Big Heart Pet Brands

Big Heart Pet Brands was an American company that manufactured, marketed, and distributed branded pet food and related pet products for the United States retail market. It was formed around the pet-food operations associated with Del Monte Foods and became a significant house of mass-market pet brands, including Meow Mix, Kibbles 'n Bits, Milk-Bone, 9Lives, Gravy Train, Nature's Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, Pup-Peroni, and Milo's Kitchen. The business also supplied private-label pet products to retailers. The company was headquartered at One Maritime Plaza in San Francisco. Its corporate history was shaped by changes in ownership of Del Monte's pet-food business. Before Big Heart operated as a separate company, the pet-food division was associated with Del Monte Foods. In 2014, Del Monte Foods sold its pet-food business to Del Monte Pacific Limited. The business was subsequently organized under the Big Heart Pet Brands identity. Big Heart occupied the value and mainstream segments of the American pet-food market. Its portfolio covered dry and wet dog food, dry and wet cat food, dog treats, and other complementary pet products. The breadth of the portfolio allowed the company to address different price points and use occasions, from everyday feeding to treats and snacks. According to the cited company history, the business generated approximately $2.0 billion in net sales in fiscal 2013, although that figure relates to the relevant pet-food operations before the later acquisition by J.M. Smucker. On February 3, 2015, The J.M. Smucker Company announced an agreement to acquire Big Heart Pet Brands for $5.8 billion. Following completion of the transaction, Smucker took control of the former Big Heart brands and marketed them within its own pet-food business. Big Heart therefore ceased to operate as an independent corporate brand, while many of its consumer-facing labels continued under new ownership. The former company also became associated with a major product-safety controversy involving Gravy Train dog food. In 2018, testing conducted by WJLA-TV in partnership with Ellipse Analytics reported the presence of pentobarbital in multiple cans of Gravy Train. Pentobarbital is a barbiturate used in animal euthanasia and is not permitted in pet food. The investigation followed the reported death of a dog in late 2016 and prompted regulatory attention. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it would investigate and take appropriate enforcement action. Because the investigation occurred after the 2015 acquisition, the affected brand was by then part of J.M. Smucker's portfolio rather than an operating product of an independent Big Heart company.

Big Heart Pet Brands was a U.S.-focused pet-food company built around a portfolio of established consumer brands. Its business included manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and the supply of private-label products for retail channels. The portfolio covered both dog and cat nutrition as well as treats, giving the company a broad presence in everyday pet-care purchases. The business originated in the pet-food operations historically associated with Del Monte Foods. Those operations included brands such as Meow Mix, Kibbles 'n Bits, Milk-Bone, 9Lives, Gravy Train, Nature's Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, Pup-Peroni, and Milo's Kitchen. Rather than presenting a single narrowly defined product line, the company operated as a portfolio house, using multiple brands to cover different species, formats, price levels, and consumption occasions. The ownership structure changed in the mid-2010s. Del Monte Foods sold its pet-food business to Del Monte Pacific Limited in 2014. The business was then associated with the Big Heart Pet Brands name. At the time, the relevant operations were substantial: the cited company history reports approximately $2.0 billion in net sales for fiscal 2013. This figure provides context for the scale of the pet-food business, but it should not be treated as current revenue for the later Big Heart entity. The company remained independent only briefly. On February 3, 2015, The J.M. Smucker Company announced that it would acquire Big Heart Pet Brands for $5.8 billion. The transaction transferred the former Big Heart brands to Smucker, which incorporated them into its pet-food activities and continued marketing many of the consumer labels. As a result, Big Heart Pet Brands is best understood as a historical corporate identity and portfolio owner rather than an active standalone company. The portfolio later attracted scrutiny through the Gravy Train dog-food controversy. In 2018, WJLA-TV, working with Ellipse Analytics, tested a range of pet-food products after a dog death reportedly associated with pentobarbital exposure. The investigation reported that 60 percent of 15 tested cans of Gravy Train contained detectable pentobarbital. The reported concentrations were not considered lethal, but pentobarbital is not legally allowed in pet food at any concentration. The investigation suggested that rendered remains from animals euthanized with the drug might have entered the food supply. The FDA stated that it would investigate and take appropriate enforcement action. By that point, Gravy Train was part of J.M. Smucker's portfolio, so the episode belongs to the history of a former Big Heart brand and its subsequent owner as well as to the broader history of Big Heart's product portfolio.

