How Pet Food Is Made

Throughout the cooking, shaping and drying process, steps are taken to ensure safety. From pH testing, verification of proper ingredients used, maintenance of proper temperatures to screening for metals, pet food and treat makers are committed to providing the highest quality food for your pet.

Some ingredients, such as meat meals, vitamin mixes, and grains, are blended and ground to a desired size that allows for proper cooking with steam and heat. These ground ingredients are mixed with meat, and liquids (water, steam and fat) are added during the cooking process to ensure the product reaches an appropriate temperature to fully eliminate bacteria and pathogens. This is often referred to as the “kill step” – the point in the manufacturing process that eliminates potentially deadly pathogens. 

There are various cooking methods:

• Dry and semi-moist food can be cooked and shaped in an extruder. Extrusion is used for many human foods such as cereal and pasta. The food is cooked and pushed through the die plate with holes in it, similar to a cookie press. The holes are of a specific shape and size, and as the food exits the extruder, it is immediately cut to the desired size and transferred directly to a dryer to remove the remaining moisture. It is then often coated with natural flavors and cooled.

   

  Once cooled, the food is ready for packaging.

• Wet food is not extruded, but rather poured into cans which are then vacuum sealed and sterilized in a heat and steam chamber (a retort) prior to labeling. The primary difference between dry and wet pet food is the moisture content. Dry pet food typically contains 10-12 percent moisture, while wet food contains between 70 and 80 percent.

• Fresh pet food uses fresh meat or poultry, is not cooked at as high a temperature and does not use preservatives. This product will have a shorter shelf-life than wet or dry pet food and must be kept refrigerated.

• The process of making treats is very similar to the process of making food. Baked treats are made much like cookies. The ingredients are mixed in a bowl with liquids (water, oil, meat) until a dough forms. The dough is then rolled into different shapes, such as a bone. The biscuits are then baked in an oven at a specific temperature for a specific time to ensure any pathogens and bacteria are killed, cooled and packed. Some treats are also made using extruders. The ingredients, including the meat, are mixed and cooked then pushed through the extruder to ensure any pathogens and bacteria present are killed.

• Rawhides are the lower layer of the skin of a cow (the upper layer will be used as leather) which are thoroughly cleaned and may be whitened. A hide can be cut into strips of varying sizes and shapes, and heated so it dries and reaches a kill step. Hides that include meat or a basting will go through an additional kill step to help ensure safety.

Steps to ensure safety during the manufacturing process include:

• Verification that proper temperature, pressure and pH are maintained;

• Environmental testing in the facility for the presence of bacteria;

• Inspection for metals;

• Verification of correct equipment set-up and function;

• Verification that the correct product size, shape, color, protein, fat and moisture level are being produced; and

• Sanitization of the equipment before the manufacturing of a different product begins.