a natural source of all of the vitamins and minerals they need to live a healthy and happy lifestyle, but there are a few concerns with it. One problem is that the preservatives in these animal foods help to expand the shelf life of the products (Amanda, personal communication, February 20, 2018). Removing the perservations would increase the likelihood of the products spoiling or developing bacterias. Another issue with this solution is possible microbes, germs, and parasites that cause E. Coli, salmonella, and trichinella found in raw meats (Dressler, 2011, p. 196). Contact with these viruses can make both animals and humans sick, and in severe cases cause death. The ideal solution to improve the nutritional value of store bought animal foods seems to be in the processing and packaging process rather in changing all of the ingredients