08/09/2026

Rethinking Pet food Sustainability: Upcycled and Rendered Ingredients as Strategic Tools for People, Pets and Planet

For pet food manufacturers, environmental goals cannot be treated separately from nutrition, cost, palatability, safety, or processing performance. A formulation may look attractive from an environmental perspective, but if it compromises digestibility, animal acceptance, manufacturing efficiency, supply reliability, or affordability, it will struggle in the marketplace. The challenge is to reduce environmental impact while maintaining product performance and profitability.

Ultimately, sustainable pet food must balance the needs of people, pets, and planet—providing safe and nutritious diets for companion animals while making responsible use of natural resources and supporting economically viable food systems. This aligns with the broader concept of nutritional sustainability, which considers nutrient adequacy together with ecological, social, and economic dimensions of the food system (Swanson et al., 2013).

Upcycled and rendered ingredients deserve renewed attention because they support waste reduction, nutrient recovery, resource efficiency, and the economic realities of pet food production.
Reframing the Word 'Byproduct'
One of the main barriers to broader acceptance of rendered and upcycled ingredients is not only technical, but linguistic. Terms such as 'byproduct,' 'meal,' or 'rendered' may be misunderstood by consumers, even when the ingredients are safe, nutritious, and functional.

A byproduct is not, by definition, a poor-quality material. AAFCO defines byproducts as secondary products produced in addition to the principal product (AAFCO, n.d.). In pet food, many byproducts originate from the human food system. They may include organ meats, bones, fats, connective tissue, trimmed material, or other nutrient-rich fractions that are not commonly consumed by people in certain markets but still contain valuable protein, fat, minerals, and functional compounds.

This distinction is important. Dogs and cats do not require ingredients because they sound appealing to humans; they require nutrients. Protein, amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and energy can be supplied through many ingredient streams. The role of the formulator is to evaluate these materials based on nutritional contribution, safety, digestibility, consistency, and suitability for the intended product.

At the same time, consumer perception matters. Rendered ingredients remain widely used across the industry, but in premium and super premium segments, many consumers associate fresh meat, named meats, or meat as the first ingredient with higher quality. This does not make rendered ingredients less valuable, but it does require more careful positioning. The industry's task is to communicate how different ingredient streams contribute to nutrition, sustainability, affordability, and performance without ignoring the expectations that shape purchasing decisions.
Upcycled, Rendered, and Circular Nutrition
In sustainability discussions, the terms 'upcycled,' 'rendered,' and 'circular' are sometimes used interchangeably. They are related, but they are not identical.
  Upcycled ingredients represent the broader concept. The Upcycled Food Association defines upcycled foods as using ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, produced through verifiable supply chains, and having a positive environmental impact (Upcycled Food Association, n.d.). In pet food, this may include side streams from food processing, agriculture, fermentation, cereal milling, oilseed processing, fruit and vegetable production, seafood processing, dairy processing, and animal protein production. Their value lies in redirecting usable nutrients away from waste or lower-value applications and into safe, useful products.
  Rendered ingredients are more specific. Rendering is the process of reclaiming animal-derived materials, such as meat, bone, and fat and transforming them into stable fats and proteins that can be used in feed, pet food, biofuels, and other applications (North American Renderers Association, n.d.). In pet food, rendered ingredients may include poultry meals, meat and bone meals, animal fat, poultry fat, palatants, and specialty protein meals. These materials are often derived from parts of animals that are not commonly consumed by people in a given market but remain rich in protein, fat, minerals, and other nutrients.

Therefore, rendered ingredients can fit within an upcycled or circular nutrition strategy when they recover nutrients from the human food and livestock systems. However, not all upcycled ingredients are rendered. Upcycled materials may also include brewer's grains, fruit pomace, vegetable fibers, oilseed meals, fermentation co-products, marine trimmings, and other nutrient-rich streams.
  Circular nutrition is the broader framework that connects both categories. The circular economy is based on eliminating waste, circulating products and materials at their highest value, and regenerating natural systems (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, n.d.). Applied to pet food, circular nutrition can be understood as the intentional use of safe, nutrient-containing streams from existing food and agricultural systems to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and deliver nutritional value. Under this framework, upcycled and rendered ingredients are not second-tier alternatives. They are strategic tools for designing pet foods that support people, pets, and planet.   Sustainability Must Be Paired with Performance
The environmental value of upcycled and rendered ingredients is strongest when it is paired with nutritional and commercial performance. A responsible ingredient must still be delivered in formulation, processing, and feeding.

