Current trnds in pet food technologies

Suppliers of raw materials, packaging, processing equipment and hygiene systems can join manufacturers of production and packaging machinery in exhibiting their products and expertise in a special show area at Interzoo titled “Pet Food Technology”. A complementary event taking place during Interzoo is a symposium on the subject of pet food technology, starting at 10 am on 11 May. The symposium will be held in the Messezentrum Nürnberg, CCN Mitte, Mailand room. Ten speakers from prominent firms active in the fields of testing and measurement, raw materials processing and pet food packaging in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will review current technical developments aimed at optimising the production of pet food. All lectures will be broadcast simultaneously in English and German. The organisers of the symposium are WZF GmbH and the IFF, based in Braunschweig-Thune. Subjects to be covered include “Dosing and blending to increase the accuracy and flexibility of dosing systems in the production process”, “Adding liquids to batch mixers”, “Flaking and efficient blending of pet food components”, “Energy recovery and odour treatment in the processing of extruded food” and “New developments in closing technology for open bags and pouches”.The demand for healthy food for pets imposes special requirements on raw materials and processing equipment. The objective of pet nutrition is to keep pets fit and healthy into a ripe old age if possible, and so raw materials and additives that could jeopardize this aim are ruled out. Other important aspects include acceptance, smell and visual appearance. Pet lovers will be far less keen to give their pet a food that neither looks nor smells good than one that has a delicious aroma and appetising appearance. In the field of raw materials, the key objective is to handle these so that the maximum nutritional value is obtained without incurring any risks (e.g. the inclusion of pathogens) as well as guaranteeing optimum usability while retaining flavour. The production of dry food for cats, for example, was a major challenge for manufacturers for a long time: it must only contain a small quantity of magnesium and has to taste fresh. Thanks to new raw ingredients and an innovative processing technique, in which meat concentrates are sprayed onto the croquettes in a vacuum, the connoisseurs of the cat world now accept even dry food.There is no charge for attending the symposium, although it is necessary to register. Further…