How to prepare for the digital age in pet food processing

Jon Lawson

The digital age has brought monumental advancements in the way we live our lives - many of which we take for granted every single day. However, the pet food processing industry hasn’t advanced quite as rapidly since extrusion technologies were developed in the 1950s.

That’s been changing in recent years.

While pet food processing techniques have been highly successful for decades, increased challenges have put pressure on the industry to adapt and change at a quicker pace. To face these challenges, pet food manufacturers are bringing their processes into the digital age.

New challenges facing pet food manufacturers

In just the past five years, pet food manufacturers have been faced with new challenges, including the following:

* Unprecedented growth of the specialty pet food market

* More demand for high-meat content

* Higher demand for natural ingredients

* Increased pet food safety regulations

* Constant advances in technology, leading to outdated equipment.

These new changes are straining the tried-and-true pet food manufacturing processes that have worked so well in past decades. With the increased demand for specialty pet food, manufacturers must formulate and test new pet food products more often. Without a fast and flexible way to tweak and modify formulas, this can add to costly down-time on the factory floor, where time is money.

Your business’s ability to face these challenges head on can make the difference between seeing soaring profits, or watching your margins disappear. You need a solution that is flexible, affordable, versatile, and won’t be outdated next year.

Ingredient automation

In order to bring your pet food processing into the digital age, you need ingredient automation. This technology allows you to use sophisticated software and automation systems that monitor and adjust ingredients in real time, as your pet food products are being produced.

With an ingredient automation system, you can meet the ever-evolving demands of the pet food industry with equipment that doesn’t become instantly outdated the minute it’s installed. APEC’s BatchBox provides a solution for pet food processing companies to track ingredients from a single interface, giving you the power to make adjustments easily and instantly.

With ingredient automation, it’s easier to test new formulas, track raw ingredients to avoid spoilage, and eliminate costly downtime.

What the future holds

Don’t get left in the dust of your competitors. It’s time to modernize your pet food processing equipment with ingredient automation, so you can adjust to industry trends, anticipate new opportunities to add value to your products, and grow your profit margins without growing costs.

Terry Stemler is President of Automated Process Equipment Corporation (APEC). 

Recent Issues