For rendered meals and upcycled protein sources, this means evaluating amino acid profiles, digestibility, ash level, mineral balance, fat quality, freshness, palatability, processing compatibility, cost-in-use, and supply reliability. For fats and oils, it means understanding energy density, fatty acid profile, oxidative stability, and palatability contribution. For hydrolysates and specialty fractions, it means considering peptide profile, functional positioning, solubility, taste, and claims support.

The goal is not to replace performance with sustainability. It is to identify ingredients where both reinforce each other. Rendered and upcycled ingredients can support that balance because they often provide concentrated nutrients, established supply chains, favorable cost structures, and strong formulation utility.

This also connects to nutritional sustainability. A sustainable pet food system must provide adequate, safe, and effective nutrition while balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations. In practical terms, sustainability is shaped by what ingredients are selected, how efficiently nutrients are delivered, how well the diet is digested, and how much food the pet ultimately consumes (Swanson et al., 2013).
Five Strategies for Rethinking Petfood Sustainability
First, formulate for nutrient delivery while recognizing market position. Ingredients should be evaluated by what they deliver nutritionally and functionally. At the same time, premium and super premium products must also address consumer expectations around ingredient identity, label presentation, and perceived value. The opportunity is to combine both disciplines: sound formulation and substantiated market positioning.

Second, use various sources of protein. No single protein source needs to carry the entire nutritional, sustainability, and marketing burden of a product. Rendered proteins can be combined with fresh or frozen meats, plant proteins, yeast proteins, marine ingredients, hydrolysates, insect proteins, or single-cell proteins to optimize amino acid balance, cost, palatability, label appeal, and environmental profile.

Third, measure quality more precisely. Crude protein and crude fat are useful starting points, but they are not enough. Better evaluation should include amino acid profile, protein digestibility, fat quality, peroxide value, anisidine value, free fatty acids, ash and mineral balance, microbiological quality, and palatability response. This is especially important for rendered ingredients, where freshness, processing control, and raw material handling can significantly influence performance.

Fourth, build sustainability into procurement. Ingredient sourcing should include documentation of traceability, food safety systems, rendering controls, supplier quality programs, energy efficiency, and environmental reporting. Sustainability should be part of supplier selection, specification development, and quality assurance—not only a marketing claim after formulation is complete.

Fifth, communicate circular nutrition carefully. Consumers may be interested in sustainability, but they are also sensitive to language. Overclaiming can damage trust. A better approach is to explain that upcycled and rendered ingredients help recover nutrients from existing food systems, reduce waste, support efficient use of resources, and contribute to complete and balanced nutrition.
Measuring Footprint and Formulation Value
The next stage of pet food sustainability will require better measurement. Carbon footprint, water use, land use, ingredient scarcity, transportation distance, digestibility, and nutrient density may all become part of more advanced formulation decisions. Life-cycle assessment tools and supplier-specific data can help companies compare options more accurately.

However, rendered and upcycled ingredients require thoughtful assessment because many are co-products of existing systems. Their environmental value is tied to allocation methodology and to the fact that they recover nutrients that might otherwise be discarded, composted, landfilled, or used in lower-value applications. Simple comparisons between 'animal' and 'plant' ingredients may miss this nuance.

The industry needs tools that consider not only environmental impact per kilogram of ingredient, but also environmental impact per unit of digestible nutrient delivered. This is especially relevant for proteins, fats, and mineral-rich ingredients. A low-impact material that contributes little usable nutrition may not be as sustainable as a more nutrient-dense option that supports efficient formulation and feeding.
Rethinking Protein and Rethinking Value
The future of sustainable pet food will not be built only on novel ingredients. Innovation will continue through new proteins, fermentation-derived ingredients, precision nutrition, and improved packaging. But it will also depend on making smarter use of nutrient streams that already exist.

Upcycled and rendered ingredients offer a bridge between environmental responsibility, pet nutrition, affordability, and manufacturing performance. They can help reduce waste, support circular nutrition, and maintain the nutritional quality and economic viability required by the market.

