Learn How Dog Food is Made: Both Wet & Dry

Are you curious about what goes into making your dog’s favorite food? Dog food has come a long way from being table scraps or leftovers to food that is more than just sustenance.

Today, it comes in different varieties and is even purposely tailored, e.g., for training and the nutritional needs of different breeds and ages, to cater to various preferences and dietary sensitivities, generating over $30B in revenue yearly.

And creating nutritious and palatable dog food, whether it’s wet or dry, involves a complex process that starts with making a recipe and culminates in packaging and distribution.

So when you pour a bowl of chow for your dog, you actually become a part of a process that has been carefully crafted to provide your pooch with optimal nutrition.

So, without further ado, let’s explore the journey of the food your dog eagerly devours.

Wet Dog Food

Wet dog food is the doggy equivalent of human canned food. It is food in wet form and comes in cans and pouches. It is a scrumptious yet nutritious blend of veg and non-veg ingredients such as meats, veggies, and grains.

Recipe Development and Ingredient Selection

Do you know what is the foundation of cooking? It is a recipe, and here, manufacturers either work with animal nutritionists and veterinarians or outsource the recipe development task.

The aim is to make a recipe that is suitable for dogs of different breeds and ages.

Once the recipe is finalized, manufacturers select the most appropriate ingredients, which are both delicious and healthy, to ensure that the food is both tasty and has the right texture.

Sourcing High-quality Ingredients from Trusted Suppliers

When the “recipe and ingredient selection” is done, sourcing fresh ingredients that are not under or overripe comes into play.

For the sake of the quality and safety of their products, manufacturers source their ingredients from only trusted suppliers who meet strict standards for food safety and quality control.

Sourcing Specific Ingredients for Specialized Diets (optional)

Some dogs have unique dietary needs due to allergies, certain health conditions, or other factors. For these dogs, manufacturers add specific ingredients, for instance, they may add grain-free or low-fat options to accommodate their needs.

Cleaning & Sanitizing Equipment to Ensure Safety & Quality

The equipment used in the manufacturing process is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized regularly.

This step is something that happens prior to everything, so calling it the first step of the process wouldn’t be wrong.

This involves washing the equipment with soap and water and then using special sanitizing agents to kill any bacteria or other contaminants that may be present. This prevents foodborne illnesses and ensures that the food is safe to eat.

Mixing

Mixing is the first practical step in wet dog food making. Ingredients are put into a big mixer and blended for a homogeneous mixture.

Think of it as making a cake batter but with meat, vegetables, and grains instead of flour and sugar.

Grinding (optional)

So if you’ve ever tried eating a chunky soup, you know it can be hard to get all the bits and pieces in one bite. The same goes for our dog when it comes to eating dog food. That’s why some dog foods are ground. It’s like making a dog food smoothie by blending larger chunks of meat or vegetables into smaller pieces.

This makes it easier for dogs to eat and digest the food. Plus, it gives the food a more consistent texture throughout.

Cooking

Once all the ingredients are mixed (and ground), they are set to be cooked. Manufacturers use big kettles for cooking the mixture thoroughly. This process ensures that the food is safe for dogs to eat by eliminating any harmful bacteria that might be lurking around.

Mixing with Supplements (optional)

Just like humans, dogs need their vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. That’s where supplements come in! After cooking, manufacturers may add extra supplements so the food has all the essential nutrients that dogs need.

Think of it like adding a multivitamin to your dog’s food. These supplements are mixed in carefully to make sure that each serving has the right balance of nutrients.

Adjusting the Texture or Consistency for Palatability

In this step, manufacturers adjust the texture or consistency of the food to make it more palatable for dogs. They may add moisture to the food to make it softer or thicker to make it easier for dogs to eat. This helps ensure that the food is not only nutritious but also delicious, making it more appealing to dogs.

Adding Vitamins & Minerals for Nutritional Requirements

Just like us humans, dogs need a balanced diet to stay healthy. After the wet dog food mixture has been cooked, manufacturers add extra supplements to ensure it has all the vitamins and minerals dogs need to thrive.

They measure and add the supplements in just the right amounts, so the food is yummy yet healthy for our pups.

Testing the Product for Nutrient Content, Palatability & Safety

After the wet dog food is mixed and cooked, the time comes to put it to the test! Manufacturers take samples of the food and test it to ensure it meets nutritional requirements, for palatability, and is safe for dogs to eat.

They check for the right levels of vitamins and minerals, make sure it tastes great, and ensure it’s free of harmful bacteria or other contaminants.

Conducting Feeding Trials to Assess the Product’s Nutritional Value & Impact on Dogs’ Health (optional)

Some manufacturers take things a step further and do feeding trials. They feed dogs the new wet dog food exclusively for a while and monitor their health.

This helps them see how the food impacts their coat, energy levels, and digestion. It’s not a required step, but it can give valuable insights into the nutritional value of the food.

Quality Control

This is something that keeps happening throughout the making.

They check everything from the ingredients to the cooking process to the final product. If any issues pop up, they take care of them right away to ensure the food is top-notch.

Canning or Pouching

This is where the making of wet dog food ends. The wet dog food is filled into cans or pouches and sterilized to keep it fresh.

