Companion Animals

• Pet

  Animals kept for companionship, sport, or work and not as a source of food
• James Spratt: Spratt's Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cake introduced in England


  1860

  
• F.H. Bennett Biscuit Co.: Milk-Bone Dog and Puppy Foods (Carleton Ellis)


  1908

  
• Chappel introduced canned pet food (horse meat) Ken'l Ration

  1922

  
• "Dry meals" using co-products

  1940
• Hill's Prescription Diet k/d - FIRST Therapeutic dog food!

  1948

  
• Purina Dog Chow - first extruded pet food


  1956

  
• Expansion of pet food brands using extrusion

  1960

  
• 1970 to date: Extruded pet food continues to be the most popular

  
• Melamine recall - contaminated wheat gluten purchased from China - spurred lawmakers to focus on pet food regulation

  2007
• Food Safety Modernization Act passed

  2011
• Today's Goals for Pet Food

  • Safe
  • Nutritious
  • Sustainable
• Dry Extruded


  Moisture < 10%, High temperature, High pressure, Thermal + mechanical energy cooking, Mixing -> extrusion -> drying -> coating -> cooling -> packing
• Semi-Moist Extruded

  Moisture around 30%, Water activity controlled by use of humectants, Requires preservatives to arrest mold growth
• Dry Baked

  Moisture < 10%, Baked in tunnel oven - temperatures start low and increase through 3 to 7 zones, Humidity important to ensure moisture is not trapped - starts high and decreases to zero in the final zone
• Wet Food

  Moisture ~70-80%, Fill cans, Lids are sealed, Commercial sterilization, High temperature / high pressure, Pates, stews/chunks & gravy, minced
• Gently Cooked


  Moisture ~70-80%, No official definition, Lower temperatures (~75 C) - but high enough to kill bacteria, Nutrient retention, Normal atmospheric pressure
• Raw


  High moisture, Freeze dried raw, Low moisture, High pressure pasteurization used - does not remove all bacteria
• Importance of Pet Food Processing

  • Food safety
  • Shelf life
  • Nutrient digestibility
  • Palatability
  • Convenience to the owner
• Career Opportunities

  • Regulatory
  • Legal
  • Scientist
  • Product development
  • Research technician
  • Veterinarian
  • Ingredient procurement
  • Manufacturing plant
  • Engineering
  • Chemist
  • Animal care technician
  • Sales
  • Marketing
  • Bioinformatics
  • Quality control
  • Statistics
  • Design