In that sense, rethinking protein also means rethinking value. The question is not only where protein comes from, but how completely, responsibly, and intelligently we use it. For the pet food industry, that may be one of the most important sustainability opportunities ahead. By Juan Gomez-Basauri, Ph.D. - MAGELLAN LLC
Source: All Pet Food Magazine

References
AAFCO n.d. 'Byproducts.' Accessed June 17, 2026 (https://www.aafco.org/consumers/understanding-pet-food/byproducts/) 
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. n.d. "Circular Economy Introduction." Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview.
Kelly S. Swanson, Rebecca A. Carter, Tracy P. Yount, Jan Aretz, Preston R. Buff. Nutritional Sustainability of Pet Foods. Advances in Nutrition. Volume 4, Issue 2, 2013. Pages 141-150, https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.003335
North American Renderers Association. n.d. "Animal Rendering - What Is Rendering." Accessed June 17, 2026. https://nara.org/what-is-rendering/.
Upcycled Food Association. 2020. "About Upcycled Food." Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.upcycledfood.org/upcycled-food.
 

By Juan Gómez Basauri, Ph.D.

04/08/2026

Circular Economy in Pet Food: How Recovered Packaging Creates Environmental and Social Impact

In the pet food industry, sustainability is no longer an additional attribute but an increasingly important management criterion. The need to reduce waste, optimize resources, and respond to consumers who are more aware of environmental impact is leading companies to review their processes, materials, and the way they engage with the community. In this context, the circular economy emerges as a concrete tool to turn a recurring industry challenge —the management of post-consumer packaging— into an opportunity with both environmental and social value.

Agroindustrias Baires, an Argentine company specialized in the production of dog and cat food and responsible for the brands Old Prince, Kongo, and Fawna, has been developing different initiatives aimed at strengthening a more responsible production model. The company, which currently feeds more than 2 million dogs and cats per month, integrates actions related to the use of renewable energy, operational efficiency, and material recovery, with the goal of reducing the impact of its activity and responding to a growing market demand: companies are expected not only to produce, but also to become actively involved in environmental care.

'We believe that animal welfare and environmental care must go hand in hand. That is why we work to incorporate sustainable practices at every stage of our production process, promoting actions that generate a positive impact both on animals and on the communities that support them,' stated representatives from Agroindustrias Baires. This vision is reflected in projects that seek to organize environmental management from the source, while also creating participation tools for consumers, customers, shelters, and organizations.

One of the main pillars of this work is Comunidad Baires, a triple-impact program that combines recycling, food donations, and support for shelters and organizations dedicated to animal care. The initiative aims to give a second life to empty Old Prince, Kongo, and Fawna bags, preventing them from becoming waste and reincorporating them into a recovery circuit. The mechanism is simple and effective: shelters and collection points gather the packaging from the mentioned brands, and the company exchanges each package for 1 kilo of balanced pet food.
 
In this way, a material that often represents a challenge for the industry is transformed into a resource with positive impact. Agroindustrias Baires is responsible for collecting the recovered packaging, carrying out the corresponding exchange, and delivering the bags to Creando Conciencia, a cooperative located in Benavídez, in the district of Tigre. There, the materials are processed and transformed into new products, such as urban furniture, compost bins, benches, tables, hangers, school supplies, and other items made from recycled plastic.
This model makes it possible to close the packaging cycle while also strengthening the work of organizations that provide care and assistance to animals in vulnerable situations. Each recovered bag activates a value chain that reduces waste, promotes employment linked to the circular economy, and translates into food for shelters throughout the country. In a context where sustainability requires measurable actions, these types of programs make it possible to connect environmental management with direct social impact.

Between January and June 2026, Comunidad Baires enabled the donation of approximately 150,000 kilos of balanced pet food to shelters and organizations across different provinces. During the same period, more than 150,000 packages from the Old Prince, Kongo, and Fawna brands were recovered and reincorporated into the production circuit through recycling. Today, the program's network includes more than 320 registered shelters and organizations, which actively participate in the collection of bags and in the actions promoted by the company.

