This article was published in the July 2024 issue of Pet Food Processing. Read it and other articles from this issue in our July digital edition.  

As pet parents seek to provide their four-legged family members with well-rounded diets filled with optimal nutrition, the days of pets eating solely kibble are largely gone. In this ongoing quest to offer pets the healthiest diets possible, partnered with the broader trend toward the humanization of pets, freeze-dried products are gaining popularity.

“Humanization of pet food is more around the nutritional value and claims that we value as humans and cascading those into the pet food industry,” said Chad Kucks, vice president of commercial operations for Petsource by Scoular, Omaha, Neb. “Very simple ingredient labels, clean diets, whole proteins, fruits and vegetables, and then claims like probiotics and all-natural even down to sustainability claims like humanely raised… are highly important to this consumer who looks at what they feed their dog.” 

Maximizing benefits

Freeze-drying has a range of advantages including the way it preserves the nutritional integrity of ingredients and ensures pets receive essential vitamins and minerals to how the texture of these foods appeals to pets. The minimal processing required also means products don’t contain additional additives and preservatives, said Albert Alchkifati, chief marketing officer for Sprankles for Pets.

“This method ensures convenience for pet owners with its lightweight and shelf-stable nature and aligns with the growing trend toward health-conscious pet care, providing various options made from simple, recognizable ingredients that cater to different dietary preferences and needs,” Alchkifati said.

WagWell’s products are fully cooked before freeze-drying, which is different from other raw offerings in the freeze-dried segment.

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Source: WagWell

Since pets fed freeze-dried products take in less processed and more digestible foods, they typically eat less and produce less waste, said Brian Lakari, vice president of operations at Carnivore Meat Company, Green Bay, Wis., which owns the Vital Essentials brand. He said all the company’s products are based on what animals would eat in the wild.

Beyond nutrition retention and improved digestibility, freeze-drying also allows for the preservation of the original flavor and aroma of the food in addition to providing shelf stability and a lighter weight product, said William Smolen, co-founder and chief executive officer of WagWell, Charlotte, NC.

As the advantages of these products are contributing to a growing consumer interest, processors are overcoming the challenges that exist in product development. 

Ingredient selection is one challenge when developing freeze-dried pet foods, especially when there are shortages of ingredients like chicken, Alchkifati said. As a result, Sprankles for Pets works to identify ideal ingredients to ensure product quality and nutritional value. Quality control can also be challenging as achieving consistency in product quality, texture and taste can be difficult due to variations in ingredient characteristics and environments. However, Alchkifati said the company is working to build relationships with ingredient suppliers to help ensure consistency while also implementing quality control measures throughout the process.

Packaging and storage represent yet another challenge as protecting freeze-dried products from moisture and oxygen is essential. Sprankles for Pets is exploring innovative packaging solutions that protect products from moisture and oxygen while also maintaining sustainability standards and being cost-effective. 

The supply chain is another obstacle, and it can be difficult to source proteins from a limited number of sources, said Basel “Vasili” Nassar, founder and CEO of Boss Nation Brands, owner of Boss Dog and Boss Cat brands.

At the same time, Smolen emphasized the importance of collaboration across the supply chain. 

“Finding reliable suppliers and manufacturers to ensure product integrity and consistency is a significant challenge as products can easily crumble and turn into dust if not freeze-dried properly,” Smolen said. “We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with supportive partners who share our belief in the brand, helping us overcome this hurdle.”

Investing in facilities 

Scoular began production of freeze-dried pet food at a $55 million, 105,000-square-foot facility in Seward, Neb., in early 2021. The company created Petsource by Scoular as a new subsidiary dedicated exclusively to co-manufacturing freeze-dried pet food. 

“Little did we know how popular [freeze-dried] was going to be. Not long after we opened our facility in 2021, we began plans to expand,” said Chad Kucks of Petsource by Scoular.

“When we built the facility, we had high expectations that it would be quite popular among the brands looking to get into freeze-dried,” Kucks said. “Little did we know how popular it was going to be. Not long after we opened our facility in 2021, we began plans to expand.” 

In fact, the company just completed an expansion that tripled the size of the facility. To accommodate such growth, Kucks said the company has unique freeze dryers that provide a competitive edge.

“We’ve bought freeze dryers that give us the biggest advantage and can turn batches quickly and make larger batches, so we are really designed well for efficiency and large-scale operations,” Kucks said.

