Extruded product manufacturing for cats and dogs have been a very important part of the food industry for over a century. It’s the food extrusion process that makes your pasta, snack items, and pet food into cute little shapes. Had it not been for pet food extrusion, you would not have many options for dry pet food you have today. You can find dry pet foods rolled into balls, formed into squares or cut into fish, chicken, or any other shapes.

Manufacturing of Extruded Products

Ingredient Sources

Ingredients in the manufacturing of pet food mostly include animal derivatives and other by-products. Animal derivatives can be a chicken meal, poultry meal, or fish derivative. The animal derivative then has its fats removed out and dried out for the next step.

The by-products are either fresh or frozen. The sources of by-product materials are cereals, grains, and vegetables. Other ingredients include fats, minerals, vitamins, and preservatives.

Mixing of the Ingredients

Every pet food brands have their own recipe. But the basic recipe and processing methods are more or less the same. Pet food extrusion process began with mixing wet and dry ingredients to form dough. The dry ingredients typically consist of flour or starch, meat carcass, protein, wheat or cereals. Wet ingredients include sugar, water fat, or oils. The preservative can be either a wet or dry ingredient depending upon the formulation.

Extrusion Process

Before extrusion, the dough goes into a preconditioner for heating. After that, it goes under immense pressure inside an extruder machine, where it puffs up and gets a chewable texture. The dough then passes through a shaping die which forms the dough into a specific shape. The knife then cuts the dough out into kibbles.

The kibbles dry in the oven for the removal moisture. Moisture removal increases the shelf life, preventing quick spoilage of the kibbles.

Coating of the Kibbles

The kibbles are then pass onto a revolving platform where the coating of flavor or enhancers takes place. Some makers can add preservatives at this stage too.

After the pet food manufacturing process, the final product undergoes packaging according to the declared weight. Proper packaging is necessary to avoid spoilage and increase the product’s shelf life.

Extruded Products for Cats and Dogs

It is an obvious fact that all pet foods are not the same. The formulation differs according to your pet’s requirement. Dogs are omnivores. Food products for dogs contain a combo of meat, vegetables, and grains.

On the other hand, cats are carnivorous; they mainly thrive on meat sources. They do not need food products with high amounts of vegetables of grains. Some brands use a little number of grains to bind and hold the kibble. But it’s better that your cat eats rich protein food that is grain free.

Get the Best Pet Food Manufacturers

Whether you’re a dedicated pet owner or want to sell top quality pet foods, you have come to the right place. Get in contact with the best pet food contract manufacture the USA.  We cater to all of your animal products need. Green Mountain Animal is your stop for all your custom formulations of premium pet food.

We are experts in innovative food formulations. We are capable to source and manufacture a wide variety of pet food products. We promise quality and safety in our manufactured pet food products.

GREEN MOUNTAIN ANIMAL LLC
75 Catamount Drive
Milton, Vermont 05468
802-752-4738
drmetz@grnmtnanimal.com