The partnership with Creando Conciencia also adds a key component: social inclusion through cooperative work. With more than two decades of experience, the cooperative promotes comprehensive waste management and the transformation of recovered materials into everyday-use products. This process extends the useful life of plastics, reduces waste generation, and contributes to the development of genuine employment, reinforcing the value of collaborative models within the sustainability chain.

For the dog and cat food industry, initiatives such as Comunidad Baires show how packaging management can be approached from a broader perspective than final disposal. The recovery of bags, their transformation into new products, and the incentive for shelters and organizations to participate in the process help build a system in which each actor plays a role: the company manages and supports, the organizations collect and receive food, the cooperative recycles, and the community gets involved.

In a market where purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by quality, traceability, and environmental responsibility, companies that are able to integrate sustainability into their business model strengthen their relationship with consumers, customers, and organizations. In the case of Agroindustrias Baires, the circular economy becomes a concrete way to connect responsible production, animal welfare, and social commitment. Sustainability is no longer seen as an isolated action, but rather as part of the company's day-to-day operations.

The challenge going forward will be to continue scaling these initiatives, expand community participation, and further strengthen material recovery within the value chain. The experience of Comunidad Baires shows that when sustainability is translated into concrete processes and measurable results, an empty bag can become food, employment, and a new opportunity to build a more responsible pet food industry. Source: Agroindustrias Baires

07/09/2026

AI & Digital Transformation Seminar to Help Manufacturers Turn AI Strategy into Practical Action

SABETHA, Kan. — Manufacturers looking to move beyond the AI hype and implement practical digital transformation strategies will have the opportunity to do just that at the AI & Digital Transformation Seminar, taking place September 16–18, 2026, at Prairie Band Casino & Resort and NorthWind Technical Services Headquarters in Sabetha, Kansas.

Designed for manufacturing professionals across the food, beverage, animal feed, pet food, grain, plastics, and related process industries, the seminar focuses on actionable education rather than product demonstrations. Attendees will hear directly from industry experts, technology partners, and manufacturers who are applying artificial intelligence and digital technologies to improve operations, reduce downtime, and increase productivity.

This year's event features a distinguished lineup of speakers and organizations at the forefront of industrial innovation, including Rockwell Automation, Palantir, and the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), alongside real-world case studies from manufacturers actively executing digital transformation initiatives.

Featured Session Highlights Include: Unified Namespace — John Dyck, CESMII
A deep dive into connected plant architectures and the role of the Unified Namespace in enabling smart manufacturing at scale.
  Digital Transformation Starts Small — In this panel, three manufacturers share their account of the single step that started their digital transformation journey, what it delivered for their business, and what they're tackling next. 
  Digital Transformation Journey Case Study — Stephen Dubatowka, Saint-Gobain Life Sciences & Robert Lee, NorthWind Technical Services
A real-world implementation story from Saint-Gobain Life Sciences, sharing lessons learned and measurable outcomes from their digital transformation journey.
  Machine Learning for Preventative Maintenance — Udaya Kumar, Rockwell Automation An exploration of how machine learning is being applied today to predict equipment failures, reduce unplanned downtime, and extend asset life.
  AI Guided Troubleshooting — Ben Bosworth, NorthWind Technical Services
 practical session on how AI-assisted tools are transforming how maintenance and operations teams diagnose and resolve issues on the plant floor.
  Building Robust AI for the Future — Will Rees, Palantir
Insights from Palantir on building scalable, enterprise-grade AI systems that deliver lasting value in manufacturing environments.
  The AI & Digital Transformation Seminar is designed to provide attendees with practical knowledge they can apply within their own facilities.

"Manufacturers are no longer asking if AI belongs in their operations, they're asking where to start and how to achieve measurable results," said Matt Lueger, Executive Vice President of NorthWind Technical Services. "This seminar was created to provide practical guidance, real-world examples, and meaningful conversations that help manufacturing leaders make informed decisions about their digital transformation journey."

In addition to classroom-style educational sessions, attendees will participate in networking events, technology demonstrations, and an open house at NorthWind's headquarters, offering an inside look at modern automation, controls engineering, and digital manufacturing solutions.

The seminar is intended for plant managers, operations leaders, engineering managers, maintenance professionals, IT and OT leaders, executives, and others responsible for improving manufacturing performance through technology.