Performing Shelf-life Testing to Determine the Product’s Stability over time (optional)

After the wet dog food has been canned/pouched, you know, it’s important to make sure it can last for a while, so to ensure this, companies conduct shelf-life testing to see how long the food can sit on a shelf before it goes spoiled.

This helps guarantee that the product is safe for dogs to consume and that it would stay fresh until it’s opened and served to your furry friend.

Sterilization (optional)

In a bid that wet dog food is safe for consumption and won’t spoil easily, companies choose to sterilize the food. Sterilization involves high heat and pressure to kill bacteria or other harmful microorganisms that potentially can cause illness. This process helps extend the shelf life of the product.

Cooling

After the wet dog food has been cooked, it needs to be cooled down before it can be packaged. This helps prevent any bacteria from growing while the food is still warm. The cooling process is done using large machines that blow cool air over the food until it reaches a safe temperature.

Labeling the Product with Nutritional Information and Other Important Details

Prior to being sold to consumers, wet dog food needs to be properly labeled with important information.

This includes things like the ingredients used, the nutritional content, and any potential allergens. This helps pet owners make informed decisions about what they’re feeding their dogs.

Packaging

Once the wet dog food has been cooked, cooled, and labeled, it’s time to package it up for sale. This is done using a variety of different types of packaging, such as cans, pouches, or trays.

The packaging needs to be strong enough to protect the food during shipping and storage and easy enough for pet owners to open and serve to their dogs.

Storage and Distribution

After the wet dog food has been packaged, it needs to be stored in a safe and secure location until it’s ready to be shipped to retailers. This may involve storing the product in a large warehouse or distribution center. Once the product is ready to be shipped, it needs to be transported using safe and reliable methods to ensure it arrives at its destination in good condition.

Marketing and Advertising the Product to Consumers

Once the thing is in the market, it is time to make dog parents aware of it, and it is done through creating marketing and advertising campaigns that showcase the benefits of the product and persuade them to give it a shot.

This can involve things like social media ads, television commercials, and other forms of digital marketing.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation to Enhance Product Quality and Nutrition (optional)

This cycle of continuous improvement and innovation repeats over time.

To stay ahead of the competition, companies are constantly looking for ways to improve their products. This may involve experimenting with new ingredients, improving the production process, or creating new and innovative packaging options.

Research & Development for New or Improved recipes (optional)

Now, pretty obvious, there have to be varieties in this category, so companies keep investing in new and improved recipes that can excite the taste buds and get tails wagging. It’s a long and intensive process that involves testing different ingredients, formulations, and flavors to achieve the perfect balance of nutrition and taste.

To ensure the food is top-notch, they even conduct taste tests with dogs to get feedback on the flavor and texture of the food. This process can take months or even years to complete, but it’s worth it to provide our canine companions with the best possible meal options.

Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food, also known as kibble, is a popular and convenient option for dog owners. It can be stored for longer periods of time and is generally less messy than wet food.

Its making is no less complex than wet dog food.

The first five steps (which are following below as well) are the same as happens in wet food making.

1. Recipe development and ingredient selection
2. Research and development to create new or improved recipes (optional)
3. Sourcing high-quality ingredients from trusted suppliers
4. Sourcing specific ingredients for specialized diets, such as grain-free or low-fat dog foods (optional)
5. Cleaning and sanitizing equipment to ensure safety and quality

And then pre-conditioning occurs.

Pre-conditioning (optional)

In this step, manufacturers choose to pre-condition their ingredients before mixing them together. It involves heating them up slightly to make them more pliable and easier to blend.

And comes mixing and grinding, which is already explained above in the wet dog food segment.

Extrusion

The ground-up mixture is then pushed through a machine called an extruder. This is where the magic happens. The extruder uses high pressure and heat to create the signature shapes and textures of dry dog food. Some manufacturers even add in some chunks of meat or veggies to give the food more texture.

Drying

The extruded pieces are moved to a dryer, where they are dried to remove any remaining moisture. This step is like baking a cake in the oven to get rid of any excess moisture.

This step helps to ensure that the food doesn’t spoil and has a longer shelf life.

And then vitamins and minerals are added for nutritional requirements and then adjustments happen for palatability.

Coating (optional)

Some manufacturers may choose to add a coating to their dry dog food to improve the flavor and aroma of the product. This step is like adding sauce to your chicken wings to make them more flavorful. The coating may also help to protect the food from moisture, ensuring that it stays fresh for a longer period of time.

Cooling (optional)

After the dry dog food has been extruded and dried, some manufacturers may choose to cool the product before packaging it. This step involves allowing the food to cool down to room temperature before moving on to the next step. Think of it like letting a freshly baked cake cool down before frosting it – it’s all about ensuring that the food is at the right temperature before moving on to the final step.

After these, all typical steps like different sorts of testing (which are already mentioned under the wet dog food segment), packaging, distribution, etc.

Conclusion

Dog food, whether wet or dry, is made by combining meat, grains, vegetables, and other ingredients that meet AAFCO nutritional guidelines for balanced and complete diets. The difference in their making lies in wet being canned after cooking and blending, while the latter is extruded, and dried.

AAFCO sets standards for nutritional profiles and feeding trials to ensure quality pet food. Learn more about AAFCO guidelines for dog food on their website.

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