Beneful facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Pet food |
| Founded | 2001 |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Dog food |
| Owner | Nestlé Purina PetCare |
Beneful is a popular brand of dog food. It is made by Nestlé Purina PetCare. Beneful offers different types of food for dogs. These include wet food, dry food, and tasty treats. It is one of the biggest dog food brands in the world. Many dog owners choose Beneful for their pets.
Contents
Beneful's Story: How It Began
Beneful dog food first came out in 2001. It was special because it looked like real stew. It even had pieces that looked like beef. The company said "Beneful" means "full of goodness." When it launched, Beneful had a huge TV ad campaign. This was the biggest ad campaign for Nestle Purina at that time. By 2006, Beneful was already making a lot of money. The company even spent money to make more wet dog food.
New Ideas for Dog Food
In 2010, Beneful tried to make its dog food seem more like human food. They launched "IncrediBites." This food came in special packaging to keep it fresh. It also had smaller pieces, which was good for smaller dogs.
Beneful also got creative with its advertising. In Germany, they made posters that smelled like dog food. This was to get dogs' attention! In 2011, they aired TV ads in Austria. These ads had high-pitched sounds that only dogs could hear. This made pets react to the commercials.
Fun Ways to Play with Dogs
In 2012, Beneful put up interactive billboards in New York. People could play virtual fetch with dogs on the screen. You could even change how the dogs on the billboard looked. These fun billboards were also put in other big cities.
Beneful also holds a yearly contest. It's called the Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest. People send in ideas for new dog parks. The winning park gets a big makeover. This program has helped build new dog parks in several towns.
Beneful Products for Dogs
Beneful makes many kinds of food just for dogs. They have dry kibble, which is crunchy food. They also make wet or canned food. Plus, they offer different kinds of dog snacks.
In 2005, Beneful added a new product line. It was called Beneful Healthy Harvest. This was their first dry dog food that used soy as the main protein. Usually, dog food uses meat for protein.
In 2006, they introduced Beneful Prepared Meals. These meals came in eight different flavors. The cool thing was the packaging. The containers could also be used as a dog food bowl! This smart packaging even won an award in 2007.
Understanding a Past Lawsuit
In 2015, a lawsuit was filed against Nestle Purina Petcare. Some people claimed that certain ingredients in Beneful dog food could harm pets. They said these ingredients might make pets sick.
Purina explained that they use safe versions of these ingredients. They said these ingredients are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are also found in many human foods.
The lawsuit later changed its focus. It became about whether the advertising was misleading. However, in the end, all the claims against Nestlé Purina were dismissed by the court. The FDA also tested the product and found no harmful substances.
