Pet Food Processing - January 2025 - 66

PACKAGING
consistency and quality in fresh and frozen pet food manufacturing
begins with sourcing high-quality ingredients.
" Beyond that, it is essential to establish and follow welldefined
processing parameters, while keeping the process
as gentle as possible, " White said. " This ensures that the
food is safe while preserving its nutritional value and
maintaining the integrity of the visible inclusions such as
meat pieces, vegetables, fruits and grains. Balancing food
safety with minimal nutrient degradation is key to delivering
a high-quality, consistent product. "
As fresh and frozen pet food
has raised the bar for quality,
the packaging has done the
same so customers can more
easily recognize the premium
nature of these products. "
Ryan Spencer, Multivac
Equipment innovation
Ryan Spencer, product marketing manager for Kansas
City, Mo.-based Multivac Inc., noted the company's
thermoforming and traysealing packaging offerings are
great solutions for fresh pet food products, as they help
protect, preserve and showcase the food products inside.
" The packaging is continuing to look more and more
Rollstock chub
packaging used
for ground meat
products for
human consumption
is the same
technology used
to package many
fresh pet food
offerings.
TC Transcontinental
like those you'd see in the refrigerated section of your local
grocery store, " Spencer said. " People associate vacuum
packaging with high-quality meats for their family
to enjoy, and this is now extending to pet food products
for the furry members of their family as well. As fresh
and frozen pet food has raised the bar for quality, the
packaging has done the same so customers can more
easily recognize the premium nature of these products. "
TC Transcontinental Packaging offers a full line of
high-barrier flexible packaging solutions including premade
bags in both flat-bottomed and stand-up pouch
format, along with flexible rollstock for chub packaging.
All of the company's packaging is created with sustainability
top of mind.
Freshpet utilizes transparent windows in its bagged products
so consumers can see the fresh ingredients. Freshpet
" Sustainability has been and will continue to be the
driving change for packaging over the coming decade, "
Kieny said. " TC is working with the latest technologies
in the sustainability space. We have a fully operational
recycling lab along with a certified compost lab for testing
all the newest developments. Perishable goods have
particular challenges due to their historic multi-material
makeup, which challenges the ability for recycling. We
are developing elegant solutions for these challenging
formats bolstered by our work in other market areas. "
Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies
are becoming increasingly essential in the processing of all
pet food including fresh and frozen formats. Automation
can streamline production, improve efficiency and reduce
human error, while AI can optimize processes by monitoring
and adjusting parameters in real time.
" Advanced temperature monitoring systems are also
critical to maintaining product safety and quality, ensuring
that temperature abuse does not occur during
processing, storage or transport, " White said. " These advancements
collectively enable manufacturers to produce
high-quality and safe fresh and frozen pet food products. "
Freshpet utilizes up to 20 times less packaging than
other brands, but is still strong, light and efficient according
to Perez-Camargo.
" We use transparent windows in our bag recipes, so
consumers can see the exact product they are buying, "
he said. " Our packaging is multilayered and has oxygen
barriers to help avoid oxidation of vitamins and polyunsaturated
fatty acids. "
Safety considerations
Safety and compliance of fresh and frozen pet food
products during the processing stage is vital for pet food
processors. From a microbial perspective, ensuring the
safety and compliance of fresh and frozen pet food prod66
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Pet Food Processing - January 2025

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