For additional event information and registration, visit events.northwindts.com. Source: Northwind Technical Services

About the company
NorthWind Technical Services is a system integrator specializing in industrial automation, process controls, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and AI-enabled manufacturing solutions. The company partners with manufacturers worldwide to improve operational performance through innovative technology and engineering expertise.

03/04/2026

Eyes That Never Blink: How AI Is Transforming Food Inspection and Safety  

AI has been a firestorm, sweeping through almost every aspect of our day-to-day, and the same can be said for food manufacturing. AI may be the new tool that will allow almost any product to finally achieve 100% inspection, reducing defects and failures at the consumer level. So too, we are seeing incredible advancements in AI-driven food manufacturing, which, when fully developed and capitalized, will most certainly reset the bar for what consumers consider a 'high-quality' product.
  Advancements are infiltrating many aspects of daily life for food safety and quality professionals. This is leading to some very exciting initiatives to prevent deviations from specification and enhance manufacturers' ability to ward off potential food safety problems.
  There are many advancements hitting the marketplace, but some worth mentioning are in the following areas.   Vision Systems
Some of the most common quality complaints include missing labels, misaligned labels, missing or illegible code dates, the wrong label for the product, seal failures, and other packaging defects. New optical cameras with AI technology can automatically detect and remove these types of defects well before the consumer purchases them. Many systems use multipoint inspection, like the one pictured below, and can view a package from a 360° perspective. When defined parameters are exceeded, the product is automatically removed from the line. 
  Photo courtesy of ANTARES VISION S.p.A   These systems can even detect various foreign materials, such as hard and soft plastics, wood, and other materials, based on their optical signatures.   Metal Detection and X-Ray Systems
Metal detectors are common in most food operations where knives and blades are used for protein harvest or when grinding protein-based products. They are used as a food safety measure for foreign materials that can cause harm when ingested. X-ray systems are often used for harder types of foreign materials, such as bones, cartilage, glass, and metal. In the past, this equipment was only as useful as the number of false positives it would produce during a production shift.
  Now, with advances in AI algorithms, these smart detectors can discern multiple types of materials in pieces, much like the technology used to screen luggage at the airport does, in multiple layers or overlapping placement. This ensures foreign material is detected accurately and distinguishes between various types and the number of foreign objects in a product.  This will allow for early detection and root cause prevention   Hyperspectral Technology
This is a fascinating new field that will likely revolutionize food safety. These systems utilize spectroscopic measurements and ultra-sensitive cameras to detect images at the pixel level, across very narrow wavelength ranges within spectral bands, providing a 3D view of the test sample. It's like incorporating a microscope and a microbiologist at the same time. This type of testing is very rapid and does not use any chemicals, making it very environmentally friendly. The system is literally looking for live organisms in a sample and can even quantify them, so it is very accurate.   Source: Pandey AK, Samota MK, Kumar A, Silva AS and Dubey NK (2023). Fungal mycotoxins in food commodities: present status and future concerns. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1162595. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1162595.   Predictive Microbial Risk Modeling
AI systems analyze historical data, such as environmental monitoring results, sanitation logs, and process data, to predict where microbial contamination is most likely to occur in a facility. These predictive systems help companies prevent contamination rather than simply responding to it. By being predictive rather than reactive, food safety and sanitation professionals can reduce sanitation failures, line downtime, and prevent recalls. These models could also be used to validate environmental testing programs and food safety plans.
One additional integration for predictive modeling and food safety inspection is that it monitors employees' adherence to good manufacturing practices. AI is now being used to ensure employees do not use utensils that fall on the floor, use soiled equipment, or forget to wash their hands when working with food.   Enhanced Grading and Sorting Systems
By using optical cameras integrated with smart AI, machines can now be taught to recognize correct shapes and colors, and previously subjective quality grades can be measured objectively. If you have a baked kibble product, for example, how dark is too dark?
  As quality professionals, we used to create picture-based scales to train employees on color and shape, but these tools were only as good as the original picture-taker and the printer you had to display the grading. Now, camera technology has gotten so good that a color scale and a given shape template can be programmed to ensure each piece of treat or kibble is within specification. This uniformity will lead to higher yields and fewer packaging issues, as the product itself will be more consistent.   Process Control Monitoring for Food Safety and Processing Parameters
Examples include thermal process schedule reviews, critical control point (CCP) and process control point (PCP) monitoring, and temperature and weight monitoring. One limitation of inspection is that you may only be able to perform it at a limited frequency, say, once per hour.
  Almost anything that can be continuously measured can now be enhanced with AI logic to provide continuous, real-time monitoring of all your critical or process control points. This provides tons of data, and as root causes are identified and logged for a deviation or failure, your AI system will begin to predict useful information, such as, 'Your average temperature deviation is every 41 days and has been assigned to a sensor failure. You should add it to the preventive maintenance list to change or check every 40 days.' Real-time monitoring also increases release time and does not need a formal pre-shipment review.   Unblinking Eyes: The Future of Food Safety
The creativity and uses for AI in food safety and quality systems are only now being realized. The market for equipment and use is only in its infancy. As a food safety and quality professional, I am excited to see how more advanced technology, like these systems that never get fatigued and have 'eyes that never blink,' is implemented.
  If you share my enthusiasm or have a compelling use case from your own operation, please share it in the comments. The future of food safety will be written not just by the technology itself, but by the professionals bold enough to implement it. By August Konie
Source: BSM Partners
  About the Author
August Konie has been a Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Professional for over 30 years. He was worked in many sectors of the food industry including fisheries, beverages, poultry, pork and pet food, under both FDA and USDA regulatory oversight. As an active committee member in various trade organization for food and pet food organizations, he was successful of implementing new regulatory guidance. He has worked with various teams across Asian, Europe, North and South American on various food safety, quality and import/export concerns. He currently serves as the Principal of BSM Assurance overseeing FSQAR activities at BSM Partners.

