Wide portfolio from the Netherlands

One of the most striking things about the Dutch company Brandenburch, which is based in Asten and employs 45 people, is its wide-ranging product portfolio. Brandenburch offers its customers over 300 products, which are broken down into four major brand segments: Brexx (extrudates and mixes), Bristi (alfalfa products), Brand Plus (flakes and meals) and Ceroma (food products). The first three of these are significant for the pet supplies industry. Products under the Brexx brand differ in odour, colour and shape. Besides the standard range, the company also manufactures premixes tailored to the specific needs of the customers, says Mart van Helden, international sales manager at Brandenburch. "The products are available in every conceivable shape, including rounds, bananas, hearts, kidney beans, pillows and points. Brandenburch has various technologies for this purpose, such as single-screw and twin-screw extruders." In the extruders, ground materials - single ingredients or mixtures - are placed under pressure. Water and steam are added and the wet mix is forced through a die. "With this process, Brandenburch can make almost any shape that people desire."
To produce the flakes and meals for the Brand Plus line, on the other hand, the raw materials are conditioned and heated for a short time using infrared radiation to a core temperature of about 100 °C. "The puffed grains are then crushed, dried and cooled. Using this technique, raw materials such as wheat, barley, rice, peas, roots and maize are gelatinised effectively in a manner that preserves nutrients and vitamins," says Mart van Helden. The company's alfalfa products are suitable for rabbits and rodents: "In comparison with grains and seeds, alfalfa contains many vitamins and other functional nutrients. After harvesting, alfalfa is dried artificially. This preserves vitamins and other functional nutrients and results in a long product life." Alfalfa products contain 20 per cent crude protein and many types of vitamin, plus trace elements, carotene, Omega 3 fatty acids and functional fibre, says the international sales manager. It goes without saying that only select raw ingredients are used for all products.

Good figures The care taken in production seems to be paying off for…