Excessive-moisture extrusion unlocks new prospects for moist pet meals innovation

Moist pet meals producers are more and more searching for methods to innovate, not simply to satisfy shopper demand for premium-quality merchandise, however additionally to enhance sustainability and price effectivity. Excessive-moisture extrusion (HME), when mixed with aeration know-how and breaker plates, gives a novel method to moist pet meals manufacturing that expands formulation prospects whereas delivering improved texture, look and palatability.

HME is a meals processing method used to create plant-based meat analogs with a fibrous texture and look much like animal meat that makes use of a excessive moisture content material (40%-80%) in the course of the extrusion course of.

Throughout her training session at Petfood Discussion board 2025 in Kansas Metropolis subsequent month, Jenni Harrington, director of gross sales and know-how at Bühler Group, will current take a look at outcomes on HME strategies, demonstrating how they can be utilized to create tailor-made moist pet meals formulations for each canines and cats. Based on Harrington, HME has the potential to remodel the moist pet meals market by enabling new textures, optimizing ingredient use, and providing larger flexibility in uncooked materials choice.

Enhancing product high quality and diet

Conventional moist pet meals manufacturing depends closely on meat-based components and customary processing strategies which will restrict texture and formulation choices. HME, when paired with aeration know-how, introduces nitrogen into the extrusion course of, making a microporous construction that enhances product brightness, softness and thickness with out requiring extra components.

This microporous construction additionally improves the absorption and retention of fat and flavors, rising palatability and dietary worth. “The product high quality could be improved, and a wide range of textures, densities and thicknesses could be achieved,” Harrington defined. “This has a direct influence on the biting properties and mouthfeel for the cat or canine.”

Along with its textural advantages, HME know-how is extremely adaptable to completely different components, together with animal, insect and plant-based proteins, in addition to starches, fibers, and flavors. This flexibility permits producers to create hybrid (meat and vegetable) or totally plant-based formulations, providing alternatives to diversify product traces whereas managing ingredient prices and dietary profiles.

Creating distinctive textures, colours to drive shopper attraction

Pet homeowners have gotten extra discerning about their buying selections, typically choosing merchandise that resemble human meals in each texture and look. Breaker plates and aeration know-how play a vital function in attaining this, permitting producers to copy the fibrous, flaky consistency of meat and fish, for instance.

“Aeration know-how adjustments the colour and creates distinctive textures by injecting completely different volumes of nitrogen fuel,” Harrington mentioned. “This gives an amazing diploma of versatility, starting from a easy colour change to producing softer textures. In the meantime, breaker plates can modify texture and look, making them particularly helpful for creating fish-like buildings.”

By combining each applied sciences, producers can produce revolutionary moist pet meals merchandise that align with evolving shopper expectations. “Shoppers are at all times searching for new and distinctive merchandise, and these improvements can considerably affect their buying selections,” Harrington added.

Increasing uncooked materials use for sustainability, value effectivity

Sustainability stays a key concern in pet meals manufacturing, and HME know-how gives new options for lowering environmental influence whereas sustaining excessive product high quality. At present, most moist pet meals merchandise depend on contemporary meat or meat meals, however HME permits partial or full alternative of those components with plant-based proteins, which have a considerably decrease carbon footprint.

Moreover, aeration know-how permits producers to use fewer uncooked supplies whereas sustaining and even rising product quantity and weight. Provided that uncooked supplies are among the many greatest value and CO2 contributors in pet meals manufacturing, this method helps each value effectivity and environmental sustainability.

“HME know-how permits for prime manufacturing capacities — up to 4 tons per hour — which additional contributes to value financial savings,” Harrington famous. “Decreasing reliance on meat-based components and optimizing manufacturing processes are essential steps towards a extra sustainable and economically viable moist pet meals business.”

The way forward for high-moisture extrusion in pet meals

Because the pet meals business continues to evolve, Bühler Group is focusing its analysis and growth efforts on refining HME know-how to additional enhance moist pet meals textures and buildings, mentioned Harrington. Future developments could embody enhanced palatability options for each canines and cats, in addition to continued exploration of recent uncooked supplies with improved dietary and sustainability advantages.

“One space of curiosity is working with fermented plant-based proteins, which supply higher dietary worth and a diminished carbon footprint,” Harrington mentioned. “We’re additionally creating new strategies to additional enhance the textures and buildings of Moist Tex pet meals to make sure optimum palatability.”

Key takeaways

For pet meals producers trying to keep forward in a aggressive market, high-moisture extrusion presents a possibility to create revolutionary, cost-effective, and sustainable moist pet meals merchandise. Bühler’s versatile and patented Moist Tex/HME know-how permits producers to supply distinctive formulations that align with shopper demand for premium high quality and environmental accountability.

“Innovation, sustainability and price effectivity are key in the profitable moist pet meals market,” Harrington emphasised. “Our aim is to present producers with the instruments they should develop the following technology of moist pet meals merchandise that meet each pet and shopper expectations.”

With its potential to enhance texture, optimize ingredient use, and develop uncooked materials choices, high-moisture extrusion is about to play a essential function in shaping the way forward for moist pet meals manufacturing.

Jenni Harrington, director of gross sales and know-how, Bühler Group, will current her instructional session, New strategies in high-moisture extrusion for creating revolutionary, numerous and nutritious moist pet meals, on Tuesday, April 29, at 3:10 p.m. throughout Petfood Discussion board 2025. To remain knowledgeable on the newest occasion developments, go to PetfoodForumEvents.com.