Latest news with #NewZealand-sourced
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Dog owners are ditching supermarket snacks for these all-natural Aussie treats
You wouldn't feed your family additives and fillers, so why give them to your dog? That was the thinking behind CLEAR Dog Treats, the all-natural Aussie brand taking dog lovers by storm. It all started when Karen and Peter Boxall, devoted dog parents, got fed up with the mystery meat and artificial nasties hiding in regular pet snacks. Most of the dog treats on the shelves were pumped full of sugar, preservatives and artificial colours, and Peter, a self-confessed dog nut, wasn't having a bar of it. So the couple decided to make their own. What began as a side hustle selling simple, healthy treats to grooming and training clients quickly took off. Word spread, orders rolled in, and CLEAR Dog Treats was born. Now, they offer over 80 different kinds of natural treats, all with one thing in common: no preservatives, no added sugar, no artificial anything. And dog owners can't get enough. The treat that smells but sells One of CLEAR's standout products is their Chicken Tenderloins, which come in various pack sizes (from $11.95 to $74.95). Most brands soak theirs in a glycerine solution to keep them soft, juicy-looking and heavier (more profitable for them, less meat for you). That sweet-smelling solution also acts as a mould inhibitor, but CLEAR's tenderloins skip the chemicals entirely. Instead, what you get is pure dehydrated Aussie chicken. No fluff, no filler, just meat. It takes around four kilograms of raw chicken to make one kilogram of CLEAR's dehydrated version, a concentration that delivers not only more nutrition but a much stronger smell. Yes, they're a bit pongy. But dogs absolutely love them. That rich scent comes from the nutrients, not preservatives. And unlike the supermarket brands, CLEAR doesn't try to mask it. 'Our chicken tenderloins can smell pretty strong, but that's the point,' says Peter. 'It's how real food smells when it's not covered in artificial junk. Dogs go nuts for it.' Why CLEAR Dog Treats are worth barking about Most of us want to feed our pets better, but we're short on time and don't always know where to start. That's what makes CLEAR such a winner. Every treat is made with 1 00 per cent natural, single-ingredient Aussie or New Zealand-sourced meat. There's nothing else in there. No preservatives. No additives. No sneaky sugars. And unlike many bigger brands that outsource everything, CLEAR works directly with suppliers to make sure every product is ethical, traceable and high-quality. It's a small business with a big heart, and it shows. They also offer responsive, personal customer service (which is getting rarer by the day). Whether your dog is picky, has dietary needs (like pancreatitis or joint issues), or just deserves a treat that isn't secretly garbage, there's something in the CLEAR range to suit. Their range includes low-fat options, long-lasting chews, training treats, and even items specifically designed to support dogs with allergies or sensitivities. It's not just a snack, it's a healthier way to treat your best mate. With more dog owners becoming ingredient-savvy, it's no surprise that . So yes, the treats might stink. But your dog will love you for it.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Hygiene-grade wool producer wants to be the Fonterra of wool
Derelee Potroz-Smith, right, and Alana Cheape from Woolchemy Photo: Supplied The co-founder of a company transforming sheep wool into period products, nappies and incontinence pads wants to "bring real value back to wool". Wellington start-up Woolchemy has taken top honours at Idea 2025, a global awards for the non-woven and engineered fabrics industry. Woolchemy won the gong for its groundbreaking product neweFibre - which it says is the world's first hygiene-grade wool - and capable of replacing petroleum-based plastics in disposable hygiene products. Derelee Potroz-Smith - an electrical engineer whose family has bred sheep for six generations - said she was proud that this innovation has been developed in Aotearoa. "This is the world's first hygiene-grade purified wool fibre, we're adding value to the wool fibre and it's a higher cost that we're exporting. People wanting hygiene-grade wool fibre will have to come to New Zealand to get it. We're incredibly proud of that - and it means more money, back to farm." She said the award not only gave Woolchemy a lot of recognition in the hygiene sector, but in the non-woven sector. "It's a recognition that's on a global level. To win this award you have to convince a very technical panel of judges that your product actually works and we went up against some pretty big companies... It puts both wool, and our work, our many years of R&D into this product, in the spotlight." Woolchemy products. Photo: Supplied Potroz-Smith founded Woolchemy with her mother, north Taranaki sheep farmer Angela Potroz, about 10 years ago. Wool had been used in hygiene products in the past, she said. "So we weren't necessarily doing anything particularly new. What we were doing was trying to figure out how to make wool absorbent so we could get it into the inside of the products and use more fibre, but also use the benefits that wool brings to a healthcare product that would make it better for people." She said the bio-materials company was challenging a $126 billion industry dominated by synthetic materials. Woolchemy's patented materials used natural wool fibres engineered into high-performance structures that were skin-compatible, scalable, and - critically - renewable and biodegradable. New Zealand-sourced strong wool was scoured in Hawkes Bay or Taranaki and then shipped to Europe, where it was purified and processed at up to 200 metres per minute. The resulting product was then used as a component in hygiene products. "There are two billion single-use hygiene products used every day and 93 percent of them are plastic. This award recognises a pivotal shift toward sustainable alternatives, and it's being driven from Aotearoa." Woolchemy products. Photo: Supplied Woolchemy's product was being trialled by two hygiene manufacturers, one in the US and another that covers Australasia as well as the States, who are looking to launch early next year. It was also in talks with companies in China and Europe, she added. Potroz-Smith says she wanted Woolchemy to become "the Fonterra of the wool sector" - a large company exporting the majority of strong wool overseas and getting farmers a strong return. The name Woolchemy came from a friend, who suggested that alchemy was about taking something ordinary and turning it into gold. "Our original tagline was about turning wool into gold. But wool already has amazing superpowers - it's just that no one has really taken advantage of it." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
