Minnesota Company Just Bought A New Pet Food Brand

A familiar Minnesota company is the new owner of a popular line of dog and cat food-- but you probably haven't heard of it.

General Mills has been a company associated with the Land of 10,000 Lakes for quite a while now. The General Mills corporate website notes that while their corporate headquarters is now in Golden Valley, the company started with a single flour mill in Minneapolis way back in 1866. Since then, it's grown to become a massive corporate behemoth, owning over 100 brands in 100 countries.

Actually, make that 101 brands. That's because General Mills is now the new owner of the Edgard Cooper line of premium dog and cat foods, which is big in Europe. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal says General Mills announced the news earlier this week:

Golden Valley-based General Mills didn't disclose the price it paid for Edgard & Cooper, which is based in Kortrijk, Belgium, and has estimated sales of roughly $107 million across 13 markets.

ALSO INTERESTING: Here's the Most Spoiled Dog Breed in Minnesota

The story went on to say that this purchase is the latest acquisition for General Mills in the pet food market. Did you know that this familiar Minnesota company also owns several other well-known pet food brands like Blue Buffalo Natural Healthy Dog Foods, Cat Foods and Treats, and the line of Tyson Foods Pet Treats?

Canva

Get our free mobile app

According to the Edgard and Cooper website, the European company, which was founded in 2016 by will continue to be run independently but will utilize General Mills' massive resources to reach new markets-- and pets, noting that 'General Mills is a leading consumer packaged goods company whose purpose is making food the world loves.'

Edgard and Cooper went on to say that consumers likely won't notice any change to their business:

Just to be clear and straight forward about this, absolutely nothing will change for you and your beloved pet(s). We will continue to offer the same nutritious products that you and your pet love so much. Our three amazing founders will stay on board, their commitment remains steadfast.

No word, however, on if this new sale means we'll be able to buy Edgard and Cooper dog and cat food here in Minnesota. Maybe?

Listen to Curt St. John & Samm Adams
Weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh