Aixia Revolutionizes Pet Care with Safe, Reliable and Irresistibly Delicious Food

By Daniel de Bomford, Bernard Thompson and Cian O’Neill

Pets are family. They bring companionship, healing and joy to people every day, and enrich the lives of those they live who take care of them. Hidetaka Amano, President of pet food manufacturer AIXIA Corporation, considers pet food and human food, one and the same. The only difference is who is consuming it therefore, the same level of care applies. “The best strength of our products is their safety and quality,” he says.

AIXIA was originally founded to upcycle the dark meat for cat food that remains after making cans of white tuna meat. It expanded beyond its initial scope and now offers a diverse array of pet food for cats and dogs. AIXIA’s catalogue focuses on health care products for pets with a focus on safety and quality. Mr. Amano says that more Japanese households are choosing to adopt pets in the wake of Covid-19 isolation, as well as an increase of single person households. He explains, “Having pets leads to better mental well-being for these people.”

With a focus on the wellbeing of pets, AIXIA has launched the i CARE series, to assist in clarifying the benefits of different food. Mr. Amano describes how customers find it difficult to understand which pet food to pick for which specific health benefit. After market research, they created the i CARE series which is pet food for specific purposes. He gives an example, “If a cat is not drinking water well, then it could benefit from i CARE with hydration, and if it has food allergies, then we have hypoallergenic protein sources.” i CARE was created specifically for the health benefit of cats and there are 8 solutions and 12 products with different flavors. It also removed all unnecessary colors and flavors.

An important part of AIXIA’s mission is to provide pet owners with educational resources to help improve their pet’s quality of life. “We have a collaboration with university professors, and we have an in-house veterinarian, so we are constantly updating our knowledge and spreading that information to pet owners,” Mr. Amano says. It also communicates with retail workers, through social media and importantly, at tradeshows. “We take the opportunity to communicate with users to listen to what they need from pet food and how they are doing in caring for their pets,” he explains. Based on firsthand information in conjunction with academic information, they provide product advice to pet owners. This communication has led to the development of products like the Kenko-can (health-can) food which focuses on cat specific conditions such as dehydration, kidney issues and oral care.

As AIXIA looks to expand internationally, it remains steadfast in its mission to provide high-quality food, education and improve the quality of life of pets worldwide to create a better society. Mr. Amano emphasizes that good food is essential for pet care. As he puts it, “As with humans, food is an integral part of raising and caring for pets.”