07/04/2026

Digital Twins in the Pet Food Industry: From Simulation to Predictive Control

What Digital Twins Are and How They Are Used Today
A digital twin is a dynamic, virtual representation of a physical object, process, or entire an production system. Unlike static simulation, it continuously utilizes real data from sensors and control systems, enabling it to accurately reflect the current state of the process and predict its future behavior.

According to IBM, digital twins are currently used in manufacturing to improve operational efficiency, optimize processes, reduce failures, accelerate product development, and enable predictive maintenance. In industrial environments, their application ranges from individual production lines to entire plants, integrating operating variables, energy consumption, quality, and equipment performance, as well as supporting plant planning, virtual testing of new products, layout optimization, and control of complex processes, among other uses.
From Simulation to Predictive Decision-Making
The advancement of digital twins is closely linked to the convergence of process simulation, industrial sensors, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. This integration enables manufacturers to move from a reactive model—based on manual sampling and subsequent adjustments—to a predictive and preventive approach.

According to an article by StartUs Insights, the market for digital twins applied to manufacturing could reach USD 714 billion by 2032, driven by the need to optimize complex processes and reduce operational inefficiencies. The same report indicates that more than 81% of global companies are already actively exploring the industrial metaverse, and that 62% increased their investment in these technologies over the past year.

These figures reflect a structural shift: simulation is no longer limited to the design stage but is becoming a central tool for day-to-day plant management.

The study, Digital Twin applications in the food industry: a review, identifies four main approaches to applying digital twins in the food industry, defined by their role within the production system. First, forecasting digital twins are used to anticipate the future behavior of processes or equipment based on the analysis of historical data and current conditions, enabling the prediction of deviations, inefficiencies, or failures before they occur. Second, reactive simulation models allow real-time process monitoring and autonomous responses to deviations, adjusting operating variables and recommending corrective or preventive actions. A third approach is virtual commissioning, which utilizes digital twins to test, validate, and optimize new technologies, equipment, or plant configurations in a virtual environment before physical implementation. Finally, synchronization-based simulation keeps the digital twin aligned in real time, or near real time, with the physical system, creating a highly accurate representation of the process that is especially valuable for scenario analysis, operational optimization, and improved decision-making in complex systems.
How Do Digital Twins Contribute to the Pet Food Industry?
Focusing specifically on the pet food industry, raw material variability is one of the main factors affecting final product quality. Ingredients, such as cereals, protein meals, fats, and animal by-products naturally fluctuate in moisture, protein content, fat levels, and particle size distribution.

