NEW YORK – Sales of organic and natural pet foods are getting a boost from the nationwide recall of more than 60 million packages with familiar brands.

As brands from premium to store labels begin crisis-management efforts, an additional concern is that upscale organics are getting at least a temporary bump in share of the $15 billion pet-food market. The recall has not only raised safety concerns, but has also pointed out that many big-name premium brands contain some of the same ingredients as bargain labels.

“People purchasing some of these brands on the recall list think they are buying premium brands,” says Kristen Levine, founder of Fetching Communications, a public relations firm for the pet industry. “When you find out the same wheat gluten is going into bargain brands, it’s very disheartening.”

Natural and organic pet-food sales already had been rising – 46% in 2005 over 2004 and an expected 36% for 2006, according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2006 Manufacturer Survey…

For Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2007-04-05-petfood-market-usat_N.htm