COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — Texas A&M University (TAMU) will host its sixth annual Extruded Pet Foods and Treats short course online this year, due to continuing COVID-19 concerns in the United States. The weeklong practical course will be held live online through Zoom from July 12 to 15.

The course will provide an overview of best practices, characteristics and support for choosing, operating and formulating for extrusion processes in the pet food and treat product manufacturing industry.

Topics will focus on material handling, preconditioning, pet food extrusion, extruded and non-extruded pet treats, raw materials, extrusion hardware, automation, product analysis, meat handling, drying, cooling and enrobing, food safety aspects, shelf-life and troubleshooting.

Presentations will feature university staff members, industry representatives and pet food and treat consultants. This includes Mian Riaz of TAMU’s Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), several representatives of Wenger Manufacturing, Inc. such as Galen Rokey, Alaina Mooney, Ed de Souza, Brian Streit and Keith Erdley, Brandon Senne and Sara Cutler of Kemin Industries, David Honigs of PerkinElmer Inc., Patrick Burke of Omaha Industries, Inc., Lead Wilkinson of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), Jeff Plodzein of Sensient Food Color, and Jerry Jaquish and Collin McCallion of Baker Perkins.

Attendees will need a broadband wired or wireless internet connection supported by 3G or 4G/LTE in order to access the live, online course. TAMU stated there will be no additional fees for participants to set up a Zoom account to attend the virtual short course.

Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about the short course, see the full agenda and register on TAMU’s TEES website.

Read more about pet food and treat industry events.