According to a technical analysis published by Haskell, these variations directly affect critical operations such as extrusion and drying, influencing attributes such as texture, density, nutritional stability, and product shelf life. Traditional control methods often detect these deviations only after the product has already been produced, leading to reprocessing, waste, and efficiency losses. Digital twins, by contrast, anticipate these effects before they impact the final product.

In pet food production, a digital twin is built from models that represent the thermal, mechanical, and dynamic behavior of each unit operation (mixing, conditioning, extrusion, drying, and cooling). These models are powered in real time with data from sensors installed in the plant, such as ingredient moisture measurements, extruder barrel temperature, screw speed, pressure, airflow, and dryer parameters. This information synchronizes the virtual model with the real process, creating a living representation of the plant in operation.

In closed-loop control systems, besides observing the process, digital twins predict how variations in raw materials will affect the final product and automatically adjust operating parameters to compensate—often even before the ingredient enters the extruder.
Benefits of Implementation
Implementing digital twins delivers tangible benefits at multiple levels. First, it significantly improves product consistency by reducing batch-to-batch variability, a key factor for consumer trust and brand reputation.

By preventing out-of-spec production, raw materials and energy waste are reduced. This approach also optimizes energy consumption and increases throughput without compromising quality, directly impacting operating costs.

Another strategic benefit is to hasten product development. Formulations can be tested virtually, evaluating their performance in the process before conducting physical trials, thereby reducing time, risk, and costs associated with industrial testing.

Added to this is the ability to integrate predictive maintenance, using digital twins to detect deviations in equipment performance and anticipate failures, avoiding unplanned downtime.
Digital Twins: Key Technology for Building Truly Connected Plants
The incorporation of digital twins marks a turning point in how pet food production plants are managed. It is no longer just about automation, but about deeply understanding the process, anticipating deviations, and making decisions based on real, comparable data.

In a context where efficiency, sustainability, and quality are increasingly decisive, digital twins are consolidating their role as a strategic tool for manufacturers seeking to scale, differentiate, and build truly connected and resilient plants. By Candelaria Carbajo – All Pet Food
Source: All Pet Food Magazine
References
Gallagher, Nick (Updated October 17, 2025) What is a Digital Twin? IBM
Prasser, David R. (July 21, 2025). Future of Manufacturing: 13 Trends Driving 2026-2035 Growth. StarUs Insights
Abdurrahman, Emadaldin Elfatih M. & Ferrari, Giovanna. (April 3, 2025). Digital Twin applications in the food industry: a review. Frontiers
Haskell. (December 19, 2025). A Process Engineering Perspective on Digital Twins in Pet Food Manufacturing.

