Kibbles 'n Bits is a brand name of
dog food
Dog food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of ca ...
currently owned by
The J.M. Smucker Company since it acquired its previous owner,
Big Heart Pet Brands,
in 2015.
The brand was originally created in 1981 as the first dual textured dog food, having soft chewy pieces as well as hard crunchy ones. It was developed by
Quaker Oats
The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001.
History Precursor miller companies
In the 1850s, Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart founded oat mills. S ...
as part of their Ken'l Ration brand. In 1985, more bits ingredients were added to the dog food and the brand was renamed "Kibbles 'n Bits 'n Bits 'n Bits." Their advertising feature a bulldog named Spike that would say "I want my Kibble and Bits." The addition of more bits and it popular creative ads increased it sales by double its sales estimates. The Lawrence KS plant that manufactured the product was also recognized for its "Go for the Gold" group incentive plan.
In 1995, Kibbles 'n Bits was acquired by the
H.J. Heinz Company, which in turn sold their pet food division to
Del Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods, Inc (trading as Del Monte Foods) is an American food production and distribution company headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest producers, distributors and marketer of bran ...
later on.
It is currently the fifth largest dry dog food brand in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. The
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers. As of the 2020 census ...
plant produces around 1.7 million pounds a day, 9.9 million pounds a week and around 497 million pounds of Kibbles 'n Bits dog food a year.
Kibbles 'n Bits was among several brands recalled in February 2018 due to
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...
findings of
sodium pentobarbital, a drug used in
euthanasia
Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different eut ...
.
References
External links
*
Products introduced in 1981
Dog food brands
Del Monte Foods brands
Heinz brands
The J.M. Smucker Co. brands
1981 establishments in the United States
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