Purina R&D: Turning Imagination into Innovation
As the global head of R&D at Purina, I am fortunate to lead our incredible team of scientists, researchers and innovators who are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of pet care. Our goal is to be guided by science to help pets live longer, healthier lives with their people not only through nutrition, but also by thinking about the holistic wellbeing of pets and how to nurture the bond we as humans share with them.
Most people think of Purina as a pet food company, I think of Purina as a pet science company. We have nearly 500 pet experts globally, ranging from veterinarians, engineers, and animal nutritionists to pet behavior scientists, food scientists, and immunologists, all working to understand the science of pets and create products and technology to make their lives better.
At Purina, Our Work Begins In a Place Where Anything Is Possible – Our Imaginations
Our imaginations are the springboard to ask big questions and find big solutions, and all our work starts by observing how pets live today, identifying the challenges that lessen the length or quality of their lives, and imagining a future where those challenges no longer exist. Each project we create began with a simple word: “Imagine.”
From managing pet obesity and brain changes in aging pets, to creating a healthier home for humans so cats can have more cuddles or designing technology to flag health concerns early. Some challenges are obvious, while others require a bit more creativity. But by imagining the future we want; we can help create the future our pets deserve.
My team spends countless hours working to understand how pets feel, think, and move. We study feeding behavior and the litter box habits of cats. In the therapeutic diet space, we look for ways that nutrition can not only help slow the progression of disease, but also prevent it. We have also played an instrumental role in mapping both the canine and feline genomes to better understand genetics and ensure that data is available to all, so that we aren’t keeping the science of pets to ourselves.
Bringing Science to Life
If you want examples of how our science comes to life, look no further than Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind or Pro Plan LiveClear. Each of these game-changing innovations came to life respectively when we allowed ourselves to imagine if senior dogs could think and act like younger dogs again… and instead of slowing down, rediscover playtime. Or when the daughter of one of our scientists begged for a cat that she couldn’t get because of her allergies, he boldly imagined a future where he could say ‘yes.’
When we imagined if we could connect a cat’s litter box behavior to data that could show signs of potential health problems like kidney disease, our Petivity smart litter box monitor was born. Knowing that most pet parents don’t brush their dog or cat's teeth anywhere near as often as they should (it’s daily, by the way), we imagined a treat that would taste good and help with oral health and Dentalife was born. And by studying the taste and texture preferences of our notoriously picky feline friends, we’ve created new food forms like Fancy Feast Broths, and Friskies lil’ soups.
These are just a few examples of an incredibly long list of innovations that all started with a little imagination.
Everything We Do Is An Opportunity to Learn
But not all of our work ends up being commercialized. Sometimes the world isn’t ready for our ideas, and we patiently put them on the shelf. At Purina, we’re not afraid to fail if we learn something from it. There have been countless projects that have not ended up with groundbreaking discoveries but have added to our bank of knowledge in other ways, and there are so many new discoveries that have yet to be made.
So, when you pick up a Purina product at the store or have it delivered to your doorstep, you aren’t just getting a bag of pet food, you’re getting the work of hundreds of pet experts and scientists who go to work every day to help your pets – and our own – live longer, healthier, and happier lives with us.
In the world of pet care research and development, our imagination is our greatest asset, and at Purina, we'll keep dreaming and working to make those dreams a reality.
About the Author:
Sheri Smithey is Senior Vice President of Global Pet Care Research & Development at Nestlé Purina PetCare. Sheri is responsible for all aspects of R&D for Purina including nutrition, digital solutions, engineering, product development and packaging. Sheri received her B.S. in Biochemistry, an M.S. in Agriculture Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Agriculture Engineering, from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has 2 Weimaraner dogs (Lucy and Macy), a rescue dog Dixie, and a 16-year old Domestic Long Haired cat Mango.