Complementary Care and Treats Manufacturing

Introduction

Treats for cats and dogs come in a variety of forms. In the EU, the majority are termed complementary as they are designed to complement main meal complete and balanced pet foods. In the US, the same products are generally identified as "treats" or "snacks". In either case, they should therefore only make up a small percentage of the daily calorie intake. Feeding recommendations on some pet food manufacturers’ products suggest feeding no more than 10% of required daily calories.

Here are some of the most common ways to make treats for cats and dogs:

Extrusion

This method involves mixing ingredients to form a dough that is pumped into an extruder. The dough may be a combination of meat and animal derivatives and dry ingredients such as wheat flour or potato starch that when extruded produce strip like treats. Alternatively, ingredients may be based on rice flour and wheat starch that when combined provide a chewy, spongy texture ideal for products that help clean teeth.

Biscuit Baking

The primary ingredient in this process is usually wheat flour. Wheat flour is combined with vitamins, flavours, water and preservatives to make a soft dough. The dough is then cut into the required shapes and sizes before baking in an oven.

Injection Moulding

Here ingredients are mixed together before being injected into a shaped mould. After cooling the treats are released from the mould. Moulds are usually used to create specific sizes and shapes of chew.