Royal Canin
Royal Canin bases the production of its feeds on scientific research and set up its initial research centre dedicated to this in St-Nolff in 1973; a subsequent research centre was established in Missouri in the late 1980s, and there is also a research facility in Brazil. Products are tested on a "focus group" of eighty cats and two hundred fifty dogs. Dr Daniel Cloche was one of the scientists first working at the company's French research facility and he has been described as "one of the pioneers in researching bone–related disorders and diseases among dogs". Research indicated bone problems in large dogs could be dietary, so different recipes were developed to specifically address this. In 1980, Royal Canin brought out a new feed called AGR especially for puppies categorised as large breeds. At that time, the company also turned its attention towards producing cat foods to suit specific dietary requirements.