Set another place at the table: Fido's coming to dinner

Washington

RICHARD Thompson cuts into a tube of Chunky Chicken and Turkey Recipe, just off the manufacturing line. The chief executive officer of a small gourmet food manufacturer is obsessed about the quality of his products, so he uses only fresh ingredients, eschews preservatives and limits the time that meals sit on shelves to make sure that they are eaten while still exploding with flavour.

His manufacturing chief, Michael Hieger, picks up a slice and pops it into his mouth to prove just how delectable it can be. "Tastes just like Thanksgiving," he says.