By María Candelaria Carbajo

17/03/2026

Dog and Cat Food Processing: Our Daily Challenge

Pet foods are currently classified into three categories: complete, complementary, and specific, whether dry or wet. Within each category, companies develop sub-segments to meet the needs of different animal profiles, such as senior pets, athletic animals, and obese pets, among others. The search for alternative diets, functional ingredients, and more sustainable solutions has shown steady growth. This movement has driven intensive research to ensure that products deliver not only adequate nutrition but also additional health benefits, improved quality of life, and a reduced environmental footprint.
  To achieve all of this, the industry no longer relies solely on robust equipment or generic formulations for dogs and cats. More than ever, manufacturers must be connected in real time to every stage of the process, with each department involved in the production of pet food. Machines, sensors, software, and people, therefore, need to operate in an integrated manner so that production continuously adapts to the process and improves over time. By combining automation, data, and technical expertise, an automated plant transforms production into a dynamic, intelligent system capable of continuous evolution.
Daily Manufactured Innovation   The achieved precision at each stage of the process—extrusion, drying, and coating— is a practical example of how this approach is carried out. An automated system enables:
  Precise, automated dosing of micro-ingredients, especially in complementary foods that require a high level of accuracy. Automated control and inclusion of fresh meat, meals, and oils. High-tech laboratories that analyze all raw materials upon reception. Aligned NIR systems with just-in-time results, enabling immediate adjustments when required. Minimization of variations that affect digestibility and palatability. Fully digital traceability, from raw material intake to finished product. Automation of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) helps identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
  In extrusion, one of the most critical steps in kibble manufacturing, the process is significantly optimized through automation:
  Temperature and pressure control in each extruder zone. Screw speed control. Steam and water addition as required. Greater baking consistency, which improves digestibility, texture, and kibble durability. More homogeneous kibble density and expansion, with improved starch gelatinization and reduced waste. Automatic recording of process parameters, ensuring traceability and batch-to-batch standardization.
  The drying stage is crucial for removing moisture and controlling water activity, both of which directly contribute to microbiological safety. Moisture also affects palatability: dogs tend to prefer slightly higher-moisture foods, while cats generally accept drier products. For this reason, the integration of sensors and intelligent software in dryers is critical to prevent under- or overprocessing and to ensure that each batch reaches the exact target moisture content. This level of precision ensures stability, safety, and palatability aligned with the specific requirements of each species.
  Another key step is coating, a particularly delicate stage in the manufacturing of dry pet food. Today, the market offers more advanced coating systems, such as vacuum batch processing equipment, which allows highly precise ingredient application. This level of control directly impacts palatability, oxidative stability, and final product acceptance, ensuring superior sensory performance and overall food quality.
  Automation enables much more robust and accessible traceability. With integrated systems, each batch can be tracked from raw material to finished product, ensuring:
  Rapid identification of non-conformities. More efficient responses in case of product recalls. Greater transparency for consumers. Complete, auditable history of every stage of the process.
  This traceability is especially critical in the production of complementary and therapeutic foods, where any nutritional deviations may compromise product efficacy. Through digitalized controls, the industry ensures precision, consistency, and total batch safety for pet consumption.   The Importance of Labeling   Labelling is another equally essential step to ensuring that all mandatory information is present and accurate, in compliance with the legislation of each country.
  At this stage, it is crucial to involve representatives from all areas of the production chain—including Regulatory Affairs, Quality Control, Research and Development, Packaging, and Marketing. This integration ensures that labeling and packaging are developed safely and efficiently, without rework, while remaining compatible with filling lines and attractive to the end consumer. Technology also plays an increasingly important role in this process. Many companies now utilize specialized software that automatically checks label descriptions against each version. It compares information, detects inconsistencies, and significantly reduces the risk of human error. With automation, greater document security, faster review processes, and higher reliability in final label approval are obtained.
  Another topic gaining increasing relevance in the pet food industry—and one that directly impacts the entire production chain—is sustainability. Far from being just a trend, sustainability has become a strategic pillar guiding decisions from raw material selection to packaging development and industrial process design. Implementing sustainability in the pet food industry is a complex challenge, as it requires balancing production efficiency, costs, and regulatory requirements while also meeting consumer expectations that are increasingly influenced by environmental awareness. The supply chain is complex: it depends on both animal- and plant-based ingredients, requires large volumes of water and energy, and relies on high-barrier packaging that is often difficult to recycle.
  Nevertheless, the sector has made consistent progress. An increasing number of companies are incorporating innovative raw materials, so-called super proteins, including insect meals, which offer a reduced environmental footprint and excellent nutritional value. At the same time, there is a growing internal movement to reduce water and energy consumption, reuse resources, monitor and mitigate CO₂ emissions, and develop 100% recyclable mono-material packaging, facilitating reintegration into the production cycle and reducing environmental impact.
  An even more strategic step is the adoption of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a tool that quantifies the environmental impact of a product from the origin of its ingredients to its destination. Companies that already apply LCA stand out for making data-based decisions, identifying critical points, and directing their efforts more effectively—whether in raw material selection, process efficiency, or packaging sustainability. LCA is considered one of the key trends shaping the future of the industry and a competitive advantage for organizations genuinely committed to reducing environmental impact across all stages of the value chain.
  By combining innovation, responsibility, and a long-term vision, the pet food industry demonstrates that sustainability is not merely rhetoric, but an irreversible path and a tangible opportunity to create better products, more efficient processes, and a more balanced future for the planet and coming generations. This underscores that the challenge of producing pet food goes far beyond formulation or ingredient selection; it involves a complex chain that depends on technology, integration, rigorous control, and continuous innovation.
  By Josiane Volpato and Juliana Soares Brazorotto
Source: All Pet Food Magazine

By Josiane Volpato