Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World Poland goes all-in on wet pet food Key Takeaways ▸ VAFO Group is investing €14 million (US$16 million) in a wet pet-food plant. ▸ The plant sits near Slupsk in northern Poland and targets 100 million pouches yearly. ▸ Phase-one operati... Europe Innovation Pet Food 9 jun 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World Fray Bentos: the tiny town that fed two world wars Key Takeaways ▸ German chemist Justus von Liebig devised concentrated meat extract in the 1840s. ▸ Liebig's Extract of Meat Company opened at Fray Bentos, Uruguay, in 1865. ▸ The company launched OXO ... Food Innovation Latin America 5 jun 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World Why cats can't go vegetarian: the taurine story Key Takeaways ▸ Cats are obligate carnivores that cannot make enough taurine themselves ▸ A 1987 study linked taurine deficiency to feline dilated cardiomyopathy ▸ Since the late 1980s, taurine is add... Innovation Pet Food 29 may 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World 1877: the refrigerated ship that globalized meat Key Takeaways ▸ In 1876 Charles Tellier's Frigorifique carried meat edible after ~100 days at sea ▸ In 1877-78 the Paraguay shipped frozen meat from the River Plate to France ▸ Those voyages launched ... Food Innovation Logistics & Shipping 22 may 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World 39,000 visitors later: what actually won Interzoo Key Takeaways ▸ Interzoo 2026 closed with ~39,000 trade visitors from over 130 countries ▸ More than 70% of visitors were international ▸ The sustainability award went to an algae-based omega-3 ingred... Europe Fairs & Events Innovation Internal News Nutre Meat Pet Food 15 may 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World What 2,400 booths are really selling: gut health and proof Key Takeaways ▸ Protein content drives 49% of pet food purchase decisions ▸ Gut health now appears in 31% of new pet food launches ▸ 43% of owners would consider fermented protein, 36% cultivated meat... Europe Fairs & Events Innovation Internal News Nutre Meat Pet Food 13 may 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World Your dog is a person now (economically speaking) Key Takeaways ▸ Roughly half of European households now live with a pet ▸ Humanization pushes named proteins, functional claims and origin stories ▸ Premium value grows faster than volume in pet food ... Innovation Pet Food Prices & Markets 10 may 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World 1860: the ship's biscuit that invented an industry Key Takeaways ▸ James Spratt launched the first commercial dog food in London in 1860 ▸ His Meat Fibrine Dog Cake mixed wheat, beetroot, vegetables and beef blood ▸ Spratt was in London to sell lightn... Innovation Pet Food 8 may 2026
Raphael Carmo · Managing Partner, 4D World Chicken liver: the palatability engine Key Takeaways ▸ Chicken liver drives pet food palatability via free amino acids and nucleotides ▸ It concentrates vitamin A, B-vitamins and iron ▸ Three commercial formats: frozen blocks, freeze-dried... Innovation Pet Food 7 may 2026
