Beyond Synthetics: Why Bioavailability Matters for Your Pet

In this episode, Clayton sits down with William Grand, the visionary CEO and founder of NutraFusion. William shares the fascinating journey of his company, which began in 2008 with a mission to replace low-quality synthetic vitamins in pet food with highly bioavailable nutrients derived directly from fresh fruits and vegetables. William explains their unique dehydration and isolation technology, the economic realities of premium ingredients, and why their ‘family-first’ virtual business model is the secret to their success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Unlike synthetic vitamins which are often poorly absorbed, NutraFusion’s plant-based nutrients are designed for maximum bio-absorption, particularly suited for a dog’s short intestinal tract. NutraFusion uses a specialised technology to isolate and concentrate nutrients (like Vitamin D from sunlight-exposed mushrooms), allowing manufacturers to add massive nutritional value with a very small physical footprint. Most traditional pet foods use man-made chemicals (synthetics) to meet regulatory standards. William argues that while these are cheap, they lack the actual performance and health benefits of natural isolates. Since 2008, NutraFusion has operated as a virtual company, outsourcing manufacturing and logistics while employing a lean, highly disciplined remote team across the US Many pet food companies use NutraFusion but keep it a secret under NDAs to maintain a competitive advantage in health claims and performance. BEST MOMENTS "Synthetics are man-made chemicals. They look good and sound good, but they don’t perform. 90% to 95% is going down the drain." "We define our business as an ingredient company. I'd rather sell a company 5,000 pounds of our product than have 50,000 customers who eventually use 5,000 pounds." "The pet industry is different. It's all about the health and welfare of the animal. That was very refreshing compared to the human side." "If you’ve got a child’s soccer game at 3:00 in the afternoon, you don’t even have to ask. Family comes first." "We are not over-promising and under-delivering. Our product is absorbed in a dog within the first 20 minutes of them eating." HOST BIO Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few. Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica). As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/