• 2018

  Gravy Train testing reports pentobarbital detection

  [1]Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org

  Independent testing reported pentobarbital in tested Gravy Train cans, prompting public scrutiny and an FDA investigation statement.

• 2015

  J.M. Smucker agrees to acquire Big Heart Pet Brands

  [1]Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org

  The J.M. Smucker Company announced a $5.8 billion acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands and its portfolio of pet-food brands.

• 2014

  Pet-food business sold to Del Monte Pacific Limited

  [1]Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org

  Del Monte Foods sold its pet-food business to Del Monte Pacific Limited, preceding the Big Heart Pet Brands corporate identity.

• 2013

  Pet-food operations report approximately $2.0 billion in fiscal net sales

  [1]Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org

  The cited historical account reports approximately $2.0 billion in net sales for the relevant pet-food operations in fiscal 2013.

Mainstream and value-oriented pet food and treat portfolio for the United States retail market

• Cat food

  Meow Mix

  A mainstream cat-food brand in Big Heart's portfolio, associated with everyday feline nutrition and sold through the U.S. retail market.

• Dog food

  Kibbles 'n Bits

  A mass-market dog-food brand included in the former Big Heart portfolio, covering everyday feeding occasions in the U.S. retail channel.

• Dog treats

  Milk-Bone

  A well-known dog-treat brand within the Big Heart portfolio, focused on treat and snack products rather than complete staple food.

• Cat food

  9Lives

  A cat-food brand serving the mainstream U.S. market and forming part of Big Heart's multi-brand feline-food offering.

• Dog food

  Gravy Train

  A dog-food brand in the former Big Heart portfolio. It became the subject of 2018 testing that reported pentobarbital detection in multiple sampled cans.

• Pet food

  Nature's Recipe

  A pet-food brand included in Big Heart's portfolio, positioned as a branded alternative within the company's broader range of dog and cat products.

• Dog treats

  Canine Carry Outs

  A dog-treat line included among Big Heart's branded offerings and aimed at snack occasions in the U.S. retail market.

• Dog treats

  Pup-Peroni

  A dog-treat brand in the former Big Heart portfolio, contributing to the company's presence in specialty and indulgent pet snacks.

• Dog treats

  Milo's Kitchen

  A dog-treat brand included in Big Heart's portfolio and sold through the U.S. retail market before the portfolio moved to J.M. Smucker.

• 2018

  Pentobarbital findings involving Gravy Train

  WJLA-TV and Ellipse Analytics reported pentobarbital in 60 percent of 15 tested cans of Gravy Train dog food. The substance is not legally permitted in pet food. The testing led to regulatory scrutiny, and the FDA said it would investigate and take appropriate enforcement action.

  Source

Read more

• 2015

  J.M. Smucker acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Big Heart controlled a large portfolio of branded pet-food and treat products in the U.S. retail market.

  Action taken

  The J.M. Smucker Company announced an agreement to acquire Big Heart Pet Brands for $5.8 billion.

  Aftermath

  Big Heart ceased to operate as an independent company, while its former brands were marketed within J.M. Smucker's pet-food business.

  Acquisition value. $5.8 billion (Announced February 3, 2015)

  Source

• 2014

  Transfer of Del Monte's pet-food businessM&A

  Background

  Del Monte Foods divested its pet-food business as part of the ownership changes preceding the Big Heart Pet Brands identity.

  Action taken

  The pet-food business was sold to Del Monte Pacific Limited.

  Aftermath

  The operations subsequently operated under the Big Heart Pet Brands name and were later acquired by J.M. Smucker.

  Source

• 2015

  J.M. Smucker announces acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands[1]Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The J.M. Smucker Company announced an agreement to acquire Big Heart Pet Brands for $5.8 billion, including its branded pet-food portfolio.

• 2014

  Del Monte Foods sells pet-food business to Del Monte Pacific[1]Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Del Monte Foods' pet-food operations were sold to Del Monte Pacific Limited, preceding the business's operation under the Big Heart Pet Brands identity.

1. 1Big Heart Pet Brandsen.wikipedia.org