Petsource by Scoular also operates with a human-grade hygienic lens and adheres to some of the highest regulatory standards, Kucks said. This includes having separate workforces for raw products and finished goods and using ultra-violet technology. 

Scoular built its Petsource facility in Seward, Neb., to produce freeze-dried pet foods for its co-manufacturing partners.

| Source: Rebecca S. Gratz

“We know with freeze-dried — although it has tremendous amounts of benefits — there’s also a consumer and brand nervousness around the raw element. So, by employing the best food safety and quality practices, we feel like we can make brands more comfortable with offering those types of products,” Kucks said.

Petsource by Scoular promotes itself using the tagline, “all under one roof.” This represents the company’s ability to offer end-to-end services that provide brands with the ability to work with Petsource on taking a product idea from concept to final retail package, Kucks said.

Carnivore Meat Company opened a new 235,000-square-foot plant at the end of 2023, for which the company designed and built its own freeze dryers to produce its freeze-dried products. It currently has 41 freeze dryers, and the company will eventually be able to increase its capacity to 72 freeze dryers, Lakari said. In order to develop these made-to-order freeze dryers, the company has mechanical engineers on staff and contracts with electrical engineers. Building and designing its own equipment also allows Carnivore Meat Company to improve efficiency and lower its carbon footprint — the freeze dryers they built gave the company 50% more product for the same amount of electrical input, Lakari said. Additionally, the company can bring a new freeze dryer into operation in less than six months compared with the 18 months or two years it would take if one was ordered from an outside manufacturer. 

With Carnivore Meat Company operating a contract manufacturing business alongside its branded business, Lakari sees a common focus among players in the freeze-dried market. 

“The people who come to us for co-manufacturing are primarily concerned about quality and what they’re delivering to pets,” Lakari said. “Our private-label customers really have the same standards of quality that we have.”

New on the market

With such investments being made to develop freeze-dried offerings, the innovation pipeline is turning out a variety of new products. Vital Essentials recently introduced a quail product in addition to promoting more mix-ins and toppers, Lakari said.

Vital Essentials offers a number of freeze-dried products including duck heads and its new whole quail product.

| Source: Sosland Publishing Co. / Nicole Kerwin

The ORIJEN brand from Canada-based Champion Petfoods introduced freeze-dried Epic Bites as a product with 90% raw animal ingredients available in Original, Tundra and Regional Red varieties. The products can be used as a meal topper on dry kibble, rehydrated and fed on their own, or consumed as a treat.

“The boost in protein and the palatable texture of these foods are great for picky eaters and dogs who experience flavor fatigue and grow bored of their food,” said Ernie Ambrose, vice president of marketing for Champion Petfoods. “They are also easy to pack for trips and are a great alternative to raw food in a more convenient, less messy form.”

The Boss Dog and Boss Cat brands offer a range of probiotic-infused freeze-dried products containing 500 million probiotics per cup.

“The great thing about freeze-dried is its functionality,” Nassar said. “We market ours as a topper, a treat, a training tool or a full-meal system. Our Nuggs™, which are small bite-sized pieces, are perfect for multi-utility, and we thought for people that are on the go that want premium value with the probiotic component, freeze-dried was the way to do it.” 

Marking its entry into the freeze-dried segment, WagWell recently introduced single-ingredient freeze-dried treats in beef and cheese varieties.

“Here’s a way that allows minimal processing, preserving natural enzymes and the food that makes it easier on the dog’s digestive system,” Smolen said. 

WagWell’s fully cooked products are unique in the category compared to the traditional raw offerings across the rest of the freeze-dried segment. 

ORIJEN freeze-dried Epic Bites — available in Original, Tundra and Regional Red varieties — can be used as a meal topper, rehydrated and fed as a meal or consumed as a treat. 

| Source: Champion Petfoods

As younger pet owners seek more premium products offering optimal health benefits, this demographic is seen as one of the driving forces behind the growing market for freeze-dried pet foods.  

“The combination of health-conscious consumers, the humanization of pets, convenience factors, product innovation and market expansion efforts will collectively contribute to the sustained growth and demand for freeze-dried pet products in the future,” Alchkifati said.

Smolen added, “We’ve already witnessed the shift in the consumer’s eye where pets are now viewed as essential family members, and consumers are demanding better quality and healthier options for their pets. We believe this is not merely a trend, but the early stages of a consumer shift that will continue to grow. The freeze-dried category is perfectly positioned to address this shift, which allows brands to offer simple, nutritious products.”

Keep up with the latest pet food trends on our Trends page.