NEW YORK — Several companies participating in the pet nutrition industry were named to Newsweek’s 2024 America’s Most Responsible Companies list in recognition of their corporate responsibility and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) efforts.

Forty-nine CPG companies were ranked in the Consumer Goods category, including General Mills, Darling Ingredients, Colgate-Palmolive, The J.M. Smucker Co., Post Holdings, Bunge and Spectrum Brands, and one pet-specific retailer — Petco — was ranked in the Retail category.

“This year, we award 600 of the largest corporations in the United States, up from 500 in 2022,” wrote Nancy Cooper, global editor in chief at Newsweek. “While that increase is noteworthy, even more so is the fact that the company in this year’s 600th spot has a higher score than last year's 500th. It is also worth mentioning that 243 companies on the list have placed for at least four consecutive years, with 156 earning a spot for all five years.”

General Mills was ranked No. 2 in the Consumer Goods category, ranking No. 12 overall. The company, which owns and operates the Blue Buffalo pet food and treat brand, scored 98.16 for environmental concerns, 81.61 for social concerns, and 80.73 for corporate governance concerns, bringing its overall score to 86.8.

Darling Ingredients, a supplier of proteins and rendered ingredients to the pet nutrition sector, was ranked No. 13 in the Consumer Goods category and No. 129 overall. The supplier scored 71.89 for environmental concerns, 77.1 for social concerns, and 89.98 for corporate governance concerns, with an overall score of 79.63.

Colgate-Palmolive, parent company of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, was ranked No. 21 in the Consumer Goods category and No. 215 overall. The company scored 90.08 for environmental concerns, 66.79 for social concerns, and 73.5 for corporate governance concerns, bringing its total score to 76.76.

The J.M. Smucker Company, which owns a handful of dog treat and cat food brands, was ranked No. 24 in the Consumer Goods category and No. 251 overall. The company scored 85.35 for environmental concerns, 65.37 for social concerns, and 76.77 for corporate governance concerns, with a total score of 75.8.

Post Holdings, which entered the pet nutrition space in 2023 through its acquisition of several pet food brands formerly owned by The J.M. Smucker Co., was ranked No. 30 in the Consumer Goods category and No. 287 overall. The company scored 79.25 for environmental concerns, 64.64 for social concerns, and 81.94 for corporate governance concerns, bringing its total score to 75.25.

Bunge, an ingredient supplier, was ranked No. 31 in the Consumer Goods category and No. 314 overall. The company scored 81.51 for environmental concerns, 76.48 for social concerns, and 65.65 for corporate governance concerns, with an overall score of 74.52.

Spectrum Brands was ranked No. 46 in the Consumer Goods Category and No. 549 overall. The company scored 65.87 for environmental concerns, 59.51 for social concerns, and 78.96 for corporate governance concerns, bringing its total score to 68.09.

Petco, the only pet-specific retailer listed in this year’s list, was ranked No. 10 out of 25 companies in the Retail category and No. 311 overall. The company scored 80.77 for environmental concerns, 68.34 for social concerns, and 74.65 for corporate governance concerns, with an overall score of 74.56.

“The survey results suggest that companies have been making improvements in certain areas over the last three years, with social responsibility scores notably on the rise,” said Michael Bausch, senior analyst at Statista. “This positive trend indicates a commitment to enhancing corporate practices, particularly in response to societal expectations. The data reflects a gradual but encouraging evolution in companies’ efforts to fulfill their responsibilities, highlighting a positive shift in their overall approach.”

Find the full list of America’s Most Responsible Companies in 2024 here.

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